1. Russell Frank Ebert was an Australian rules footballer and coach.
79 Facts About Russell Ebert
1. 2.
Russell Ebert is considered one of the greatest players in the history of Australian rules football in South Australia.
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Russell Ebert is one of four Australian rules footballers to have a statue at Adelaide Oval, the others being Ken Farmer, Malcolm Blight and Barrie Robran.
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Football historian John Devaney described Russell Ebert as coming "as close as any player in history to exhibiting complete mastery over all the essential skills of the game," and he is widely regarded as the Port Adelaide Football Club's greatest-ever player.
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Russell Ebert was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996, and he was posthumously elevated to Legend status in June 2022, the highest honour that can be bestowed onto an Australian footballer.
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The fourth of six children of Doreen and Albert Ebert, Russell was born in the South Australian river town of Berri.
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Russell Ebert's father Albert was a footballer with the Alawoona Football Club and captain coached the team to a premiership in 1953.
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At eight years old Russell Ebert was in the crowd when Port Adelaide defeated Norwood in the 1957 SANFL Grand Final.
9.
Russell Ebert's family moved to Loxton during his high-school years and the town was home to his junior football club, the Loxton Football Club, where he played with his brothers.
10.
Russell Ebert was transferred to the Savings Bank at Waikerie.
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Russell Ebert joined the Waikerie Football Club and played alongside Bruce Light, who eventually played for Port Adelaide with him.
12.
Russell Ebert made his debut in the first round of the 1968 SANFL season against Glenelg on Alberton Oval.
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Russell Ebert remained in Waikerie during 1968, driving back and forth between the Riverland and Adelaide for training and match day.
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Russell Ebert played all but one senior game for Port Adelaide in his first season.
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Russell Ebert was awarded the club's best first year player award.
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In 1969, Russell Ebert moved from the forward line to the centre and consolidated the position as his own in the Port Adelaide line up.
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In 1970, Russell Ebert was selected for the South Australian state football team for the first time.
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In 1971 Russell Ebert was awarded his first Port Adelaide best and fairest.
19.
Twenty-six years later Fos Williams said that Russell Ebert was the best player he had seen play for Port Adelaide and that "it was my privilege to coach him".
20.
Russell Ebert won the 1974 Magarey Medal, his second, in front of runner-up Rick Davies of Sturt.
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In 1975, Russell Ebert captained the South Australian state team for the first time.
22.
Russell Ebert was best on ground in Port Adelaide's 30-point win over North Adelaide in the First Elimination Final, collecting 42 disposals and 1 goal.
23.
Russell Ebert was selected as captain and centre in The News '1976 Team of the Year'.
24.
That year Russell Ebert won his third Magarey Medal by a record margin of 17 votes over runner-up Barry Norsworthy of Central District.
25.
Russell Ebert won his first premiership as a player as Port Adelaide broke its 12-year drought, defeating Glenelg at Football Park in the 1977 SANFL Grand Final.
26.
Russell Ebert kept only one guernsey from his playing career, the one he wore in the 1977 premiership decider.
27.
Russell Ebert was awarded SANFL life membership during the 1977 SANFL season.
28.
Russell Ebert finished runner up by one vote in the 1978 Magarey Medal count to Kym Hodgeman of Glenelg.
29.
On 22 January 1979 Russell Ebert spoke to Bob McLean, Port Adelaide's general manager, informing him of his intention to play with North Melbourne for the 1979 VFL season.
30.
Russell Ebert would fly to Melbourne for the Tuesday training session, fly back to Adelaide, work until the middle of Thursday, fly to Melbourne again, play for North Melbourne in the VFL, and fly back Saturday night.
31.
Russell Ebert flew in on a Thursday night and would fly home on a Sunday.
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Russell Ebert collected the most disposals of any North Melbourne player during 1979.
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Russell Ebert never whinged or moaned about sore spots and trained and played with them which is what a coach admires.
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Russell Ebert thought about his footy and gave it all he had.
35.
Russell Ebert returned to Port Adelaide as a player for the 1980 SANFL season.
36.
From his experiences the previous year playing in the VFL with North Melbourne, Russell Ebert suggested Port Adelaide increase the weight training it required of its players, noting that the Victorian players were more advanced in this facet of the game.
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Russell Ebert won his record-setting fourth Magarey Medal in 1980, garnering 49 votes from the SANFL's umpires.
38.
Russell Ebert retired with 392 games for Port Adelaide, a record that has never been beaten.
39.
In 2020 Russell Ebert described Port Adelaide's 1980 side as being "as good a side here in South Australia that I had ever played with".
40.
Post-match, Russell Ebert was awarded the inaugural Jack Oatey Medal in recognition of being the best player afield during the game.
41.
Russell Ebert would be one of the last playing coaches in senior Australian rules football.
42.
On 16 May 1983 at Football Park, Russell Ebert captained South Australia for the third time, in what was the states first win over Victoria since 1965.
43.
On 23 June 1984 in a game against West Torrens at Football Park Russell Ebert broke the SANFL record for most games played in that competition, surpassing Paul Bagshaw's tally of 360 games.
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At the time Russell Ebert was only the fifth Australian recipient of the award.
45.
Russell Ebert retired as a player at the end of 1985 for Port Adelaide, where his 392 games remains a club record.
46.
Regardless of the differing viewpoints, Russell Ebert's total was the all-time record in elite Australian rules football at the time of his retirement, and Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke wrote Russell Ebert a letter congratulating him on his achievement.
47.
Russell Ebert held the record until it was broken by Peter Carey in either Round 6 or Round 7 of 1988; Carey retired at the end of that season with a total of 467 senior career games.
48.
Russell Ebert continued at the club as a non-playing coach for the 1986 SANFL season.
49.
However, Russell Ebert began his first season as a non-playing coach without his star wingman and reigning club best and fairest, Craig Bradley, who had been acquired by Carlton.
50.
Russell Ebert debuted eight new juniors to Port Adelaide's league side during the season.
51.
Russell Ebert, having recently lost his position as Port Adelaide coach to John Cahill, accepted to fill the equivalent role at Woodville.
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Russell Ebert was thus the last coach of Woodville as a stand-alone club.
53.
Russell Ebert coached the South Australian state team from 1996 to 1998.
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Russell Ebert was a strong-bodied player whose physical build and stamina allowed him to dominate football matches.
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Russell Ebert was able to win his own ball and could quickly handball effectively under pressure.
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Russell Ebert doesn't believe that his talent entitles him to rest on his laurels and let other people do most of the work.
57.
In 1991, Russell Ebert accepted a role working as a commentator at Adelaide radio station FIVEaa.
58.
At the station Russell Ebert worked as a sports talkback panellist.
59.
Russell Ebert was a member of the FIVEaa commentary team, along with Ken Cunningham and Chris Dittmar, that called Port Adelaide's win in the 2004 AFL Grand Final.
60.
Russell Ebert used his footballing fame in South Australia to benefit a large array of local charities over many decades.
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In 1980, Russell Ebert became involved with the Crippled Children's Association along with Barrie Robran and Peter Marker.
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In 2006 Russell Ebert was a co-founder of the Mighty River Run with John Riddell and Jason Carter.
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Russell Ebert was involved with the Outback Odyssey fundraiser for almost three decades.
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Russell Ebert was involved in educational programs that sought to prevent domestic violence.
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In 2015 Russell Ebert welcomed Centacare and the South Australian Department of Education into Alberton Oval to develop a project that sought to educate teenage boys about respectful relationships.
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In 1999, Russell Ebert returned to Port Adelaide to help expand the clubs involvement in community programs.
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Russell Ebert was involved with the Ice Factor Program that sought to provide team sport to disengaged youth.
68.
In 2011 Russell Ebert provided lectures for aged care provider ACH Group outlining strategies on how to stay healthy in later years.
69.
Brad Russell Ebert's grandfather was Trevor Obst, and his great-grandfather was Ken Obst; both played for Port Adelaide.
70.
In late December 2020, Russell Ebert was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.
71.
On 5 November 2021, Russell Ebert died at the age of 72 from AML.
72.
Russell Ebert was everything you would hope to be in a man, and perhaps the best of all of us.
73.
In 1984, Russell Ebert was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his service to Australian football.
74.
Russell Ebert is widely held to be the greatest player to have played for the Port Adelaide Football Club.
75.
Russell Ebert was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and is centre for Port Adelaide's greatest team.
76.
In June 2022, Russell Ebert was posthumously elevated to Legend status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, making him the 32nd individual and only the second Port Adelaide player after Haydn Bunton Sr.
77.
In 2021, Russell Ebert was recognised with "Legend" status in the South Australian Sport Hall of Fame.
78.
In 2015, a statute of Russell Ebert, sculpted by Tim Thompson, was unveiled on the eastern concourse of Adelaide Oval.
79.
Russell Ebert was the second and currently only one of four Australian rules footballers to have a statue at Adelaide Oval, with the other players being Barrie Robran, Malcolm Blight, and Ken Farmer.