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Key Facts
Full name
Fabian Francis
Known as
Fabian Francis
Born
24 October 1973 (age 50)
Ethnicity
Indigenous Australian
Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 17y 262d
Last game: 27y 326d
Height and weight
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 87 kg
Senior clubs
Melbourne; Brisbane; Port Adelaide; Port Adelaide
Jumper numbers
Melbourne: 42
Brisbane: 29
Port Adelaide: 8
Recruited from
Southern Districts (1991); Melbourne (1993); Brisbane (1997)
Family links
Jason Horne-Francis (Step-son)
Fabian Francis
| Club | League | Career span | Games | Goals | Avg | Win % | AKI | AHB | AMK | BV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | AFL | 1991 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 100% | 7.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0 |
| Brisbane | AFL | 1993-1994 | 22 | 17 | 0.77 | 27% | 7.36 | 4.14 | 1.27 | 0 |
| Port Adelaide | SANFL | 1995-1996 | 33 | 32 | 0.97 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Port Adelaide | AFL | 1997-2001 | 86 | 44 | 0.51 | 51% | 11.85 | 4.38 | 3.51 | 9 |
| AFL | 1991, 1993-1994, 1997-2001 | 109 | 61 | 0.56 | 47% | 10.90 | 4.30 | 3.04 | 9 | |
| SANFL | 1995-1996 | 33 | 32 | 0.97 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Total | 1991, 1993-2001 | 142 | 93 | 0.65 | — | — | — | — | — | |
AFL: 10,264th player to appear, 2,200th most games played, 1,762nd most goals kickedMelbourne: 1,128th player to appear, 1,369th most games played, 1,339th most goals kickedBrisbane: 109th player to appear, 182nd most games played, 125th most goals kickedPort Adelaide: 9th player to appear, 65th most games played, 57th most goals kicked
One of Southern Districts' most noteworthy products, Fabian Francis made a couple of aborted efforts to start a senior AFL career before finally igniting on his third attempt with Port Adelaide.
Possessed of considerable upper body strength, a legacy of his having combined rugby league with football as a youngster, Francis was an early developer who played senior football in the NTFL as a 14-year-old, and in the AFL before his 18th birthday. He failed to settle at his first AFL club, Melbourne, and played just a solitary senior game during a 1991 season which culminated in participation in the Demons' losing reserves Grand Final team. The opposition on Grand Final day was provided by Brisbane, and it was to the Bears that Francis headed in 1993 for a second stab at AFL footy. This time 'round he managed 20 games before a contractual dispute precipitated his departure. Joining Port Adelaide in the SANFL, he resurrected his career by playing some excellent football in the Magpies' 1995 and 1996 premiership seasons. In the latter of those years he was runner-up to eventual Power team mate Josh Francou in the voting for the Magarey Medal.
In 1997, Port Adelaide entered a team in the AFL, and Fabian Francis was a key member from the start. Quick, strong, and a superb kick with either foot, he was equally at home in defence, on a wing, or in the forward lines. He enjoyed a superb 2000 season when he finished third in the Power's best and fairest count, but after just one more season at the club he was left in limbo after failing to agree a contract. A move to Fremantle looked to be on the cards for a time, only for the Dockers' salary cap restrictions to scupper the arrangement. Sadly for a player with so much ability, Fabian Francis' career at the football's highest level was over, although he did play briefly for South Fremantle and Port Adelaide Magpies before finally calling it a day.
Author - John Devaney