Gavin Wanganeen
Personal information
Full name	Gavin Adrian Wanganeen
Date of birth	June 18, 1973 (1973-06-18) (age 36)
Place of birth	Mt. Gambier, South Australia
Recruited from	Port Adelaide (SANFL)
Draft	12 overall, 1989 Essendon
Height/Weight	181cm / 83kg
Position(s)	Back Pocket, Forward Pocket, Utility
Club information
Current club	Retired
Number	#4 (1991–96, 2001–06) #1 (1997 – 2000)
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1990 – 1996 1997 – 2006	Essendon Port Adelaide	128 (62) 172 (138) 300 (200)
State team honours
1990 – 1995		8
1 Playing statistics to end of 2006 season .

Gavin Adrian Wanganeen (born 18 June 1973) was a former Australian rules footballer. He played in two Australian Football League premierships with Essendon and Port Adelaide. He was the first cousin of brothers Aaron and Alwyn Davey.

[edit] Career

[edit] Early career

Wanganeen played junior football for Salisbury North Hawks before beginning his senior career aged 16 with Port Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) (prior to that club joining the AFL), winning the SANFL Rookie of the Year award and gaining the attention of AFL side Essendon.

[edit] Essendon Career (1991-1996)

Wanganeen debuted for Essendon in 1991, immediately finding a niche as an attacking defender. His quality was recognised in 1993 when he won the Brownlow Medal for the best and fairest player in the league, the first part-Aboriginal Australian to do so, as well as being a key player in Essendon's premiership win that year. In 2002, he was voted the 19th best Essendon player of all time in the "Champions of Essendon" list.

[edit] Port Adelaide Career (1997-2006)

Wanganeen returned to Port Adelaide in 1997 to captain Port Adelaide and won 11 Brownlow votes, but after his first season injuries conspired to minimise his impact. He relinquished the Port Adelaide captaincy at the end of the 2000 season which saw a return to his best form. In 2003 season he was favourite to once again win the Brownlow (he finished equal second). In 2004 he won his second premiership medal in Port's first AFL premiership side. Wanganeen played his 300th AFL game in the 2006 season, but then injured his right knee in an SANFL game for the Port Adelaide Magpies, which led him to retire from football.[1]. Gavin Wanganeen was the first Aboriginal player to play 300 games. He was honoured by the Power by the naming of the best under 21 medal after him, the Gavin Wanganeen Medal.

[edit] Personal life

In 2000 he married Stephanie Richards and they now have 2 children; a daughter, Mia, and a son, Tex. They separated in 2009.

[edit] See also

• 1990 SANFL Grand Final
• Gavin Wanganeen Medal

[edit] External links

• Gavin Wanganeen profile on the Official AFL Website of the Port Adelaide Football Club
• Gavin Wanganeen's statistics from AFL Tables
• Port Adelaide Magpies Football Club
• Port Adelaide Football Club
• The Power From Port - Unofficial Port Adelaide Power and Magpies Football Clubs Website