Graham Campbell

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Graham Campbell
Personal information
Date of birth (1936-06-22) 22 June 1936
Original teamNorthcote Stars
Debut1956, Fitzroy
v. Carlton, at Brunswick Street Oval
Height/Weight177 cm / 73 kg
Playing career1

Fitzroy (VFL) (1956-64)

  • 151 games, 154 goals
Coaching career

Fitzroy (VFL) (1974, 1978)

  • 25 games, 8 wins, 17 losses

West Perth (WAFL) (1975-77)

  • ? games, ? wins, ? losses

Glenelg (SANFL) (1983-84)

  • 47 games, 27 wins, 20 losses
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 1984 season.
Career highlights

Graham Campbell (born 22 July 1936) was an Australian rules footballer who played 151 games for the Fitzroy Football Club in the Victorian Football League from 1956 until 1964.

Playing Career

In his playing days Campbell was both a rover and half-forward, at his peak in 1957 when he won Fitzroy's Best & Fairest award, the Mitchell Medal. He was a handy and consistent goal-kicker for the Lions, kicking at least 18 goals in all but his first and last season. Although the club had limited success in this era he did play in a Preliminary Final with the club in 1960 and in their Night Premiership side (Pre-season premiership) in 1959.

Coaching Career

Campbell later turned to coaching and after a stint with the reserves he got his first taste of the big time when he was briefly Fitzroy's caretaker coach following Graham Donaldson's resignation in 1974. The next year he joined West Perth and coached them to the 1975 WAFL premiership.

He was coach of West Perth until 1977 before returning to Fitzroy where was appointed their senior coach. It started well for Campbell as he steered the Lions to another Night Premiership but the 1978 season would be his only year in charge as the Lions finished out of the finals in ninth position.

From 1983 to 1984 he was coach of Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football League. Campbell's career in Adelaide got off to a bad start as Glenelg lost their first eight games of the 1983 season. He was actually sacked by the club at one point during this run, but was re-appointed the following day. After losing their first eight games, the Tigers started to return to the form which had seen them play in the previous two Grand Finals as they made a bid for the finals. Their run was was halted with a 74 point loss to eventual premiers West Adelaide in Round 21 (of 22 rounds).

Campbell continued as Glenelg coach in 1984 with the team improving to finish a strong 3rd, but he wasn't retained at the end of the year, bringing the curtain down on a 28 year career in league football. He was replaced as coach by former Glenelg champion player Graham Cornes.

Television Career

A natural speaker with the "gift of the gab", Campbell stayed in Adelaide and put his vast football knowledge to good use, spending the next few years as an analyst for various Adelaide based television stations covering the SANFL.

References

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