Barry Norsworthy
Melbourne
AFL career
21 games18 goals
- Debut
- R13 1977 v FSC25 June 1977
- Most recent
- R5 1979 v CAR5 May 1979
Stats
Bio
Arriving at Melbourne with a sterling reputation as one of the premier rovers in South Australia, Barry Norsworthy’s VFL stint was a case of unfulfilled potential marred by injury and internal friction. A dual best-and-fairest winner at Central District and a Magarey Medal runner-up, his transfer to the Demons in 1977 involved a drawn-out clearance dispute and a substantial $50,000 transfer fee. Although he made an immediate impact with his courageous, skillful ball-winning—polling Brownlow votes rapidly upon his delayed mid-season debut—a broken jaw in the opening round of 1978 severely halted his momentum. His time in Victoria ended in acrimonious circumstances early in the 1979 season; after falling out of favour with the coaching staff, he was notoriously ordered to train in isolation away from the main group before eventually securing a clearance back to the SANFL, where he remains a club legend.
Profile
- Born
- 16 Oct 1951
- Died
- 17 Sept 2021 (aged 69y 336d)
- Birthplace
- Rose Park, SA
- Height
- 173 cm
- Weight
- 72 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionArriving at Melbourne with a sterling reputation as one of the premier rovers in South Australia, Barry Norsworthy’s VFL stint was a case of unfulfilled potential marred by injury and internal friction. A dual best-and-fairest winner at Central District and a Magarey Medal runner-up, his transfer to the Demons in 1977 involved a drawn-out clearance dispute and a substantial $50,000 transfer fee. Although he made an immediate impact with his courageous, skillful ball-winning—polling Brownlow votes rapidly upon his delayed mid-season debut—a broken jaw in the opening round of 1978 severely halted his momentum. His time in Victoria ended in acrimonious circumstances early in the 1979 season; after falling out of favour with the coaching staff, he was notoriously ordered to train in isolation away from the main group before eventually securing a clearance back to the SANFL, where he remains a club legend.