Australian Football

Gareth Andrews made his senior VFL debut in the opening round of the 1965 season as a replacement for injured full forward Doug Wade. He did well in the position, kicking a total of 35 goals for the season. As time went on he demonstrated great versatility, playing with success as a ruck-rover as well as in key forward and back positions. Particularly noted for his aerial ability, his kicking style was almost preposterously clumsy but surprisingly effective. Midway through the 1974 season, after 136 VFL games and 127 goals for the Cats, he transferred to Richmond where he added a final 31 League appearances, and one goal, over the course of his two final seasons in the game. The Tigers deployed him mainly as a defender, and he was in a back pocket and one of the best players on view in the 1974 grand final defeat of North Melbourne.

After retiring as a player Gareth Andrews was an administrator at Richmond and then worked as a football commentator on both TV and radio. He also had a long stint as vice president of the Geelong Football Club.

Author - John Devaney