179. Wayne Fox

Player Inductee

Glenorchy/Footscray/New Norfolk/Hobart/South Launceston/Sandy Bay/Country Football, Full Forward, 1975-98179. Wayne Fox 4

 

  • 1 game for Footscray, 1978 
  • Around 90 games, 92 goals for Glenorchy, 1975-77, 1979-80
  • Around 100 games, 442 goals for New Norfolk, 1981-85
  • Around 80 games, 392 goals for Hobart, 1986-89
  • Around 10 games, 41 goals for South Launceston, 1990
  • Around 30 games, 82 goals for Sandy Bay, 1990-91
  • Around 100 games, more than 400 goals in amateur football 1993-98
  • Record for most senior TANFL/TFL goals in a career: 1049
  • New Norfolk TANFL premiership 1982
  • TANFL/TFL Leading Goalkicker 1983 (135), 1984 (93), 1985 (130), 1986 (105), 1987 (Equal, 80), 1988 (110)
  • Glenorchy Leading Goalkicker 1980 (50)
  • New Norfolk Leading Goalkicker 1982 (76), 1983 (135), 1984 (93), 1985 (130)
  • Hobart Leading Goalkicker 1986 (105), 1987 (80), 1988 (110), 1989 (97)
  • South Launceston Leading Goalkicker 1990 (41)
  • Sandy Bay Leading Goalkicker 1990 (47)
  • Huon FA Leading Goalkicker 1994 (102)
  • Represented both Tasmania and the TFL and captained the Tasmanian state team

 

Although Peter Hudson holds the indisputable title as the greatest Tasmanian full forward of all time, his 994 senior TFL goals is not enough to hold the record for the most goals kicked in a career in the competition. That record, with 1049 goals, belongs to Wayne ‘Baldy’ Fox, a superb, burly spearhead who possessed tremendous strength, a strong pair of hands and deadly accuracy.

Born in 1959, Wayne Fox was just 16 when he was selected to make his TANFL senior debut for Glenorchy in 1975. He was unable to keep his place in the senior team that would taste premiership success that year, but in the following two seasons Fox would make himself a permanent fixture at KGV. In 1978 the VFL came calling, however he only spent one season in Victoria for a single goalless senior game with Footscray before family issues saw Fox return home to Tasmania and Glenorchy.

Although by the end of his career Fox’s name would be synonymous with huge goalkicking numbers, during his time with Glenorchy Fox had to play second fiddle to another goalkicking maestro – the aforementioned Peter Hudson; this was especially the case after Fox’s return from Victoria, as Hudson booted 153 and 179 goals in 1978-79. Upon Hudson’s retirement after 1979 however, Fox readily stepped into the void, topping the Magpies goalkicking table with 50 in 1980, however this was to be his only such award with the Magpies, as at season’s end Fox joined New Norfolk, and it was here that his goalkicking exploits would really take off.

After a quiet first season, Fox’s 76 goals in New Norfolk’s premiership year of 1982 was a major factor in the Eagles breaking their 14-year premiership drought. However this effort was nothing compared to 1983, as Fox exploded with a mammoth 135 goals, the first of four seasons in which he would top 100 goals. After two more seasons in the Valley which produced 93 and 130 goals respectively, Fox departed to his fourth club: Hobart, under his old Glenorchy teammate Peter Hudson. Fox’s four years at the Tigers were arguably the most brilliant of his career, with goal totals of 105, 80, 110 and 97 enough to top the club’s goal tally every season. After consecutive wooden spoons in 1984-85, Fox’s arrival was a big help in the Tigers’ slow climb up the ladder, culminating in an (unsuccessful) Grand Final appearance in 1989.

After a falling out with the coach and committee at Hobart at the end of 1989, Fox was on the move yet again, this time to South Launceston. Embarrassingly, the Bulldogs were unable to fulfil their end of Fox’s contract, and part way through the 1990 season Fox was transferred to his sixth major club, Sandy Bay. Fox booted 47 goals in the second half of 1990 to top the Seagulls goals tally, including his 1000th senior TFL goal during the Seagulls’ Round 20 match against his original club Glenorchy. After one final season producing 35 goals in 1991 Fox retired from TFL football, after a record 1049 senior goals. He also boasted an impressive representative record over his career, booting 19 goals for Tasmania (who he also captained) and 85 in intrastate matches.

Post-TFL, Fox persevered in country football for another six years, enjoying stints with Kermandie (1993), Kingston (1994), Franklin (1995-97, whom he would coach to the final Huon FA premiership) and finally Claremont (1998). His final match was against Hobart aged 39, kicking four goals before retiring for good after a career spanning 24 seasons and 10 clubs.