AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game
Full name
Colin Neil Crompton
Known as
Neil Crompton
Nickname
Froggy
Born
16 August 1937
Place of birth
Dandenong, VIC (3175)
Died
11 December 2003 (aged 66)
Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 19y 289d
Last game: 28y 264d
Height and weight
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 79 kg
Senior clubs
Melbourne; Glenelg; Werribee
Jumper numbers
Melbourne: 12, 5
Recruited from
Ormond (1957); Melbourne (1961); Glenelg (1962)
State of origin
VIC
Club | League | Career span | Games | Goals | Avg | Win % | AKI | AHB | AMK | BV |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Melbourne | V/AFL | 1957-1960, 1962-1966 | 99 | 24 | 0.24 | 68% | 9.84 | 0.29 | 2.92 | 17 |
Glenelg | SANFL | 1961 | 18 | 37 | 2.06 | — | — | — | — | — |
Werribee | VFA | 1967-1969 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Total | 1957-1969 | 117 | 61 | 0.52 | — | — | — | — | — |
Pre 1965 stats are for selected matches only
AFL: 6,818th player to appear, 2,508th most games played, 3,397th most goals kickedMelbourne: 776th player to appear, 174th most games played, 269th most goals kicked
Best remembered for kicking the winning goal for Melbourne in the 1964 VFL Grand Final against Collingwood, Neil 'Froggy' Crompton was a model of consistency for the Demons in 99 games between 1957 and 1960, and from 1962 to 1966. The majority of those games were played in the back pocket, and many opposing resting rovers regarded him as the toughest player to beat in the VFL. Crompton typically did not pick up many possessions during the course of a game, but neither did his opponents.
He spent the 1961 season in South Australia, where he played 18 games and kicked 37 goals for Glenelg. After leaving Melbourne, he captain-coached VFA second division side Werribee between 1967 and 1969. An accomplished all round sportsman, he also played Sheffield Shield cricket for Victoria, notching up 45 first class matches. In 1978 he returned to football as coach of VFA second division club Oakleigh, getting his side as far as a losing Grand Final against Camberwell in his second, and last, season.
Author - John Devaney