John Meesen

Who is John Meesen?

John Meesen is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Melbourne Football Club and Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League. Drafted with the 8th selection in the 2004 Draft, Meesen had a long wait to play his first senior game for the Adelaide Crows. Playing for Norwood in the South Australian National Football League, Meesen was a leading ruckman in the senior side, but was incapable of surpassing Rhett Biglands, Ben Hudson and Matthew Clarke for a spot in the Crows team. Following Biglands' 2007 season-ending injury in the 2006 preliminary final and Clarke's move to St Kilda, it was thought that Meesen would begin season 2007 as back-up ruckman to Hudson. However an injury-plagued pre-season saw Jonathon Griffin and Ivan Maric move ahead of him in the pecking order.

Meesen finally made his debut in round 20 of 2007 against the Western Bulldogs at AAMI Stadium in the Sunday twilight fixture. He came in at the expense of Griffin. It was thought that he may have made his debut a week earlier in his home town of Geelong against the Cats due to Hudson's club-imposed suspension, but the club decided that having an inexperienced ruckman playing alongside a debut ruckman wouldn't be a suitable situation. In October 2007 Meesen was traded to the Melbourne Football Club for the 37th selection in the 2007 AFL Draft. He made his debut for Melbourne in Round 3, 2009.