Craig Davis (Australian footballer)

Craig Davis
Personal information
Birth 2 October 1954 (1954-10-02) (age 57)
Recruited from Launceston
Height and weight 183 cm / 81 kg
Playing career¹
Team(s)

Carlton (1973-75)

  • 42 games, 72 goals

North Melbourne (1977-78)

  • 10 games, 20 goals

Collingwood (1979-83)

  • 102 games, 251 goals

Sydney (1988)

  • 9 games, 17 goals

Total - 163 Games, 360 Goals

¹ Statistics to end of 1988 season
Career highlights
  • Leading Carlton goalkicker 1974
  • Leading Collingwood goalkicker 1979,80

Craig Davis (born 2 October 1954 in Ross, Tasmania) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with four clubs during his eleven seasons in the VFL in the 1970s and early 1980s. He played as a fullforward and is the father of Nick Davis who is a premiership player with Sydney, and a cousin of Brent Crosswell.

Davis was recruited to the VFL from Launceston and made his debut for Carlton in 1973 at the age of 18. He had played as a wingman and half forward in the reserves team but in just his sixth game for Carlton began his career at fullforward. After kicking 72 goals in three seasons he received a head injury during the 1976 pre season. As a result he didn't play a senior game all season and was delisted at the end of the year.

Despite being warned by the Carlton doctors over the danger of another head injury he joined North Melbourne for the 1977 season. He remained with the club until the end of 1978 but after managing only a total of 10 games he moved again, this time to Collingwood. He kicked 88 goals in his debut season at Collingwood, topping the club's goalkicking charts for the year and falling 3 goals short of the Coleman Medal which was won by Kelvin Templeton. For the next two seasons he again finished with over 50 goals and by the time he left the club in 1983 he had kicked a total of 251 goals.

In 1988 at the age of 33 he made a surprise comeback to football, playing a season in Sydney with the Swans.

Following his playing career, Craig Davis has remained active in football as an administrator with the NSW AFL.

External links