Tony Polinelli

Who is Tony Polinelli?

Anthony 'Tony' Polinelli is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong in the Victorian Football League during the early 1960s.

Polinelli started his career as a rover but developed into a dashing wingman. The club encouraged him to train with Arthur Edgerton, a specialist sprint coach based in Geelong. Under Edgerton's guidance Polinelli won the 1966 Bendigo Gift before finishing 2nd to Bill Howard in the 1966 Stawell Gift.

He was a reserve in Geelong's 1963 premiership side and only appeared on the field briefly during the last quarter. It is said that he had a pipe which he would smoke during the half time of matches. He was shortlisted for the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century but didn't make the final cut.