Australian Football

Andrew Osborn overcame persistent injuries to claim South Australian football’s highest individual award, the Magarey Medal, in 1998. The hard working, relentlessly determined South Adelaide footballer had shown his potential from an early age, winning the club’s under-17 best and fairest trophy as well as the McCallum Medal in 1989. Two years later he helped the Panthers to a reserves flag before making his senior debut in 1992. 

At the end of the 1992 season he was drafted by Geelong but was prevented by injury from breaking into the senior team and after just one year with the club was delisted. Five years later Osborn would suffer identical disappointment when drafted by Port Adelaide. Many lesser players would have called it a day at that point, but Osborn showed great determination and persistence to not only put his injury problems behind him, but produce his best season of football to date to claim the aforementioned Magarey Medal, as well as representing South Australia.

Osborn, who skippered South from 1998 to 2000, and won the Knuckey Cup as club best and fairest in 1996, retired at the conclusion of the 2000 season having played 115 senior SANFL games and kicked 93 goals.

Author - John Devaney