Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Adam John Heuskes

Known as
Adam Heuskes

Born
20 March 1976 (age 48)

Place of birth
Boronia, VIC (3155)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 18y 98d
Last game: 24y 131d

Height and weight
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 93 kg

Senior clubs
Sydney; Port Adelaide; Norwood; Brisbane; North Adelaide

Jumper numbers
Sydney: 39
Port Adelaide: 39
Brisbane: 31

Recruited from
Sydney (1997); Port Adelaide (1999)

State of origin
VIC

Adam Heuskes

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
SydneyAFL1994-19964960.1251%9.206.043.291
Port AdelaideAFL1997-19983710.0343%11.736.144.356
NorwoodSANFL1998730.43
BrisbaneAFL1999-20003950.1362%11.645.495.955
North AdelaideSANFL2004-20052440.17
AFL1994-2000125120.1052%10.715.904.4312
SANFL1998, 2004-20053170.23
Total1994-2000, 2004-2005156190.12

AFL: 10,531st player to appear, 1,794th most games played, 4,712th most goals kickedSydney: 1,256th player to appear, 347th most games played, 600th most goals kickedPort Adelaide: 12th player to appear, 104th most games played, 163rd most goals kickedBrisbane: 162nd player to appear, 142nd most games played, 205th most goals kicked

Adam Heuskes was a flamboyantly talented footballer whose life off the field was fraught with controversy. While the details of that controversy are not in themselves particularly relevant, it does at least seem reasonable to suppose that they had an adverse effect on his football. At any rate, it can quite strongly be averred that, ultimately, Heuskes’ achievements in the game were not truly commensurate with his ability.

Sydney drafted Heuskes from Norwood, where he had yet to play a senior game, and he made his AFL debut in 1994. Exquisitely poised, dashing and boasting great ball skills, he was an attacking defender par excellence, and was strongly instrumental in helping the Swans out of the doldrums they had inhabited for the previous five seasons. In Heuskes’ third season Sydney reached the grand final, with Heuskes himself racking up 25 possessions off half back, although this was not enough to prevent opponents North Melbourne from triumphing.

In 1997, somewhat surprisingly, he was released to Port Adelaide, which was taking its bows in the AFL. He went on to enjoy the best season of his career, which was capped by selection in the AFL All Australian team. After that, however, his form fell away in the face of off field distractions, and after the 1998 season was over he was traded to Brisbane. That 1998 season had seen him play seven senior games back at his original club, Norwood, this being an era when Port Adelaide and Adelaide players, when not selected, were scattered around the various SANFL teams.

Heuskes’ time with Brisbane mirrored his stint at Port in that he produced some excellent football in his first season only for his performance level to dip in the second. Having seemingly lost his passion for top level football he departed the club at the end of the season, having played 39 games to add to the 49 played with the Swans and 37 with Port.

After playing amateur football during the interim Adam Heuskes joined SANFL club North Adelaide, for whom he played 24 games in 2004-5.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Publications

Footnotes

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