Simon Minton-Connell

Simon Minton-Connell
Personal information
Date of birth	26 April 1969
Original team(s)	North Hobart
Debut	Round 15, 15 July 1989, Carlton vs. Collingwood, at Waverley Park
Height / weight	194cm / 92 kg
Playing career^1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1986–1991 1992–1994 1995–1996 1997–1998 Total	Carlton Sydney Hawthorn Western Bulldogs	019 0(50) 046 (169) 022 0(33) 025 0(53) 112 (305)
^1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1998.
Career highlights
Sydney Leading goalkicker 1992, 1993, 1994 Western Bulldogs Leading goalkicker 1997 Tasmanian State of Origin representative Tasmanian Team of the Century nominee

Simon Minton-Connell (born 26 April 1969) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and its successor, the Australian Football League (AFL).

VFL/AFL career

Nephew of the great full-forward Peter Hudson and cousin of Paul Hudson, Minton-Connell was selected at pick 38 in the 1986 VFL Draft by Carlton Football Club. Minton-Connell eventually played for four different VFL/AFL clubs; Carlton, Sydney, Hawthorn and Western Bulldogs in his twelve-year career, amassing 112 games and 305 goals in the process. Despite this lack of career stability Minton-Connell was an effective forward judged by today's standards, despite being overshadowed by the more glamorous and prolific spearheads of the era.

Local league career

Retiring to local league football, Minton-Connell reached the 100-goal milestone for the Aberfeldie Football Club of the Essendon District Football League in 2002,^[1] ending the season with 121 majors after tragically tearing a thigh muscle in the opening minutes of that year's Grand Final versus Oak Park.^[2]

In 2004 he played for the Moonee Valley Football Club, before spending a year with NOBs in 2005 and returning to Aberfeldie in the role of coach in 2006.

References

1. G. McLure, 'Sporting Life', The Age, 29 July 2002
2. Anonymous, 'Top guns in shoot-out', The Age, 28 June 2003