Stuart Nicol (born 30 September 1966) 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 oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
er who played for
Footscray in the
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
(VFL) during the late 1980s.
Nicol kicked a goal on his league debut, which Footscray lost to North Melbourne, when another debutant in
John Longmire
John Longmire (born 31 December 1970) is the current coach of the Sydney Swans. As a player, he represented the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 1988 to 1999.
Early years
Longmire was born in Corowa, ...
kicked four goals. He made a further five appearances that year and just one the following season, his last. Nicol played Centre half forward in Footscray Reserves 1988 premiership team.
Playing for
Springvale, Nicol was one of four winners of the VFA's
J. J. Liston Trophy
The J. J. Liston Trophy is awarded annually to the best and fairest senior player in the Victorian Football League (formerly the Victorian Football Association). It is named after J.J. Liston, a businessman, civic leader and sports administrato ...
in 1990. Nicol played Centre half forward in the Springvale 1987 premiership team.
After an impressive VFA career, Nicol moved to
Woodville-West Torrens
Woodville-West Torrens Football Club is an Australian rules football club playing in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). It was formed in 1990 from an amalgamation of the neighbouring Woodville and West Torrens football clu ...
in the
SANFL
The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport.
Originally formed as the ...
. In his first year in 1992 he took the most marks in the competition and finished fourth in the
Magarey Medal
The Magarey Medal is an Australian rules football honour awarded annually since 1898 to the fairest and most brilliant player in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), as judged by field umpires. The award was created by Willia ...
behind
Nathan Buckley
Nathan Charles Buckley (born 26 July 1972) is a former professional Australian rules football coach, player and commentator.
He is listed by journalist Mike Sheahan as one of the top 50 players of all time. Buckley won the inaugural Rising St ...
. As a ruckman/forward, the following year Nicol played in the Woodville-West Torrens inaugural premiership team, with a Grand Final victory over
Norwood. In 1994, Nicol played in the SANFL representative team against the
West Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting from March to September, ...
(WAFL). Nicol was chosen in the
''Advertiser'' SANFL team of the year in both 1992 and 1994.
References
*
*Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). ''The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers''. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nicol, Stuart
1966 births
Living people
Western Bulldogs players
Casey Demons players
J. J. Liston Trophy winners
Woodville-West Torrens Football Club players
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)