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Key Facts

Full name
Anthony Ongarello

Known as
Tony Ongarello

Born
22 December 1932

Died
18 July 2022 (aged 89)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 19y 119d
Last game: 27y 270d

Height and weight
Height: 185 cm
Weight: 81 kg

Senior clubs
Fitzroy

Jumper numbers
Fitzroy: 31, 5

Tony Ongarello

Advanced stats
Club
League
Career span
Games
Goals
Avg
Win %
AKI
AHB
AMK
BV
FitzroyV/AFL1952-19601312471.8950%5.67—2.677
Total1952-19601312471.8950%5.67—2.677

Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only

AFL: 6,184th player to appear, 1,695th most games played, 281st most goals kickedFitzroy: 673rd player to appear, 66th most games played, 13th most goals kicked

Fitzroy's Tony Ongarello is probably best remembered as being the last footballer in V/AFL history to register a goal using a place kick. Never the most reliable kick for goal, he allegedly switched from punt to place kicks after missing some easy shots for goal with the former during a match against Geelong in 1955. Despite his wayward kicking he played for most of his 131 game league career between 1952 and 1960 as a full forward, kicking 247 goals in total. He was Fitzroy’s top goal kicker on three occasions with 53 goals in 1958 his best tally.

After retiring as a player Tony Ongarello appeared regularly on ABC television football panels in Victoria during the 1960s and 1970s.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers by Russell Holmesby & Jim Main; Wikipedia article

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Footnotes

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