Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Ronald Fuller

Known as
Ron Fuller

Senior clubs
Woodville; Woodville West Torrens

Ron Fuller


ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
WoodvilleSANFL1979, 1983-19901961220.62
Woodville West TorrensSANFL1991-199238110.29
SANFL1979, 1983-19922341330.57
Total1979, 1983-19922341330.57

Ronald Fuller joined Woodville from Flinders Park and, after a somewhat stuttering start to his league career, developed into a reliably effective performer. He made his senior debut for the ‘Peckers in 1979 and ended up playing 11 games for the year before crossing to Western Australia where he joined West Perth. After half a season in the Cardinals reserves he broke a toe and shortly afterwards became ill, precipitating a return to Adelaide. 

When he eventually resumed his football it was back at Flinders Park where he remained until coaxed into having another stab at league football with Woodville in 1983. This time around Fuller, who quite noticeably lacked pace but was an energetic, tenacious footballer with crisp, clean disposal skills, made the most of his opportunity and quickly developed into a first choice senior player.

Probably the most memorable phase of Fuller’s career came in 1986 when he was one of the principal driving forces behind Woodville’s most (some might say only) credible assault on the premiership. The Warriors, as Woodville were by that time known, were ultimately beaten by Glenelg in the Preliminary Final, with Fuller’s fine season being acknowledged in the club’s best and fairest count, in which he finished second to Colin McDonald

Fuller captained the Warriors in 1988 but after having qualified for the finals in the previous two years they slumped to seventh.

By the time the Woodville Football Club ceased to operate as a discrete organisation in 1990 he had got to within four games of the elusive 200 game barrier. He duly reached the milestone in 1991 with the newly merged club, Woodville-West Torrens, for whom he ended up playing a final 38 senior games in two seasons.

In 2001 Ron Fuller was appointed to the senior coaching position at the Eagles and steered them to a losing Grand Final clash with Centrals in his debut season. Further disappointment followed after the grand finals of 2004 and 2005 before Fuller finally tasted success as his team scored an emphatic Grand Final victory over the Bulldogs in 2006.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy's SA Football Companion

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.