Garry Sidebottom

Who is Garry Sidebottom?

Garry Sidebottom is a former Australian rules football player who played for the St Kilda, Geelong and Fitzroy Football Clubs in the Victorian Football League and Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League during the 1970s and 1980s.

Sidebottom was a powerful and fearless player ideal for playing at centre half forward or as a ruckman. A versatile forward good in the air and hard in the clinches, he kicked 227 goals while at Swan Districts and 145 goals while in the VFL.

He played in the inaugural State of Origin team for Western Australia in 1977 when WA defeated Victoria. In 1984 Sidebottom kicked 6 goals playing for WA against Victoria in another famous victory to the Sandgropers. He represented WA fifteen times in state games.

He joined St Kilda in 1978 and was their leading goal kicker in 1979. In 1980, Sidebottom, while playing for St Kilda in a match against Hawthorn at Moorabbin, he was dazed when he was hit across his right eye by a flying beer can. He required medical attention before he was able to continue in the match. Despite captaining St Kilda in 1980, his contract was not renewed at the end of the season and he left the club to join Geelong in 1981.