Earl Spalding
Melbourne and Carlton
AFL career
211 games169 goals
- Debut
- R1 1987 v FIT28 Mar 1987
- Most recent
- R19 1997 v COL9 Aug 1997
Stats
1997 | CAR | 4 | 6.5 | 3.3 | 9.8 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 41 |
1996 | CAR | 12 | 7.1 | 4.2 | 11.3 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 56 |
1995 | CAR | 25 | 8.5 | 6.6 | 15.1 | 5.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 68 |
1994 | CAR | 18 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 13.6 | 4.4 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 56 |
1993 | CAR | 21 | 8.1 | 5.2 | 13.3 | 4.2 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 56 |
1992 | CAR | 22 | 9.4 | 5.5 | 14.8 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 60 |
1991 | MEL | 22 | 9.0 | 6.2 | 15.2 | 5.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 60 |
1990 | MEL | 22 | 8.5 | 4.9 | 13.4 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 54 |
1989 | MEL | 19 | 10.0 | 5.1 | 15.1 | 5.4 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 64 |
1988 | MEL | 22 | 7.3 | 3.3 | 10.6 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 41 |
1987 | MEL | 24 | 7.8 | 4.0 | 11.9 | 3.1 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 45 |
Bio
Earl Spalding was a dual-sport athlete from Western Australia who forged a reputation as one of the hardest-working key position players of the 1990s. The son of WAFL player George Spalding, Earl began his career at Perth Football Club and even played first-class cricket as a fast bowler for Western Australia before focusing on football. Recruited by Melbourne in 1987, he was immediately effective, helping the Demons break a 23-year finals drought in his debut season. While he started as a defender, he eventually found his niche as a centre half-forward, becoming a fixture in a Melbourne side that made five consecutive finals series, including the 1988 Grand Final.
After a falling out at Melbourne following the 1991 season, Spalding found himself at the centre of a chaotic trade period, landing at Carlton in the dying minutes after deals with West Coast and Richmond collapsed. It proved a masterstroke for the Blues, as "The Duke" became the physical enforcer the team needed. Renowned for his unique, lumbering running style and fearless pack-crashing, he played a pivotal structural role in the dominant 1995 premiership side, creating space for fellow forwards Stephen Kernahan and Brad Pearce. He finished his AFL career with over 200 games before returning to the WAFL to win another flag with East Fremantle, cementing his status as a premiership player in two states.
Profile
- Born
- 11 Mar 1965 (age 61y 224d)
- Birthplace
- South Perth, WA
- Height
- 198 cm
- Weight
- 110 kg
Teams
Honours
- Premiership1995
Family
- Brother:Scott Spalding
Bio
1 revisionEarl Spalding was a dual-sport athlete from Western Australia who forged a reputation as one of the hardest-working key position players of the 1990s. The son of WAFL player George Spalding, Earl began his career at Perth Football Club and even played first-class cricket as a fast bowler for Western Australia before focusing on football. Recruited by Melbourne in 1987, he was immediately effective, helping the Demons break a 23-year finals drought in his debut season. While he started as a defender, he eventually found his niche as a centre half-forward, becoming a fixture in a Melbourne side that made five consecutive finals series, including the 1988 Grand Final.
After a falling out at Melbourne following the 1991 season, Spalding found himself at the centre of a chaotic trade period, landing at Carlton in the dying minutes after deals with West Coast and Richmond collapsed. It proved a masterstroke for the Blues, as "The Duke" became the physical enforcer the team needed. Renowned for his unique, lumbering running style and fearless pack-crashing, he played a pivotal structural role in the dominant 1995 premiership side, creating space for fellow forwards Stephen Kernahan and Brad Pearce. He finished his AFL career with over 200 games before returning to the WAFL to win another flag with East Fremantle, cementing his status as a premiership player in two states.