Craig Kelly (footballer)

Craig Kelly
Personal information
Nickname(s) Ned
Date of birth (1966-06-16) 16 June 1966 (age 58)
Original team(s) Norwood (SANFL)
Draft No. 34, 1986 national draft
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 110 kg (243 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1984–1988 Norwood 121 (90)
1989–1996 Collingwood 122 (43)
Total 243 (133)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1996.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Craig Kelly (born 16 June 1966) is a former Australian rules football player with Collingwood Football Club and served as a successful player manager as well as exploring other sports-related roles. He is the grandson of famous free marketeer and former Government Minister C.R. "Bert" Kelly and the father of Essendon defender Jake Kelly.

Pre-VFL/AFL

Kelly began playing top-level football with the Norwood Football Club in the SANFL. He was drafted to Collingwood in the 1986 VFL draft at pick number 34.

Collingwood

Kelly made his debut in 1989 and became a tough defender. He played a crucial role in the low-scoring 1990 Grand Final, which Collingwood went on to win.

The barrel-chested Kelly was known for being a tough and hot-headed footballer. He had many appearances to the tribunal for rough play. One incident occurred in 1992 when playing against Sydney—Kelly charged at Sydney's Ben Doolan, causing many of Doolan's teeth to fall out.

Kelly was notorious for pinching opposition players to niggle them, with victims including Richmond's Stephen Jurica, Hawthorn's Jason Dunstall and Geelong duo David Mensch and Gary Ablett, which Ablett mentioned in his 2007 biography.

Kelly retired after Collingwood's final match of the 1996 season, a Round 22 win against the Brisbane Bears, along with Alan Richardson.

Business

After his retirement, Kelly founded Elite Sports Properties with Rob Woodhouse (now TLA Worldwide). The company deals mainly with sports management and marketing. Kelly is a player manager to many top current AFL stars.

Coaching

Kelly was the coach of the Mansfield Eagles in the Goulburn Valley Football League and coached them to the GV premiership in 2009. He has also played some games for the club.

CEO of Collingwood Magpies Netball Club

Kelly was the appointed CEO of Collingwood Magpies Netball Club in 2023, which turned out to be the club's last year due to worsening financial problems and sustained lacklustre on-court performance that pre-dated his appointment.[1]

CEO of Collingwood Football Club

In January 2023 Kelly was appointed the new CEO of Collingwood Football Club, succeeding Graham Wright the former interim CEO.[2]

In July 2024 the club's former head of First Nations strategy Mark Cleaver sued Collingwood Football Club alleging that Kelly was racist through slurs and inappropriate jokes.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ "Journalist Caroline Wilson tears 'poor' Collingwood to shreds". news.com.au. 25 May 2023. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly said the financial difficulties faced by Netball Australia and the fact there is currently no collective player agreement and team participation agreement for the 2024 season were the reasons behind the withdrawal.
  2. ^ "Craig Kelly appointed Collingwood CEO". Collingwood Football Club (Press release). 30 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  3. ^ Noakes, Cameron (31 July 2024). "Collingwood president Jeff Browne responds to explosive racism claims engulfing Craig Kelly". AAP. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024 – via 7News.
  4. ^ Silva, Kristian (30 July 2024). "Collingwood Football Club taken to court over racial discrimination allegations". ABC News. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.


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