Ian Anthony Robertson (born 25 January 1946 in

Footscray, Victoria Footscray ( ) is an inner-city Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, west of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Maribyrnong Loca ...

) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er in the VFL and football commentator with Channel 7. Robertson was born in Footscray and recruited to the

Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club based at Princes Park (stadium), Princes Park in Carlton North, Victoria, Carlton North, an inner suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The c ...

from Dalyston after the Footscray Football Club refused a request for a trial with the club. Robertson debuted in 1967 with the Blues and was a solid

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

. The fact that he was taken from Footscray's recruitment zone became an issue two years into Robertson's career, when the Bulldogs asked for their rights to him as a player. Ken Greenwood was cleared to the Bulldogs from Carlton and the dispute was resolved. In 1968, 1970 and 1972, Robertson was a member of Carlton's premiership sides. He had played 125 games and kicked 86 goals for Carlton between 1966 and 1974, before moving to Footscray (in an ironic twist) late in 1974, only notching up 4 games and 1 goal. In the 1980s Robertson became a Football commentator for the

Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...

, continuing this role until 2001 when the

lost the rights. He was signed with Fox Footy Channel in 2002 but left the network midway through the 2002 season for unknown reasons. In 2004 he was a radio commentator for 95.5 K-Rock in Geelong.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Ian 1946 births Australian rules football commentators Carlton Football Club players Carlton Football Club premiership players Living people Western Bulldogs players Oakleigh Football Club players Oakleigh Football Club coaches Australian rules footballers from Melbourne VFL/AFL premiership players People from Footscray, Victoria