Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Paul Couch

Known as
Paul Couch

Born
19 July 1964

Place of birth
Warrnambool, VIC (3280)

Died
5 March 2016 (aged 51)

Place of death
Apollo Bay, VIC (3233)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 282d
Last game: 32y 295d

Height and weight
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 82 kg

Senior clubs
Geelong; Australia

Jumper numbers
Geelong: 7

Recruited from
Warrnambool (1985)

State of origin
VIC

Family links
Tom Couch (Son)

Paul Couch

Advanced stats
ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
GeelongV/AFL1985-19972592030.7859%14.438.903.1899
AustraliaIR1990200.00—————
Total1985-19972612030.78—————

AFL: 9,608th player to appear, 225th most games played, 398th most goals kickedGeelong: 851st player to appear, 16th most games played, 35th most goals kicked

Geelong's 1989 Brownlow Medallist Paul Couch was a long-kicking, long-striding centreman who was among the most creatively damaging players of his generation. Not conventionally quick, he was nevertheless able to dodge and weave with admirable adroitness. Between 1985 and 1997 he played 259 V/AFL games for the Cats, kicking 203 goals.

Couch won the club's best and fairest player award on three occasions, and made the AFL All Australian team in 1991 and 1995. His achievements are all the more remarkable in light of the fact that he suffered from knee problems throughout his career, and was only able to take to the field each weekend because he undertook a specially modified training programme. In 2001, Paul Couch was selected on the interchange bench in Geelong's official 'Team of the Twentieth Century'. He died at the tragically young age of 51 in 2016.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

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