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Key Facts
Full name
Darryl Lewis Sutton
Known as
Darryl Sutton
Nickname
Nose
Born
27 July 1952
Died
28 January 2017 (aged 64)
Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 272d
Last game: 31y 31d
Height and weight
Height: 183 cm
Weight: 84 kg
Senior clubs
Glenorchy; North Melbourne; Swan Districts; Richmond; Sydney; North Hobart
Jumper numbers
North Melbourne: 14, 5
Richmond: 24, 4
Sydney: 4
Recruited from
Glenorchy (1973); North Melbourne (1974); Glenorchy (1976); North Melbourne (1981); Swan Districts (1982); Richmond (1983); Sydney (1984)
Darryl Sutton
| Club | League | Career span | Games | Goals | Avg | Win % | AKI | AHB | AMK | BV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenorchy | TANFL | 1970-1972, 1974-1975 | 83 | 160 | 1.93 | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Melbourne | V/AFL | 1973, 1976-1980 | 91 | 65 | 0.71 | 65% | 9.21 | 2.97 | 3.93 | 12 |
| Swan Districts | WAFL | 1981 | 17 | 5 | 0.29 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Richmond | V/AFL | 1982-1983 | 6 | 0 | 0.00 | 50% | 7.00 | 6.00 | 3.33 | 0 |
| Sydney | V/AFL | 1983 | 14 | 25 | 1.79 | 36% | 8.57 | 1.57 | 4.07 | 2 |
| North Hobart | TFL | 1984-1986 | 38 | 130 | 3.42 | — | — | — | — | — |
| TFL | 1970-1972, 1974-1975, 1984-1986 | 121 | 290 | 2.40 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| V/AFL | 1973, 1976-1980, 1982-1983 | 111 | 90 | 0.81 | 60% | 9.01 | 2.96 | 3.92 | 14 | |
| WAFL | 1981 | 17 | 5 | 0.29 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Total | 1970-1986 | 249 | 385 | 1.55 | — | — | — | — | — | |
AFL: 8,547th player to appear, 2,137th most games played, 1,211th most goals kickedNorth Melbourne: 658th player to appear, 147th most games played, 103rd most goals kickedRichmond: 833rd player to appear, 827th most games played, 1,136th most goals kickedSydney: 1,115th player to appear, 721st most games played, 286th most goals kicked
High flying utility Darryl Sutton commenced his senior career with Glenorchy for whom he topped the TANFL's goal kicking ladder in 1972 with 73 goals. Largely on the strength of that achievement he was recruited by North Melbourne, only to return home again after just one season, having been laid low by the effects of glandular fever. Sutton's last game for Glenorchy came against West Perth in the 1975 championship of Australia series in Adelaide. He had earlier captained the Magpies to both the local and Tasmanian state premierships.
The 1976 season found him back in the VFL with North Melbourne, and this time he was ready to make his mark. Equally effective either on the forward lines or in defence, his 91 games for the club included the losing Grand Finals of 1976 and 1978, when he played across half back, and both the draw and win of 1977 in which he played at centre half forward and was a solid contributor in both games.
Sutton had already played interstate football for Tasmania during his time with Glenorchy, and he did so again at the state of origin carnivals of 1979 and 1980 when he performed with such distinction that he achieved All Australian selection both years. His career never again approached such heights, however.
In 1981 he played for Swan Districts, but after a mediocre season with the Western Australian Swans returned to Victoria, first with Richmond where, playing as a defender, he struggled to maintain form, and subsequently with the Sydney Swans, where a mid-season move in 1983 saw him end his VFL career on a positive note, kicking 25 goals in 14 games as a utility forward.
In 1984 he was appointed captain-coach of North Hobart in the TANFL, leading the club into the finals in his first season. Sutton starred with 12 goals in the 1984 First Semi Final victory over New Norfolk. In his third and final season in charge he guided his side into the finals again, where they were beaten in the First Semi Final of the newly expanded TFL Statewide League competition.
Author - John Devaney with additional material from Adam Cardosi