| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth | 7 March 1958 |
| Recruited from | Ringwood |
| Height and weight | 192cm / 93 kg |
| Playing career¹ | |
| Team(s) |
Essendon (1977-90)
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| ¹ Statistics to end of 1990 season | |
| Career highlights | |
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Paul Vander Haar (born 7 March 1958) is a former Australian rules footballer who played 201 games with Essendon in the Victorian Football League (VFL). As a boy he attended Whitefriars College in Donvale. During his playing career his surname was normally spelled as three words: Paul Van Der Haar.[1]
Vander Haar was recruited to the Bombers from Ringwood and was named as the VFL's recruit of the year in his debut season of 1977. He also won the club's 'Best First Year Player' award and was runner up in their 'Best and Fairest'. In 1978, his form was negatively affected by neck and back injuries resulting from a trail bike accident.
Due to his strong overhead marking ability and his ancestry, he earned the nickname 'The flying Dutchman'. He usually played as a centre half forward but was also used in defence.[2]
In 1985 he kicked a career best 46 goals, 9 of them in a single game in round 21. He earned 12 Brownlow Medal votes for the year, only Tim Watson got more votes from the Bombers. Despite his goal-scoring feats he played in the backline in their Grand Final victory that year. Injury again struck early in the 1986 season when he broke his leg. He only managed a total of 10 games in his next two seasons.
In 2002 he was named as one of the top 60 Champions of Essendon.[3]
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