Simon Madden
Personal information
Full name Simon Madden
Date of birth (1957-12-30) 30 December 1957
Original team(s) St Christopher's
Height 198 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Weight 99 kg (218 lb)
Position(s) Ruckman/Tall forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1974–1992 Essendon 378 (575)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
Victoria 17 (21)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1992.
Career highlights

Club

Representative

Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com
Simon Madden, former AFL player & Founder, Simon Madden Consulting

Simon Madden (born 30 December 1957) is a former Australian rules footballer who played his entire 19-season career with the Essendon Football Club from 1974 until 1992. Madden is one of the most decorated players in the club's history and widely regarded as one of the finest ruckmen to ever play the game.[1]

Early life

Madden was born in Melbourne; he attended primary school at St Christopher's in Airport West and had his secondary schooling at St. Bernard's College in Essendon, a school renowned for its sporting prowess. He then studied teaching at the Institute of Catholic Education (now the Australian Catholic University).

AFL career

In all, he played 378 senior matches, the second-most by any Essendon player (behind Dustin Fletcher), and sixth-most in league history (behind Michael Tuck, Kevin Bartlett, Brent Harvey, Robert Harvey, and Dustin Fletcher).[2] In addition to playing in the ruck, Madden was a handy part-time forward, kicking 575 goals in his career, a club record that stood until it was broken in 2003 by full-forward Matthew Lloyd.

Madden won four Essendon best and fairest awards (1977, 1979, 1983 and 1984) and captained the side in the 1980 and 1981 seasons. He played in the back-to-back premiership sides in 1984 and 1985, winning the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground in the 1985 Grand Final. In 1986, Madden rejected an unheard-of offer for a 3-year contract totalling $550,000 (~$1.54 million in 2021 terms) by the eccentric Geoffrey Edelsten on behalf of the Sydney Swans, instead choosing to remain with Essendon for his entire career.[3] Regarding the offer, Madden replied, "You can take the boy out of Essendon, but you can't take Essendon out of the boy."[4] However, Madden estimated that, in 2009 dollars (when he was interviewed) and taking into account the cost of buying a house, etc., it was actually the equivalent of $4.4 million over three years. However, Madden claimed that he never regretted the decision.[5]

He was named in the All-Australian Team on three occasions (1983, 1987 and 1988). Madden captained the Victorian interstate team in 1989–91, and in 1990 received the Simpson Medal for best on ground in the Victoria vs. Western Australia match played in Perth.

He was named in the ruck in Essendon's Team of the Century and named as the fifth-best player ever to play for the club in the "Champions of Essendon" list.

After his playing days were over, Madden had a brief stint as ruck coach for Carlton. He was with the Blues for the 1993 season, in which they made the grand final but lost to Madden's former club, Essendon.

He was president of the AFL Players' Association from 1985 until 1989.

His brother Justin was also a top-class ruckman for Essendon and Carlton, and they are the only set of brothers to each play 300 games at VFL/AFL level. Both brothers had their secondary schooling at St Bernard's College, Melbourne, a school renowned for its sporting prowess. The school is the only one to ever produce three 300-game players, with Simon and Justin Madden joining former Bomber Garry Foulds in this achievement.

Statistics

[6]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
H/O
 Hit-outs
  #  
 Played in that season's 
premiership team
Led the league after finals only
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T H/O G B K H D M T H/O
1974 Essendon 2761885286028—03.01.38.71.310.04.7—0.02
1975 Essendon 271937291381915759—291.91.67.71.18.73.3—4.80
1976 Essendon 272028181234316678—861.40.96.22.28.33.9—4.53
1977 Essendon 2720331123481315126—3781.70.611.74.115.86.3—19.925
1978 Essendon 2722402519972271138—3011.81.19.03.312.36.3—14.37
1979 Essendon 27233931220106326158—2631.71.39.64.614.26.9—11.43
1980 Essendon 2721452717695271111—2112.11.38.44.512.95.3—10.05
1981 Essendon 271936341356920489—2361.91.87.13.610.74.7—12.47
1982 Essendon 272149251427421692—2302.31.26.83.510.34.4—11.07
1983 Essendon 27262616235156391179—8121.00.69.06.015.06.9—31.222
1984#Essendon27 242717177137314151—6991.10.77.45.713.16.3—29.114
1985#Essendon27 201921163123286136—3221.01.18.26.214.36.8—16.111
1986 Essendon 27232511182112294114—3381.10.57.94.912.85.0—14.74
1987 Essendon 271494856515069122520.60.36.14.610.74.90.918.01
1988 Essendon 272231818395278138272571.40.48.34.312.66.31.211.716
1989 Essendon 2725331623981320138283501.30.69.63.212.85.51.114.03
1990 Essendon 2723301619562616116222251.30.78.52.911.35.01.09.84
1991 Essendon 2723421520371274122142091.80.78.83.111.95.30.69.15
1992 Essendon 27782391857213281.10.35.62.68.13.00.44.00
Career 378 575 334 3120 1491 4611 2063 106 5226 1.5 0.9 8.3 3.9 12.2 5.5 0.9 14.7 139

Honours and achievements

Team

Individual

Life After AFL

Madden has an extended background in education and worked as a teacher for 15 years, attaining the position of Vice Principal.[7]

Madden was President of the AFL Players' Association from 1985 to 1989.[8]

Madden became head coach of St. Bernards Old Collegians Football Club in 2005.

He now spends a considerable amount of time in the classic rock band Better Late Than Never playing at local pubs and clubs with a group of long-term friends.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Champions of Essendon Simon Madden". essendonfc.com.au. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "AFL Tables - All Time Records - Most Career Games". afltables.com. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  3. ↑ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (4th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 397. ISBN 1-74095-001-1.
  4. ↑ "Past Player Profiles - M - essendonfc.com.au". Archived from the original on 30 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Niall, Jake (8 December 2009). "Should I stay or should I go?". The Age. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  6. ↑ "Simon Madden". AFL Tables.
  7. ↑ "About Simon". Simon Madden. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "About Simon". Simon Madden. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "Big Bomber still kicking goals". Sportshounds. 19 December 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
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