TEST OF FOOTBALL GREATNESS

It’s the smallest trophy in world cricket, and the most important to anybody from Australia or England.

With The Ashes starting at Edgbaston on Friday night, it’s a perfect time to remember those multi-talented sportsmen who reached the top level in both football and cricket.

And we don’t have to look far –the inaugural captain of a fledgling GWS in the under-18s was Alex Carey, who plays his 21st Test match as Australian wicketkeeper after Kevin Sheedy told him he would have a longer career in cricket.

A starring role in last week’s World Test Championship, a Boxing Day Test century and 64 ODIs suggests Sheedy was right.

Alex Keath went the other way, declining a spot on the first Gold Coast list to play seven Sheffield Shield matches for Victoria before returning to footy for 95 games with Adelaide (30 between 2017-19) and Western Bulldogs (65 since 2020).

Shane Warne was in St Kilda’s under-19s in the late 1980s before becoming the greatest spin bowler the world has seen.

Craig Bradley played a record 375 games for Carlton and 89 in the SANFL for Port Adelaide, winning a combined three premierships, four All-Australians, six best and fairests, two Team of the Century selections and three Hall of Fame inductions (he is a Blues Legend and a Port Adelaide and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee).

He played six Youth Tests for Australia in 1982-83, averaging 46 with two 100s, and four Shield games for SA and Victoria.

Jamie Siddons earned two VFL games for Sydney in 1984 before becoming one of the best openers not to play a Test (one ODI) – his 10,643 runs was a Shield record that still sits in third place.

So who did make it to the top in both sports?

The greatest footballer was Laurie Nash, with the legendary Keith Miller at the top of the cricket tree.

Fast bowler Nash only played two Tests (10 wickets at 12.6, with his non-selection described by Miller as “the greatest waste of talent in Australian cricket history”).

Nash played 99 games for South Melbourne, kicking 246 goals despite spending half his time at centre half-back.

He was best afield in the Swans’ 1933 flag win, captain (1937), coach (1953) and centre half-forward in their Team of the Century.

He also kicked 18 goals in a game for Victoria against SA in 1934 and is in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Australia’s greatest all-rounder, Miller was one of Sir Donald Bradman’s 1948 ‘Invincibles’ who scored 2958 runs and took 170 wickets in 55 Tests.

He played 50 games for St Kilda in the 1940s, represented Victoria and was a World War II fighter pilot.

Simon O’Donnell managed 24 VFL games for the Saints before playing six Tests and 87 ODIs (including the 1987 World Cup).

Ruckman-fast bowler Max Walker played both at once – 85 games for Melbourne 1967-72 and 34 Tests and 17 ODIs from 1968-82.

In earlier times, Warwick Armstrong followed 16 games for South Melbourne with 50 Tests for 2863 runs and 87 wickets, being the first captain to lead Australia to a 5-0 Ashes clean sweep in 1920-21, while Dave Smith captained Essendon to the 1911 flag among 143 games before playing two Tests in 1912.

u If you know of players from state leagues who also played Test cricket, please email info@aflrecord.com.au and we will feature them in coming weeks.

Footballing Test Cricketers

Others

Worrall (Carl-Ess coach 1902-20) played 11 Tests

Thomson (umpired six VFL games 1970-72) played four Tests