Brendan Fevola

Brendan 'Fev' Fevola (born January 20, 1981) is an Australian rules footballer, currently playing with the Carlton Blues in the Australian Football League.

He plays the position of full-forward and apart from his footballing ability, is notable for his appearances on the Channel Nine's The Footy Show on Thursday nights during the season.

[edit] Football career

[edit] Career highlights

Notable events include his twelve goals on the special New Years' Eve Millennium Match against Collingwood Football Club on December 31, 1999, which hinted at his status as a power forward. He also slotted an amazing goal from 50 metres on the boundary line in the dying moments of a game against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in 2004 to give his team a come from behind victory, as well as booting eight goals against the West Coast Eagles in the 2005 Pre-Season Wizard Cup Final, propelling his team to victory, and receiving the honor of the Michael Tuck Medal for best afield (As an aside, despite that tournament win, Carlton slumped to 16th (last) in the home and away season for 2005, with Fevola also struggling with poor form).

[edit] Early career

Fevola was recruited to Carlton in the 1998 AFL Draft, and made his AFL debut in 1999, receiving limited game time in his two matches late in the year.

After Carlton's first wooden spoon, Fevola was told by 2002 coach Wayne Brittain that he was to be delisted. That same night, Brittain was sacked and replaced with ex-Kangaroos coach Denis Pagan. Pagan reversed Brittain's decision, and kept Fevola on the list. Over the 2003 season, Denis succeeded in turning Fevola into a good leading forward. "Fev", as a number two forward, took many set shots through the year, but his accuracy was poor. This improved through the 2003 season.

[edit] 2004 season

For the 2004 season, Fevola developed a ritualistic set-shot routine of thirteen steps, often taking over a minute to complete (thus attracting the ire of many media personnel). However, his accuracy and distance were enhanced, and at one point during the year, Fev's set shot record from outside fifty metres was 16.4, by far the best accuracy of any player from this range.

[edit] 2005 season

Now firmly entrenched as the #1 forward at Carlton, "Fev" always attracted the fastest defenders, who were able to match in for speed and spoil his leading marks. This reduced his effectiveness in the Carlton forward-line. Also becoming a problem was a niggling groin injury he sustained in Round 12, preventing him from sprinting comfortably for the rest of the season. In this limited capacity, he still proved a useful decoy, freeing up the myriad of emerging talents Carlton had in its forward line. He had surgery over the 2005/06 off-season, and reports that the groin is fine.

[edit] 2006 season

After giving up drinking and with a new outlook on his career, "Fev" has dominated the Carlton forward line, kicking roughly 35% of their goals. He finished the season at the top of the goalkicking table with 84 goals, winning the Coleman Medal by a significant margin, with betting agencies eventually suspending Coleman Medal betting after round 20 when his lead was 18 goals. He is almost certain to be selected for full-forward in the All-Australian football side at the end of the season.

Fevola has been often criticized for his on-field body language, including his outward displays of annoyances when the ball is not correctly delivered to him, and the fact that he takes much longer to get up from a bump or tackle than other players. Annually, there is media-fuelled speculation regarding whether or not the club would become fed up with this behaviour and trade Fevola, but every year so far he has been re-signed. However, this season, the coach Denis Pagan has labelled him "a perfect role model" after the turnaround of his form. He now chases opponents with ferocity and has improved his body language. With captain Anthony Koutoufides relinquishing his captaincy, Fevola has been cited as a possible candidate.

[edit] Media persona/outside football

Fevola is a regular panellist on The Footy Show on the Nine Network, and is noted for his larrikin-like persona (although he is touted by some as not the smartest person going around). Memorable appearances on the show include his appearance late in 2005 where he shaved off his trademark dreadlocks for charity and performed with teammates on the annual Player's Revue singing Achy Breaky Heart.

On the 7th October 2005 Fevola married Alex Cheatham at St John's Church in Toorak.

Fevola has one biological daughter, Leni Jay, born 21 July 2006, and an adopted daughter Mia, who is Alex's child from a previous relationship.

In May 2006 Fevola began his career as a special comments commentator on Triple M.

Fevola has also been noted as studying crimonolgy via correspondence at Griffith University and says that becoming a police officer is a possible occupational career after football. That is, of course, if he does make it overseas in America with the NFL.

[edit] References

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