Mike Fitzpatrick Scholarships now open

30 May 2006 - Jason Murnane

Since 2001, the AFLPA has awarded scholarships to footballers aged between 15 & 17 to assist their education & training whilst they aspire to an AFL career.  The scholarships are named after former Carlton Premiership Captain & businessman Mike Fitzpatrick, in recognition of Mike's outstanding efforts in combining football & academic excellence.

Since the scholarships inception, over $250,000 has been distributed to 57 young players to support their academic and football aspirations. 

Around 50% of Mike Fitzpatrick 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 played 97 games with Subiaco from 1970 to 1974 before playing 150 games for Carlton between 1975-76 & 1978-1983. He captained the club's back to back premiership teams in 1981 and 1982. A Managing Director & founder of Hastings Funds Management Limited, Mike previously held positions with Merrill Lynch New York, the Victorian Treasury & Telecom Australia. He is also a former Melbourne Park Tennis Centre Trust member, former Carlton director and former Chairman of the Australian Sports Commission.   He was also vice-president of AFL Players' Association in early 1980s and in 1975 was a Rhodes Scholar from Western Australia. 

Mike took leave from professional football in 1975 and left Australia to study a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford University.  Upon completion of his studies, Mike resumed his career with Carlton and was Captain of the club from 1980 to 1983.

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 PA, helping young kids combine football & study."

Previous Mike Fitzpatrick scholarship recipients include;
Richard Cole (Collingwood); Xavier Clarke (St Kilda); James Bartel (Geelong FC); 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), Wayde Mills (Brisbane), Travis Varcoe (Geelong), Marcus Drum (Fremantle) and Patrick Ryder (Essendon).

Mike Fitzpatrick with '05 Mike Fitzpatrick Scholarship recipient and Fremantle Docker Marcus Drum

	2007 Mike Fitzpatrick Scholarship Form 143kb