Australian Football

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Key Facts

Full name
Mark Hepburn

Known as
Mark Hepburn

Born
29 August 1968 (age 55)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 18y 337d
Last game: 25y 343d

Height and weight
Height: 195 cm
Weight: 95 kg

Senior clubs
North Melbourne; West Coast; Sydney

Jumper numbers
North Melbourne: 34
West Coast: 16
Sydney: 21

Recruited from
North Melbourne (1991); West Coast (1994)

Mark Hepburn

ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
North MelbourneV/AFL1987-199056290.5248%7.553.642.964
West CoastAFL1991-19921300.0077%6.384.153.310
SydneyAFL1994730.4314%5.864.003.860
V/AFL1987-1992, 199476320.4250%7.203.763.114
Total1987-1992, 199476320.4250%7.203.763.114

AFL: 9,877th player to appear, 3,168th most games played, 2,860th most goals kickedNorth Melbourne: 784th player to appear, 254th most games played, 204th most goals kickedWest Coast: 64th player to appear, 198th most games played, 253rd most goals kickedSydney: 1,250th player to appear, 951st most games played, 754th most goals kicked

A versatile footballer who could play with equal effectiveness as a forward, defender or ruckman, Mark Hepburn had played just half a dozen WAFL games for Claremont when he was drafted by North Melbourne ahead of the 1987 season. After playing up forward initially he was converted into the side’s principal ruckman. He played 56 VFL games and kicked 29 goals in four seasons with the Kangas but a serious family illness compelled him to seek a transfer back home to Perth, and he was traded to West Coast.

The 1991 season saw Hepburn dividing his time between the Eagles and original club Claremont. It was a similar story the following year, albeit that he had transferred his WAFL affiliation to South Fremantle. At the end of the 1992 season, after 13 games and no goals, West Coast de-listed him. He spent the 1993 season travelling abroad before returning for one last year of football with the Sydney Swans, for whom he played seven games and booted three goals. His WAFL career comprised 27 games, 15 with Claremont and a dozen with South Freo.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

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

Footnotes

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