Adrian Fletcher (born 10 October 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer and current assistant coach. He is regarded as one of football's nomads, having played for five Australian Football League clubs in his 13-year career. Fletcher's play relied on being an excellent play reader which resulted in him being a prolific possession gatherer, especially by handball.[1]
Fletcher made his name as a tough, ball-winning midfielder at Brisbane. Between 1993 and 1996, Fletcher played 86 of a possible 90 games, finishing in the top five of the club champion award in each year.[3] He was a significant player in the Bears' 1996 preliminary final loss to North Melbourne playing on the half back line.
Brisbane Lions career
In 1997, Fletcher was a member of the inaugural Brisbane Lions team following the Bears merger with Fitzroy; however, his form slumped after the lack of a solid pre-season. He fought back, however, and ended up with a season average of 19 possessions per game in 21 games. However, despite a season that, although starting badly, was not considered by Fletcher to be his worst, he was traded to the Fremantle Dockers.
Fremantle career
Fletcher had an immediate impact at Fremantle, finishing second in the club's Best and Fairest award in 1998 and winning it in 1999; additionally, he won Fremantle's first-ever Glendinning–Allan Medal, which had previously been won all 9 times by West Coast from 1995 to early 1999. He was then named co-captain along with Shaun McManus in 2000 and 2001. At the end of the 2001 season he was asked to retire by the Fremantle club despite being ranked in the AFL's top 20 for overall disposals[2] and also was in the AFL's top five for handballs. He played 79 games for the Dockers, ending up with 25 goals.
While at Fremantle, Fletcher is remembered for being the player who kicked the ball to field umpire Peter Carey, when Carey infamously and humorously took a chest mark in general play.[4]
After being delisted by Fremantle after the 2001 season and not being drafted by another AFL club, Fletcher retired from the AFL, and played for Williamstown Football Club in the VFL for two years. He played 41 games and kicked 17 goals.
Fletcher won the Williamstown best and fairest award in both these seasons and also won the Norm Goss Medal for best on ground in the 2003 VFL grand final, Fletcher's last game of senior football. He also was a development coach for the Collingwood Football Club (Williamstown's AFL-affiliate) during this time.
In 2004, Fletcher joined the Geelong Football Club as an assistant coach before returning to Collingwood in 2005 as their midfield coach. After the 2007 season, he left Collingwood and returned to the Brisbane Lions as an assistant coach, where he remains as of 2011.[6]
^ abHolmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2002). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (4th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 201. ISBN1-74095-001-1.
