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What were the top quirky moments from the 2016 AFL season?

WHETHER it is a good old fashioned prank, an awkward moment or an on-field sledge, the 2016 season provided plenty of quirky moments. But what was the best?

Liam Twomey
11 min read
October 7, 2016 - 1:00PM
Dane Swan enjoyed plenty of good off-field moments this season. Picture: Getty Images.
Dane Swan enjoyed plenty of good off-field moments this season. Picture: Getty Images.

FOR the most part, football is a pretty serious business.

But in-between the week to week grind for the four points and the push for premiership glory, things don’t always go to plan.

Whether it is a good old fashioned prank, an awkward moment, an on-field sledge or a social media stitch-up, the 2016 season provided plenty of quirky moments.

Here are our favourites from the 2016 season.

30 — The prank that cost Brett Deledio $800

On the field, he is a genuine star who bleeds yellow and black while playing for the Tigers.

Off the field, Brett Deledio may need to spend some time working on his prank game.

While attempting to put one over teammate Dylan Grimes in June, laughs soon turned to tears for Deledio.

29 — Scott Thompson has a surprise for Rory Laird

It is clear the boys from the Adelaide Football Club don’t mind a prank.

With over 300 games of experience, club great Scott Thompson has seen plenty of them in his time and he delivered a cracker to Rory Laird at a beach recovery session earlier this season.

Laird moves well on the football field but he showed off a whole new level of pace while escaping his new found beach based friend.

28 — Introducing the Saturday night #FazFacts

Could Alex Fasolo be eyeing off a commentary role when his career at Collingwood comes to an end?

Fasolo showed off his special comments, with a little help from teammate Taylor Adams, when the Magpies hosted Gold Coast in Round 22.

While commentators are usually unbiased, the ‘Faz Facts’ may have been seeing things in black and white.

27 — How many Crows does it take to build a hoop?

Hopefully Adelaide’s Rory Laird is in the AFL for a long time to come because a post-playing career as a tradesman is clearly out of the question.

Charged with putting up a basketball hoop during the season, Laird took to Twitter to send out an SOS after making a rookie mistake.

Luckily for Laird the problem was eventually fixed. However, it did cost him two weeks of getting buckets.

26 — The AFL’s biggest reality TV fan

Every player needs a passion outside of the game.

Some golf, some surf and some ... watch reality TV.

Adam Tomlinson might be the AFL’s biggest reality TV fan if his Twitter feed is anything to go by.

The GWS Giant doesn’t mind firing up over The Bachelor, The Bachelorette or even Married at First Sight.

If you’re looking to follow someone who isn’t afraid to get stuck into the big issues, Tomlinson is your man.

25 — Are we sure who won the premiership?

Did the Sydneysiders really think it would be that easy? Or did they just forget to watch the big dance?

In an awkward post Grand Final moment, the SCG sent out a heartfelt message of congratulations to their team after their heroic premiership win.

There was just one issue. They lost and no one remembered to take down the message.

Oops. SCG posts pre-emptive winning message to Swans.
Oops. SCG posts pre-emptive winning message to Swans.

They weren’t the only ones to make a mistake. The below advertisement ran in the Age newspaper congratulating the Bulldogs on a great season, despite losing the Grand Final. Oops.

The Dogs can't catch a break.
The Dogs can't catch a break.

24 — Bulldogs banners the best in the business

An AFL season can throw up more twists and turns than an episode of Lost.

However, one thing to take to the bank during the year was the Bulldogs’ ability to come up with a quality banner.

With comedian Danny McGinlay taking the reins, the Dogs delivered an array of banners that bounced between being clever and cheeky but were always hilarious.

Take that Magpies. Picture: Michael Klein
Take that Magpies. Picture: Michael Klein
Western Bulldogs banner against Fremantle.
Western Bulldogs banner against Fremantle.
The Dogs banner for the preliminary final against GWS.
The Dogs banner for the preliminary final against GWS.

23 — Brodie Smith, ouch!

It’s been a great year for the Adelaide Crows but not everything went to plan for Brodie Smith.

The defender fell victim to the oldest trick in the book back in June when one of his teammates pulled out the heat cream in the underpants routine.

We suspect it was a painful few hours that followed for Smith but luckily he managed to jump on social media not long after to try and call out the culprit.

As for a motive, it is possible Smith was targeted as part of a square-up for his own social media efforts.

22 — One final Dane Swan pocket profile

An AFL player question and answer article can be a little dull sometimes but not when Dane Swan is involved.

In 2014, Swan produced arguably the greatest AFL Record Pocket Profile of all time with his witty brand of humour on full display.

Just days after his retirement, Swan returned for one final go and once again knocked it out of the park.

The final Dane Swan pocket profile.
The final Dane Swan pocket profile.

21 — Is this the spray of the year?

Don’t be late for a team meeting or you’ll end up on the wrong end of an almighty earbashing.

That was the message from Werribee coach John Lamont who delivered a stunning spray to his players prior to their VFL clash against Port Melbourne in July.

Aligned to AFL side North Melbourne, the Werribee players weren’t in the rooms in time for the club’s early meeting and a fired up Lamont let them know all about it.

20 — Farewell star player, star tweeter

Adam Cooney will be sorely missed from the AFL.

Whether he was giving an interview, winning a Brownlow Medal or interacting on social media, Cooney was one of the best in the business when it came to drawing a laugh.

After announcing his retirement in August, Cooney was quick to predict how the next stage of his career was set to play out.

Adam Cooney gets chaired off after his final game. Picture: Michael Klein
Adam Cooney gets chaired off after his final game. Picture: Michael Klein
Former Carlton star Lance Whitnall playing for Lalor.
Former Carlton star Lance Whitnall playing for Lalor.

19 — You’re a wizard, Heath

He has always been a star on the backline but is Heath Shaw actually a wizard?

The GWS defender showed off his Harry Potter knowledge during the season when he created a Giants quidditch team made up of lookalikes from the popular movies.

From Phil Davis as Harry Potter to Tom Scully as Voldemort, it was one of Shaw’s best performances of the season.

18 — Former teammates go toe-to-toe

Throughout his AFL career, one or two opposition players would have liked to run through Jason Akermanis.

However, it was former teammate Chris Johnson who finally landed a blow on the silky smooth Brownlow Medal winner in this year’s EJ Whitten Legends Game.

Streaming off the backline, Johnson gathered the ball and ran right through Akermanis.

Having played in multiple premierships together, the contest gave Aker a first hand-look at what it was like for the rest of the competition during Brisbane’s golden run in the early 2000s.

17 — Dane Swan Twitter Takeover

There will never be another Dane Swan. Luckily before he left, he delivered the ultimate Twitter takeover.

On what was a lacklustre Friday night clash between the Pies and the Dockers, Swan was clearly best on ground from behind his computer screen.

He promised “plenty of insightful footy speak”. We aren’t sure if he delivered on that but he did provide plenty of laughs.

Swan’s analyses didn’t go unnoticed, with the now retired Pie targeted by SportsBet to tweet the Brownlow Medal count.

However, he lost interest pretty quickly.

16 — Is this the greatest football ad ever?

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to see Gary Ablett or Lance Franklin play in the juniors?

Thanks to NAB’s Mini Legends ad, wonder no more.

In one of the greatest AFL ads of all time, NAB recreated the AFL stars as kids but included some of the modern day features that have made them famous.

Everything from Max Gawn’s beard to Taylor Walker’s moustache were covered in the brilliant commercial.

15 — How many Crows can you catch with $50?

Adelaide Crows pair Brodie Smith and Rory Laird love a bit of fishing, just not the sort you expect.

The two stuck a $50 note on the end of a line and tried to reel in a sucker as their teammates walked through the club car park.

Like any good fishing trip, it took a while to get a bite but it was well worth it.

14 — The winner is, GWS?

Forget Rio, Greater Western Sydney headquarters was the place to be for Australia’s Olympic athletes during this year’s games.

In a tribute to some of their favourite stars, Giants players donned new uniforms in August, showing off a range of (sort-of) lookalikes.

It was a hot field but Giants skipper Callan Ward took out the bronze medal for his weightlifting attire while Sam Reid latched on to the silver for his performance in the pool.

But there was no topping ‘gymnast’ Heath Shaw for the gold medal.

13 — Afro-man steals the Friday night spotlight:

It is one of the golden rules of being a football fan.

Once you’ve picked a team, you’re stuck with them for life. There is no switching, no second favourites and barely room for a soft spot.

But it appears not everyone got the message.

Tasmania’s ‘afro-man’ Jim Kean shot to fame earlier this year when he was spotted wearing a Richmond jersey at the start of a match, only to switch to North colours as the Roos were running away with the contest.

Jim Kean on Friday night.
Jim Kean on Friday night.
Jim Kean watching his adopted Roos early in the year.
Jim Kean watching his adopted Roos early in the year.

“I’ve been a Richmond supporter all my life, but getting to see AFL in Hobart is absolutely great,” Kean told SuperFooty.

“I have been a North Melbourne member since they started playing in Hobart so that I can attend the games.

“I respect them for that (playing in Hobart), and treat them like a second side, that’s why I have been seen wearing both Richmond and North Melbourne gear.”

12 — Jacko comes out swinging

It will go down as the most intense interview of the year, maybe of all time.

When Mark ‘Jacko’ Jackson appeared on Open Mike, he came out swinging in the opening minutes and never slowed down.

After giving host Mike Sheahan a whack, Jacko then turned his attention to the state of the game, players and clubs.

His comments fired up a number of current day players who were keen to have their say on Jackson.

11- Defend, defend, defend!

It is drilled into every young footballer from their first trip to Aus Kick. Defence wins premierships.

Well, it would appear no one told the under 18 boys from North Adelaide Football Club who were on the wrong end of one of the blunders of the year.

With the scores tied at the final siren, Glenelg’s Toby Pink took a mark and had an unlikely shot at goal from about 60 metres out.

Pink’s kick fell about 10 metres short but then, chaos.

10 — You can’t see Boomer

Brent Harvey is usually a pretty popular man no matter where he goes.

But the AFL games record-holder has an enemy in the world of professional wrestling.

While sitting ringside at a WWE event in Melbourne, Boomer was greeted with a respectful handshake from John Cena, one of the all-time greats of the sport.

However, there was nothing like that coming from heavyweight AJ Styles who gave Harvey absolutely nothing.

9 — Thanks Tony ‘Chompers’ Jones

The thing about nicknames is, the more you dislike one, the more it will stick.

Just ask Channel 9 sports report Tony ‘Chompers’ Jones who was stitched up live on air so many times we lost count.

Players started by signing off with a ‘thanks Chompers’ but as the weeks ticked by, the farewells got more creative with the likes of Drew Petrie, Nick Dal Santo and David Zaharakis getting in on the act.

AFL players annoy Tony Jones

8 — The drop-punt that turned into $100,000

Awards season is well and truly upon us and a relatively unknown Giant is looming as the hot favourite to take out the ‘kick of the year’ title.

No, it isn’t Heath Shaw, Steve Johnson or even Dylan Shiel. It is GWS supporter Paul Waterhouse.

Back in June, Waterhouse slotted the kick of his life when he landed a drop punt into a stack of car tires from 40 metres away.

The dead eye dick walked away with $100,000.

7 — He’s got his own pocket, do you?

His highlight reel has a running time longer than Avatar and he is being talked up as possibly the greatest small forward in the history of the AFL.

But Adelaide forward Eddie Betts has also proved he can sledge just as well as he can score.

Taking on West Coast earlier in the year, Betts delivered a pearler to Eagles small forward Josh Hill before going on to kick five goals.

Eddie Betts' cheeky sledge

6 — Mason Cox, lost in translation

Picking your life up and moving to a new country for work can be a pretty tough ask.

Just ask Collingwood’s American import Mason Cox.

For the most part, Cox has wowed onlookers with the way he has been able to adjust to Aussie Rules so quickly.

However, Cox himself was the first to admit there were plenty of times he was a little, out of his depth.

5 — Seeking two best-and-fairest dates:

Forget Tinder, Carlton’s Jed Lamb turned to Twitter to try and find a date to one of his club’s biggest nights of the season.

In July, Lamb tweeted he and teammate Kristian Jaksch were looking for dates to the Blues’ best and fairest.

The boys were incredibly keen, with Lamb pleading for his request to be re-tweeted to help spread the word as far and wide as possible.

We aren’t sure if the boys found dates but we’ve got our fingers crossed true love prevailed.

He wasn't’ the only player to use Twitter this season to try and score a date.

GWS Giant Adam Tomlinson took to social media to try and wingman for his good friend Adam Kennedy.

4 — The greatest milestone photo ever taken

There have been plenty of brilliant football photos taken over the years but a supporter of the Ardmona Cats might have topped them all.

“Plugga”, as he is known to his teammates, needed a little help being chaired off the ground in his milestone match.

The popular Cat had just played in his 200th game and while the result didn’t go the club’s way, Plugga’s teammates weren’t letting him leave the ground without the proper send-off.

Plugga getting carried from the ground.
Plugga getting carried from the ground.

3 — Get to the chopper

They can play in front of thousands of screaming fans and not bat an eyelid.

But ask them to talk to celebrities and they go to water.

North Melbourne trio Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Sam Durdin were just trying to do their club a favour when they put their hands up to make some phone calls for the membership drive.

However, the players struggled to keep it together when they thought they were talking to the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce McAvaney and John Farnham.

2 — Never too old for a dummy spit

During his AFL career, Matthew Richardson’s body language was occasionally called into question.

Since retiring he has come across as cool as a cucumber while doing special comments for Channel 7 and on radio for 3AW.

However, a return to the field in the EJ Whitten Legends Game brought back a few of Richo’s old habits.

After being overlooked by Abbey Holmes for a handball while wide open in the goalsquare, Richo made no effort to hide his disgust.

1 — Mario from Doncaster can’t take it anymore

There is no doubt about it. Barracking for Richmond can be a tough slog.

For what seems like an eternity to the Tigers’ faithful, the club has promised the world but delivered very little when it has mattered most.

After seven years without a finals win under Damien Hardwick and with another rebuild on the horizon, it all became too much for talkback radio regular Mario from Doncaster.

On the back of Richmond’s final round smashing against Sydney, Mario summed up how most Tiger fans were feeling on SEN radio.

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