Gavin Wanganeen - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Gavin_Wanganeen

Gavin Wanganeen
Gavin Adrian Wanganeen (born 18 June 1973) is a former
Australian rules footballer and, after retirement, artist. He played for
Gavin Wanganeen
the Essendon Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club in the Personal information
Australian Football League (AFL), and also for the Port Adelaide Full name Gavin Adrian Wanganeen
Magpies in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Nickname(s) Wanga
A Brownlow Medal winner and Australian Football Hall of Fame Date of birth 18 June 1973
inductee, Wanganeen was appointed Port Adelaide's inaugural Place of birth Mount Gambier, South Australia
captain upon entry into the AFL in 1997 and is the first Indigenous Original team(s) Salisbury North (SAAFL)
Australian footballer to win the Brownlow Medal and reach the 300- Draft No. 12, 1989 National Draft, Essendon
game milestone at senior VFL/AFL level. Height 181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 83 kg (183 lb)
Since retirement, Wanganeen has taken up painting, exploring his Position(s) Utility
Kokatha identity in his artwork. He was an ambassador for the
Playing career1
Adelaide Fringe in 2019.
Years Club Games (Goals)
1990, 2006 Port Adelaide (SANFL) 27 (48)
1991–1996 Essendon 127 (64)
Early life and education 1997–2006 Port Adelaide 173 (138)

Gavin Adrian Wanganeen was born on 18 June 1973[1] in Mount Total 327 (250)

Gambier to a footballing family; his great-grandfather had played for Representative team honours
the local team, Koonibba Football Club, at the Koonibba Mission, Years Team Games (Goals)
near Ceduna, on the west coast of South Australia.[2] His family, who 1992–1998 South Australia 8 (1)
are Kokatha people,[3] moved from Mount Gambier to Port Lincoln 1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2005.
for a few years. When Wanganeen was five, they moved again to Career highlights
Salisbury, a northern suburb of Adelaide.[4]
2× AFL Premiership player: (1993, 2004)
Wanganeen played junior football for Adelaide-based South SANFL Premiership player: (1990)
Australian Amateur Football League club Salisbury North, and Brownlow Medal: (1993)
attended Salisbury East High School.[4] At the age of 14, Wanganeen John Cahill Medal: (2003)
joined the Port Adelaide Under-17s side in the SANFL.[4] Michael Tuck Medal: (1993)
Port Adelaide captain: (1997–2000)
5× All-Australian team: (1992, 1993, 1995, 2001,
Football career 2003)
National Football Carnival Championship (1993)
Essendon Team of the Century (Back Pocket)
Champions of Essendon (Number 19)
Port Adelaide: 1990
Indigenous Team of the Century
Wanganeen made his senior SANFL debut with Port Adelaide in 1990 Australian Football Hall of Fame, inducted 2010
at only 16 years of age, one of the youngest ever drafted.[5] The 1990 South Australian Football Hall of Fame, inducted
SANFL season was the last year that the competition was the highest 2012
level of football in South Australia. He played 24 matches and kicked Sources: AFL Tables (http://afltables.com/afl/stats/player
46 goals, winning the SANFL Rookie of the Year award, starring in s/G/Gavin_Wanganeen.html), AustralianFootball.com (ht
Port Adelaide's 1990 SANFL Grand Final win kicking two goals.[6] tps://australianfootball.com/players/player/Gavin+Wanga
neen/12871)

Essendon: 1991–1996
Wanganeen's potential was identified early by Essendon, and after losing another South Australian star, Craig Bradley, to
Carlton, Bombers coach Kevin Sheedy was determined to secure Wanganeen. As he recalled in an interview for The Football
Record:

We always knew he was an exciting talent. We had spotted him very early and watched his progress through the
Port Adelaide Reserves to the seniors and knew he would make the grade at AFL level. A lot of people told us he
would not shift from Adelaide, but I suppose that only made us all the more determined to get him across.[7]

After doing a deal with Melbourne, Essendon secured Wanganeen with Pick number 12 in the 1989 VFL Draft. Wanganeen
debuted for the club in 1991, Round 2 in a win against Richmond.

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Essendon came from the clouds in 1993 to win their 15th VFL/AFL premiership with a team that became known as the
"Baby Bombers". Wanganeen enjoyed a special year individually, with his fearless attacking approach from defence typical
of Essendon's play that season. He would end up winning the first of his five All-Australian jumpers, then followed by
winning the 1993 Brownlow Medal, polling 18 votes (which included four counts of three votes late in the season) to edge
out Carlton's Greg Williams (who would win his second Brownlow the following season), and North Melbourne's Wayne
Carey.[8] He was the first Indigenous Australian footballer to win the Brownlow Medal.[9]

At 20 years of age, Wanganeen was the youngest winner of the League's best and fairest award since Fitzroy's Denis Ryan in
1936.[10]

He was also a key player in South Australia's State of Origin Carnival Championship, and Essendon's Premiership win that
year. In 2002, Wanganeen was voted the 19th best Essendon player of all time in the "Champions of Essendon" list.

Port Adelaide return: 1997–2006

Wanganeen returned to Port Adelaide in 1997 as the club's 59th captain and its inaugural captain in the AFL. He received 11
Brownlow votes for the year, but after his first season injuries conspired to minimise his impact. He relinquished the Port
Adelaide captaincy at the end of the 2000 AFL season which saw a return to his best form. In 2003 Wanganeen was
favourite to once again win the Brownlow (he finished equal second). In 2004 Wanganeen won his second premiership
medal in Port's first AFL premiership side. Wanganeen played his 300th AFL game in the 2006 season, but then injured his
right knee in an SANFL game for the Port Adelaide Magpies, which led him to retire from football.[11] Wanganeen was the
first Aboriginal player to play 300 AFL games.[3]

Art
Wanganeen found a new passion following the closure of his football career and has become an accomplished visual artist,
with two solo exhibitions by 2018[12] and much of his artwork decorating his home in suburban Adelaide.[13]

His second exhibition, Through the Stars,[12] was part of the 2018 South Australian Living Artists Festival in Adelaide.[14]

In April 2025, Wanganeeen partnered with Nordic Design Furniture, with his artwork hanging in their showroom on Magill
Road, Stepney.[15]

Other activities
In 2013, Wanganeen was appointed senior coach of Pulteney Grammar School's football team.[16] He also had business
interests, involving ownership of three Anytime Fitness centres at Modbury, Port Adelaide, and Essendon.[17]

He served as a voluntary ambassador for the Australian branch of the White Ribbon Campaign, a men's campaign that
tackles violence against women, and participated in the 2013 "Cycling for Culture" event to draw attention to the
importance of language and culture to Aboriginal well-being, specifically to attract funds to contributing to the further
development of the Kaurna language.[17]

In February 2019, Wanganeen was appointed one of three Fringe Ambassadors for the Adelaide Fringe, where he appeared
in conversation with Holly Ransom for the Fringe Talk Show.[18][19]

In 2021, Wanganeen competed on Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn as part of the Brawn tribe.[20] After his tribe lost
the immunity challenge on day 7, Wanganeen got voted out, being the third person voted out and placing 22nd.

In May 2023, it was announced that Wanganeen would be participating in the twentieth series of Dancing with the Stars.
He was paired with Megan Wragg.

Recognition and legacy

The Gavin Wanganeen Indigenous Scholarship (GWIS) was established at the University of South Australia in 2005 to
support disadvantaged Indigenous students to complete a university degree.[17]

The Gavin Wanganeen Medal, for the Best player under 21, was instituted at PAFC in 2006.[5]

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Personal life
Wanganeen first married Stephanie Richards, and they share a daughter and a son, Tex,[21] who is also a footballer.[22]

Wanganeen married Pippa Hanson in July 2012[13][23] and they have four daughters together.[13]

Wanganeen is the first cousin of AFL players and brothers Aaron and Alwyn Davey,[24] and a third cousin of Rabbit Proof
Fence actress Natasha Wanganeen.

Football statistics
Wanganeen's football statistics between 1991 and 2006 are shown in the table below.[25]

Legend
G Goals K Kicks D Disposals T Tackles
B Behinds H Handballs M Marks
Played in that season's
#
premiership team

Totals Averages (per game)

Season Team No. Games
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T

1991 Essendon 4 18 12 13 155 89 244 39 38 0.7 0.7 8.6 4.9 13.6 2.2 2.1

1992 Essendon 4 21 11 17 238 121 359 55 73 0.5 0.8 11.3 5.8 17.1 2.6 3.5

1993# Essendon 4 22 5 3 267 146 413 69 30 0.2 0.1 12.1 6.6 18.8 3.1 1.4

1994 Essendon 4 22 12 9 286 101 387 82 42 0.5 0.4 13.0 4.6 17.6 3.7 1.9

1995 Essendon 4 23 10 10 267 124 391 60 27 0.4 0.4 11.6 5.4 17.0 2.6 1.2

1996 Essendon 4 21 14 8 242 111 353 64 43 0.7 0.4 11.5 5.3 16.8 3.0 2.0

Port
1997 1 20 14 6 219 129 348 49 28 0.7 0.3 11.0 6.5 17.4 2.5 1.4
Adelaide

Port
1998 1 15 8 9 176 60 236 52 28 0.5 0.6 11.7 4.0 15.7 3.5 1.9
Adelaide

Port
1999 1 16 5 4 193 92 285 59 15 0.3 0.3 12.1 5.8 17.8 3.7 0.9
Adelaide

Port
2000 1 10 6 5 120 55 175 36 9 0.6 0.5 12.0 5.5 17.5 3.6 0.9
Adelaide

Port
2001 4 24 41 22 256 109 365 75 26 1.7 0.9 10.7 4.5 15.2 3.1 1.1
Adelaide

Port
2002 4 20 12 7 201 83 284 64 21 0.6 0.4 10.1 4.2 14.2 3.2 1.1
Adelaide

Port
2003 4 25 15 18 433 91 524 161 33 0.6 0.7 17.3 3.6 21.0 6.4 1.3
Adelaide

Port
2004# 4 19 24 10 193 103 296 86 17 1.3 0.5 10.2 5.4 15.6 4.5 0.9
Adelaide

Port
2005 4 23 13 8 227 135 362 75 29 0.6 0.3 9.9 5.9 15.7 3.3 1.3
Adelaide

Port
2006 4 1 0 0 0 9 9 1 1 0.0 0.0 0.0 9.0 9.0 1.0 1.0
Adelaide

Career 300 202 149 3473 1558 5031 1027 460 0.7 0.5 11.6 5.2 16.8 3.4 1.5

Football honours and achievements

Brownlow Medal votes
Season Votes

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1991 7
Essendon 1992 11
Team 1993 18
1994 6
1995 7
AFL Premiership (Essendon): 1993
1996 4
McClelland Trophy (Essendon): 1993 1997 11

Pre-Season Cup (Essendon): 1993, 1994 1998 3

1999 11
Individual 2000 —
2001 4
Champions of Essendon - No. 19 2002 2
2003 21
Essendon F.C. Team of the Century - Back Pocket 2004 2
2005 2
2006 —
Port Adelaide Total 109
Key:
Team Green / Bold = Won

AFL Premiership (Port Adelaide): 2004

SANFL Premiership (Port Adelaide): 1990
McClelland Trophy (Port Adelaide): 2002, 2003, 2004
Pre-Season Cup (Port Adelaide): 2001, 2002
Individual

John Cahill Medal (Port Adelaide F.C. Best & Fairest): 2003
Port Adelaide F.C. Captain: 1997–2000
Port Adelaide F.C Life Membership Recipient: 2006
SANFL Rookie of the Year: 1990

Other individual awards

Brownlow Medal: 1993
All-Australian: 1992, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2003
Michael Tuck Medal: 1993
Inside Football - Player of the Year:2003
Deadly Awards - Most Outstanding Achievement in AFL: 2004
Indigenous Team of the Century - Half-Back Flank
AFL Life Membership Recipient: 2004

See also
Gavin Wanganeen Medal

References
1. "Gavin Wanganeen" (https://australianfootball.com/players/player/Gavin+Wanganeen/12871). Australian Football. 18
June 1973. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
2. Wanganeen, Gavin (29 June 2013). "Gavin Wanganeen reflects on his indigenous history ahead of the Journey to
Recognition march tomorrow" (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/gavin-wanganeen-reflects-on-his-indigenous-histo
ry-ahead-of-the-journey-to-recognition-march-tomorrow/story-fni5f9de-1226671759552). Herald Sun.
3. Ralph, Jon (4 June 2010). "Indigenous superman Gavin Wanganeen blazed a trail" (https://web.archive.org/web/201106
14172445/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/indigenous-superman-gavin-wanganeen-blazed-a-trail/story-e6frf9jf-12
25875209902). Herald Sun. Archived from the original (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/indigenous-superman-gav
in-wanganeen-blazed-a-trail/story-e6frf9jf-1225875209902) on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
4. "Sports Card World: Tribute to Gavin Wanganeen" (http://users.chariot.net.au/~byoung/wanganeen.htm).
users.chariot.net.au. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
5. "Best and fairest award winners history" (https://www.portadelaidefc.com.au/news/832212/best-and-fairest-award-winne
rs-history). portadelaidefc.com.au. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
6. Argent, P. "Now an immortal", Koori Mail, 16 June 2010, p. 85.
7. Main, Jim (7 September 1991). "The one who didn't get away... WANGANEEN" (http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/1297
12). The Football Record. Vol. 80, no. 25. Australian Football League. p. 7 – via State Library of Victoria.
8. "AFL Tables - 1993 Brownlow Medal" (https://afltables.com/afl/brownlow/brownlow1993.html).

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9. Hobbs, Greg (25 September 1993). "GAVIN THE GREAT" (http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/133827). The Football
Record. Vol. 82, no. 26. AFL Media. p. 7 – via State Library of Victoria.
10. Trantino, Julian (18 October 2020). "Six facts: Bombers' Brownlow history" (https://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/8275
87/six-facts-bombers-brownlow-history). Essendon Football Club.
11. "AFL - Official Website of the Australian Football League" (https://web.archive.org/web/20060509164408/http://afl.com.a
u/default.asp?pg=news). Archived from the original (http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=2719
33) on 9 May 2006. Retrieved 7 June 2006.
12. Ayres, Ed (31 July 2019). "Former AFL star Gavin Wanganeen on his path from footy to painting the stars" (https://ww
w.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/the-art-show/former-afl-star-gavin-wanganeen/11366492) (audio + text). ABC
Radio National. The Art Show. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
13. Byrne, Holly (22 December 2017). "Artist in residence: Home tour with Gavin and Pippa Wanganeen" (https://www.hom
ebeautiful.com.au/artist-in-residence-home-tour-with-gavin-and-pippa-wanganeen). Home Beautiful. Retrieved
22 August 2019.
14. "SALA Artist – Gavin Wanganeen" (http://www.kingwilliamroad.com.au/sala-artist-gavin-wanganeen/). King William
Road. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
15. "ART on Instagram: "We are thrilled to be partnering with @nordicdesignfurniture an iconic South Australian business,
who for over 50 years, have proudly crafted every piece by hand in their Adelaide factory. If you're in town this weekend
for the footy, pop in and take a look at my work proudly hanging in their stunning showroom on Magil Road, Stepney.
#gavinwanganeenart #nordicdesignfurniture" " (https://www.instagram.com/p/DIVZ5VgzYIu/). Instagram. 11 April 2025.
Retrieved 7 June 2025.
16. "Blues News 2013" (https://web.archive.org/web/20130514115703/http://www.pulteney.sa.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesys
tem/documents/publicaton%20pdfs/BNews%20Archived/football-2013_05_03.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (htt
p://www.pulteney.sa.edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/publicaton%20pdfs/BNews%20Archived/football-201
3_05_03.pdf) (PDF) on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
17. "Gavin Wanganeen | Cycling for Culture" (https://web.archive.org/web/20131110124312/http://www.cyclingforculture.co
m.au/riders/highprofile/gavin-wanganeen). Archived from the original (http://www.cyclingforculture.com.au/riders/highpro
file/gavin-wanganeen) on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
18. Byrne, Jordan (4 October 2018). "2019 Adelaide Fringe Ambassadors Announced" (https://www.glamadelaide.com.au/2
019-adelaide-fringe-ambassadors-announced/). Glam Adelaide. Glam Digital Pty Ltd. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
19. "Diverse Trio of Artists Announced As 2019 Adelaide Fringe Ambassadors" (https://www.broadwayworld.com/adelaide/a
rticle/Diverse-Trio-Of-Artists-Announced-As-2019-Adelaide-Fringe-Ambassadors-20181003). Broadway World. Wisdom
Digital Media. 3 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
20. Knox, David (7 June 2021). "Australian Survivor 2021: promo" (https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/06/australian-survivor-202
1-promo.html). TV Tonight. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
21. "Power pair calls it quits" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140530025203/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/power-pair-
calls-it-quits/story-e6frf7jo-1225767248267). The Advertiser. 29 August 2009. Archived from the original (http://www.her
aldsun.com.au/news/power-pair-calls-it-quits/story-e6frf7jo-1225767248267) on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 3 September
2013.
22. Twomey, Callum (8 February 2021). " 'Tricky' foot injury puts a pause on son of a gun's draft year" (https://www.afl.co
m.au/news/546422/wanganeen). AFL Media.
23. Gilbertson, Matt (20 April 2013). "Former Port Adelaide AFL star Gavin Wanganeen and wife Pippa expecting first child"
(http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/former-port-adelaide-afl-star-gavin-wanganeen-and-wife-pippa-expecting-first-child/st
ory-fndv8s6g-1226624773277). The Advertiser.
24. Flanagan, M., "The Davey pacesetters (http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/the-davey-pacesetters/2007/05/08/1178
390303113.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223633/http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/the-d
avey-pacesetters/2007/05/08/1178390303113.html) 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine", Real Footy, 9 May
2007. Retrieved on 9 May 2007.
25. "Gavin Wanganeen" (https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/G/Gavin_Wanganeen.html). AFL Tables. Retrieved 7 June
2025.

External links
Gavin Wanganeen's playing statistics (http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/G/Gavin_Wanganeen.html) from AFL Tables
Gavin Wanganeen (https://australianfootball.com/players/player/Gavin+Wanganeen/12871) at AustralianFootball.com
"Hall of Fame - Players" (https://www.afl.com.au/hall-of-fame/players). Australian Football League. Retrieved 25 July
2021.
"Gavin Wanganeen" (https://sanfl.com.au/inside-sanfl/hall-of-fame/gavin-wanganeen/). South Australian National
Football League. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
Gavin Wanganeen Art (https://gavinwanganeenart.au/)

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