John Klug

A cult figure among Adelaide Crows fans, John Klug was a highly skilled Tasmanian who took a circuitous route to the top level. Originally recruited by Richmond from Glenorchy in the mid-1980s, he spent two years in the reserves without cracking the senior side before returning to state league football, eventually starring for Woodville in the SANFL where he won the club's final best and fairest. Selected for Adelaide's inaugural squad in 1991, Klug defied his lack of athletic pace to become a dangerous centre half-forward, relying on elite peripheral vision, football smarts, and a famously long, constructive handball to bring teammates into the game. He made an immediate impact by booting four goals in the Crows' first-ever premiership match against Hawthorn and finished eighth in the club champion award that season, but a severe knee infection following surgery forced him into premature retirement after just two AFL campaigns.