Col Anderson

A pacy ruck-forward originally from the Murray region, Col Anderson spent nearly three years toiling on Melbourne's supplementary list and in the reserves before earning a brief two-game stint in the senior side in 1972. Possessing rare speed for a player of his size—he later won the prestigious Bendigo Two Thousand professional sprint in 1975—Anderson transferred to the SANFL shortly after his VFL debut, where he carved out a substantial career with Glenelg. He played 90 games for the Bays and became a fixture in their lineup, although his time in Adelaide ended in heartbreak when he was dropped from the senior side on the morning of the 1980 Grand Final. Between stints in South Australia, Anderson established himself as a premier country coach, leading the Wagga Tigers to consecutive flags in the Farrer League, and was briefly linked to a VFL return with South Melbourne that never materialised due to clearance difficulties.