Australian Football

Something of a cult figure at Carlton, at least in part because of his outrageous (for the time) Afro hairstyle, Vin Catoggio overcame a horror start to his League career to develop into a handy player for the Blues. His first full senior game was the 1973 grand final against Richmond and he endured a torrid time managing just eight disposals, and leaving the fray injured before the end of the match, as the Tigers surged to victory. He did not make another senior appearance until 1974 and the memory of the ignominy stayed with him for years.

Nevertheless, to his infinite credit he managed to play some eye catching football for the Blues, mainly as a rover, in 71 VFL games during which he kicked 97 goals from 1973 to 1976 and between 1978 and 1980. (He spent the second half of the 1976 season and the whole of 1977 playing 30 WAFL games and kicking 53 goals 'on lease' with Subiaco.)

In 1981 Catoggio was traded by Carlton to Melbourne as part of a deal that saw Greg Wells move in the opposite direction. He played nine games and kicked 15 goals in two seasons with the Demons and then added a final eight games and nine goals after moving to Sydney in 1983.

He rounded off his playing career with stints at VFA clubs Prahran and Brunswick.

Prior to commencing his senior League career Vin Catoggio achieved the rare feat of winning both the Morrish Medal for best and fairest in the VFL under nineteens competition and its reserve grade equivalent, the Gardiner Medal. 

Author - John Devaney