Tony Symonds Explained

Tony Symonds
Fullname:Anthony George Symonds
Birth Date:15 February 1962
Draftpick:No. 65, 1986 national draft
Height:185 cm
Weight:72 kg
Originalteam:Sacred Heart College
Position:Wingman
Statsend:1987
Years1:1981–86, 1988–92
Games Goals1:225 (230)
Years2:1987
Games Goals2:3 (1)
Games Goalstotal:228 (231)
Coachyears1:1995–96
Coachgames Wins1:42 (15–27–0)
Careerhighlights:

Anthony George Symonds (born 15 February 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Symonds was a regular fixture of the Glenelg team of the 1980s, playing mostly as a wingman. He was a member of both Glenelg's 1985 and 1986 premiership teams. Using the last pick of the 1986 VFL draft, Hawthorn acquired his services for the 1987 VFL season where he played three games before returning to South Australia.[1] He made his league debut in the opening round, with four disposals against Carlton. His next appearance came two weeks later, in a win over Collingwood, where he had 9 disposals and kicked two behinds. At the Sydney Cricket Ground in round seven, he played his third and final game, kicking a goal and managing 10 disposals.

After leaving Hawthorn, Symonds continued his career at Glenelg and in 1995 was appointed senior coach, as a replacement for Mark Williams,[2] who had joined Essendon as an assistant. His coaching career started well with a 92-point win over Port Adelaide in the season opener but Glenelg could only finish the year in seventh. Again in 1996, the club finished in seventh position and he lost his job to former team-mate Wayne Stringer.

Notes and References

  1. News: Poor harvest from last year's recruit crop. The Age. 9 November 1987.
  2. Web site: Glenelg History.