Karl Norman (born 30 May 1983) is an

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 ...

player, who formerly played in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...

. From Wangaratta, Norman played his junior football for the Greta Football Club in the Ovens & King Football League & Wangaratta Rovers in the

Ovens & Murray Football League The Ovens and Murray Football Netball League (OMFNL or O&MFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition containing ten clubs based in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, Victoria, the southern Riverina region of New South Wales ...

. In 2001 Norman won the Glenrowan Football Club senior Best and Fairest in the

Ovens & King Football League The Ovens & King Football Netball League (OKFNL) is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in north-eastern Victoria (state), Victoria around the regional cities of Benalla, Victoria, Benalla and Wangaratta, Victoria, Wanga ...

, before crossing back over to the Wangaratta Rovers. In 2002, as a 19-year-old, Norman finished equal second in the Wangaratta Rovers club best-and-fairest. His performance during the season caught the attention of recruiters at 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 ...

, and Carlton recruited him to the

with its sixth round selection in the 2002 AFL National Draft (#79 overall), despite having never played

TAC Cup The Talent League (also known as the Coates Talent League under naming rights and previously as the NAB League and TAC Cup) is an under-19 Australian rules football representative competition based in Melbourne and run by the Australian Foot ...

football. Norman's recruitment was particularly rare in the 21st century, as very few players reach the Australian Football League without having played either senior or under-18s football at state level. Norman made his debut in mid-2003, playing seven games in his first season. However, in 2004, Norman made headlines when, after the team's Round 2 win against Geelong, he and controversial team-mate Laurence Angwin arrived at the following day's recovery session under the influence of

ecstasy Ecstasy most often refers to: * Ecstasy (emotion), a trance or trance-like state in which a person transcends normal consciousness * Religious ecstasy, a state of consciousness, visions or absolute euphoria * Ecstasy (philosophy), to be or stand o ...

. Angwin had been involved in several previous indiscretions, and was sacked immediately; Norman received a one-match suspension and strict behavioural conditions from the club, with the club believing that he could improve his off-field behaviour in Angwin's absence. Following his suspension, Norman played another fourteen matches for the season. In early 2005, Norman was again accused of an off-field indiscretion relating to unpaid rent and leaving the property in a poor condition, following his eviction. He played only four games for Carlton during the 2005 season, spending the rest playing for Carlton's , the

Northern Bullants The Northern Bullants are a semi-professional Australian rules football club that currently competes in the Victorian Football League (VFL). The club, which is based in the Melbourne suburb of Preston, plays its home games at Preston City Ov ...

. He was delisted at the end of the season. Norman played a total of 27 games for Carlton over three seasons. Following his AFL career, Norman returned to country Victoria, and to country football, playing with

Mooroopna Mooroopna is a town located north of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It is on the banks of the Goulburn River (Victoria), Goulburn River opposite the larger town of Shepparton. The Midland Highway (Victoria), Midland Highw ...

in the

Goulburn Valley Football League The Goulburn Valley League (GVL), also known as the Goulburn Valley Football Netball League (GVFNL), is an Australian rules football and netball competition based in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia, Victoria. History The leag ...

from 2006-2007, then returning to Wangaratta Rovers for six seasons from 2008 until 2013; winning the best & fairest in 2012. He has played with Glenrowan since 2014, where he has played in their 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017 premierships, with best on ground honours in 2014 & 2017 grand finals. He has won Glenrowan's best & fairest in 2014 & 2015.

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* 1983 births Carlton Football Club players Northern Bullants players Wangaratta Rovers Football Club players Mooroopna Football Club players Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Living people 21st-century Australian sportsmen {{AFL-bio-1980s-stub