AFLPA announces 2006 Mike Fitzpatrick Scholarships

5 Sep 2005 - Jason Murnane

Since 2001, the AFL Players' Association has awarded scholarships to help young footballers aged between 15 & 17 in their education & training whilst they are aspiring to an AFL career.  

For 2006, twelve promising young footballers, representing every state (except NT), are to receive a Mike Fitzpatrick Scholarship, including:

Jordan Florance (VIC / Echuca) - Bendigo Pioneers / Echuca FC 
Christopher George (WA / Busselton) - East Perth FC  
Lachlan Hansen (VIC / Pakenham) -  Nar Nar Goon / Gippsland Power FC 
Matthew Kreuzer (VIC / Watsonia) - Northern Knights FC / St Marys Juniors  
Ben McEvoy (VIC / Wodonga) - Dederang 
Jared Petrenko* (SA / Royal Park) - Woodville-West Torrens  
Albert Proud* (QLD / Runcorn) - Mt Gravatt FC 
Joel Selwood (VIC / Bendigo) - Bendigo Pioneers / Sandhurst FC  
James Sellar (SA / Glengowrie) - Glenelg FC  
Mitchell Thorp (TAS / Ross) - Northern Bombers  
Edward Wilson (NSW / Parkes) - NSW/ACT Rams / St Georges AFC  
Matthew Wright (SA / Para Hills) - North Adelaide FC 

* Indigenous Australians

Named after Carlton premiership Captain & businessman Mike Fitzpatrick, the scholarships recognise Mike's outstanding efforts in combining football & academic excellence.

Since 2001, around $250,000 has been distributed to 45 young players to support their dual academic and football aspirations.  Around 50% of scholarship recipients have gone on to be drafted by an AFL club.

The scholarship program has been developed in conjunction with the AFLPA Player Development Program and reinforces the association's commitment to the future player education and welfare of AFL players. 

Now an AFL Commissioner, Mike Fitzpatrick took leave from professional football in 1975 to pursue further study at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship.  Upon completion of his studies, Mike resumed his career with Carlton, captaining the club from 1980 to 1983, including the club's back to back 1981 and 1982 premiership sides, playing 150 games for the Blues between 1975-76 & 1978-1983.  A former Managing Director & founder of Hastings Funds Management Limited, Mike is a former Carlton director and Chairman of the Australian Sports Commission.   He is also a former vice-president of the VFL Players' Association. 

 "I'm very pleased to continue my support of this excellent program," Fitzpatrick said.

"I strongly commend the AFLPA's initiative to provide support for those players who have excellent football potential but for various reasons may be limited in their ability to fully develop." 

"As a player I found it beneficial to devote time to academic and vocational skills and I believe the program sends a key message to junior footballers  -  that it is rewarding to balance enthusiasm for football with commitment to developing other life skills, particularly career skills - even though an off-field career might seem a long way off."

"Putting an effort into their education at an early age is a good way to assist young footballers to develop their careers while playing," he said.

St Kilda's Xavier Clarke, who received a scholarship in 2001, said, "Receiving the Mike Fitzpatrick scholarship gave me the chance to complete Year 12 and helped with my travel commitments.  It's a great initiative by the AFLPA, helping young kids combine football & study."

AFLPA CEO Brendon Gale said "The Mike Fitzpatrick Scholarship underlines a key aim of the AFLPA that is to reinforce the value of a balanced life on and off the field."

"The scholarships are a way of encouraging young players to complete their schooling while giving them every chance of succeeding in football," Gale said.

One of the recipients will accept the Scholarships on behalf of all twelve, at the 2005 AFL Players' Association Most Valuable Player Awards on Grand Final Eve at Melbourne's Park Hyatt.

Some previous Mike Fitzpatrick scholarship recipients include;

Richard Cole (Collingwood); Xavier Clarke (St Kilda); Jimmy Bartel (Geelong); Raph Clarke (St Kilda); Luke Brennan (Hawthorn); Byron Schammer (Fremantle); Sam Butler (West Coast); Ryley Dunn (Fremantle); Bill Morrison (Collingwood); Tim Schmidt (Sydney); Beau Waters (West Coast); Ryan Griffin (Western Bulldogs); Cameron Wood (Brisbane); Toby Stribling (Fremantle); Buddy Franklin (Hawthorn).