Alex Ishchenko
North Melbourne, Brisbane Bears and West Coast
AFL career
142 games37 goals
- Debut
- R1 1987 v RCH29 Mar 1987
- Most recent
- R20 1995 v CAR19 Aug 1995
Stats
1995 | NTH | 9 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 19 |
1994 | NTH | 24 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 7.8 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 33 |
1993 | NTH | 21 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 10.0 | 3.9 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 51 |
1992 | NTH | 16 | 5.5 | 7.9 | 13.4 | 4.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 63 |
1991 | BRB | 9 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 9.6 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 47 |
1990 | BRB | 20 | 6.1 | 7.0 | 13.0 | 6.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 66 |
1989 | BRB | 13 | 5.1 | 2.6 | 7.7 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 35 |
1988 | WCE | 12 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 10.7 | 4.4 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 55 |
1987 | WCE | 18 | 5.6 | 3.9 | 9.5 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 57 |
Bio
Born in the Ukraine before migrating to Western Australia as a young child, Alex Ishchenko began his senior football journey with East Perth before joining the inaugural West Coast Eagles squad in 1987. As a foundation player for the Eagles, the towering ruckman showed promise but found himself competing for opportunities in a rotation policy that often favoured more mobile options. Seeking greater opportunity, he crossed the country to join the Brisbane Bears in 1989, where he played arguably his best individual football. At Carrara, Ishchenko shouldered the primary ruck duties for a struggling side, becoming a reliable workhorse who used his physical size to advantage during a challenging period for the expansion club.
In 1992, Ishchenko moved to North Melbourne, completing a rare trifecta of playing for clubs based in three different states. At Arden Street, he provided experienced ruck support for a Kangaroos side on the rise under Denis Pagan. While he was never known for his mobility or silky skills, "The Big Ish" was a competitive and honest contest player who protected his midfielders and provided a physical presence. He retired at the end of the 1995 season, agonizingly missing out on North Melbourne's premiership success the following year, but remains remembered as a unique journeyman who bridged the gap between the state leagues and the fully national AFL era.
Profile
- Born
- 20 Apr 1964 (age 62y 184d)
- Birthplace
- Ukraine
- Height
- 201 cm
- Weight
- 110 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionBorn in the Ukraine before migrating to Western Australia as a young child, Alex Ishchenko began his senior football journey with East Perth before joining the inaugural West Coast Eagles squad in 1987. As a foundation player for the Eagles, the towering ruckman showed promise but found himself competing for opportunities in a rotation policy that often favoured more mobile options. Seeking greater opportunity, he crossed the country to join the Brisbane Bears in 1989, where he played arguably his best individual football. At Carrara, Ishchenko shouldered the primary ruck duties for a struggling side, becoming a reliable workhorse who used his physical size to advantage during a challenging period for the expansion club.
In 1992, Ishchenko moved to North Melbourne, completing a rare trifecta of playing for clubs based in three different states. At Arden Street, he provided experienced ruck support for a Kangaroos side on the rise under Denis Pagan. While he was never known for his mobility or silky skills, "The Big Ish" was a competitive and honest contest player who protected his midfielders and provided a physical presence. He retired at the end of the 1995 season, agonizingly missing out on North Melbourne's premiership success the following year, but remains remembered as a unique journeyman who bridged the gap between the state leagues and the fully national AFL era.