Craig Kelly (footballer)

Craig Kelly
Personal information
Date of birth	(1966-06-16) 16 June 1966
Original team(s)	Norwood (SANFL)
Height / weight	190cm / 100kg
Playing career¹
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1989—1996	Collingwood	122 (43)
¹ Playing statistics correct to the end of 1996.
Career highlights
1990 premiership side

Craig Kelly is a former Australian rules football player with Collingwood Football Club and is now a successful player manager. He is the grandson of famous free marketeer and former Government Minister, C.R. "Bert" Kelly.

Pre VFL/AFL

Kelly began playing top level football with the Norwood Football Club in the SANFL. He was drafted to Collingwood in the 1986 National draft, as pick no. 34

Collingwood

Kelly made his debut in 1989 and became a tough defender. He played a crucial role in the low scoring 1990 Grand Final, which Collingwood went on to win.

The barrell chested Kelly was known for being a tough and hot headed footballer. He had many appearances to the tribunal for rough play. One incident occurred in 1992 when playing against Sydney, Kelly charged at Sydney's Ben Doolan, causing many of Doolan's teeth to fall out.

Craig Kelly is also famous for pinching opposition players to niggle them such as Richmond's Stephen Jurica, Hawthorn's Jason Dunstall and Geelong duo David Mensch and Gary Ablett, which Ablett stated in his new biography (2007).

Kelly retired after Collingwood's final match of the 1996 season, a round 22 win against the Brisbane Bears, along with Alan Richardson.

Business

After his retirement, Craig founded Elite Sports Properties with Rob Woodhouse. The company deals mainly with sports management and marketing. Kelly is a player manager to many top current AFL stars.

Coaching

Craig Kelly is the current Coach of the Mansfield Eagles in the Goulburn Valley Football League and coached them to the GV premiership in 2009. He has also played some games for the club.

References

Collingwood Football Club 1990 AFL premiers

Collingwood 13.11 (89) defeated Essendon 5.11 (41), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground

1. Monkhorst 2. Francis 3. Gayfer 7. Morwood 12. Banks 17. Barwick 19. Wright 21. Christian 22. Shaw (c) 23. Kelly 24. Turner 26. Brown 27. Starcevich 28. Crosisca 29. Russell 30. Manson 34. McGuane 35. Daicos 42. Millane 44. Kerrison

Coach: Matthews

1986 VFL national draft

First round	1. Martin Leslie 2. Steven Sims 3. Steven Febey 4. Richard Anderson 5. Michael Taylor 6. Richard Cousins 7. Chris Lindsay 8. Grantley Fielke 9. Andrew Payze 10. John Brinkkotter 11. Jason Taylor 12. Dominic Fotia 13. Clayton Lamb

Second round	14. Scott Adams 15. Andrew Wickham 16. Matthew Febey 17. Trent Nichols 18. Mark O'Keefe 19. Matthew Mansfield 20. Brenton Harris 21. David Robertson 22. Kieran Sporn 23. Lyndon Dakin 24. Matthew Armstrong 25. Doug Smart 26. Darrin Pritchard

Third round	27. Adam Garton 28. Darren Mansell 29. Craig Walker 30. Matthew Sexton 31. Glen Keast 32. Wayne Mahney 33. Malcolm Shippen 34. Craig Kelly 35. Peter Reid 36. Donald Thompson 37. Chris Duthy 38. Simon Minton-Connell 39. Matthew Queen

Fourth round	40. Stephen Williams 41. Brett Jaffray 42. Anthony Lovell 43. Andrew Gray 44. Tim Britt 45. James Pyke 46. Gary Brooker 47. Brendan Hogan 48. Stephen Riley 49. Craig Elias 50. Alastair Lynch 51. Andrew Herring 52. Robin McKinnon

Fifth round	53. Michael Templeton 54. Paul Page 55. Darren Jarman 56. Greg Whittlesea 57. Michael Billman 58. Perry Meka 59. Wayne Morrissey 60. Wayne Tanner 61. Andrew Underwood 62. Laurie Menhenut 63. Peter Winter 64. Darren Newlan 65. Tony Symonds

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