Bernie Quinlan

Bernie Quinlan
Personal information
Full name	Bernard Francis Quinlan
Nickname(s)	Superboot
Date of birth	(1951-07-21)21 July 1951
Original team(s)	Traralgon
Height	193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	97 kg (214 lb)
Position(s)	Centre half forward/centre half back/ruck-rover
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1969–1977	Footscray	177 (241)
1978–1986	Fitzroy	189 (576)
Total		366 (817)
Representative team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
	Victoria	4 (6)
Coaching career3
Years	Club	Games (W–L–D)
1995	Fitzroy	19 (2–17–0)
1Playing statistics correct to the end of 1986. 3Coaching statistics correct as of 1995.
Career highlights
Brownlow Medal:(1981) 2xColeman Medal:(1983, 1984) 5xFitzroy leading goalkicker:(1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985) Footscray leading goalkicker:(1971) Australian Football Hall of Fame,inducted 1996 Fitzroy Team of the Century:(centre half forward) Brisbane LionsHall of Fame.
Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com

Bernard Francis Quinlan(born 21 July 1951) is a formerAustralian rules footballerwho played for theFootscray Football ClubandFitzroy Football Clubin theVictorian Football League(VFL).

One of a handful of players to have won aBrownlow MedalandColeman Medal,Quinlan was an inaugural inductee in theAustralian Football Hall of Famein 1996. Renowned for his prodigious long kicking, which earned him the nickname "Superboot", Quinlan played his best football late in his career, earning most of his individual accolades after he had turned 30. He holds the record for the most career games without playing in a Grand Finaland is one of five VFL/AFL players (the others beingShaun Burgoyne,Heath Shaw,Lance FranklinandPatrick Dangerfield) to have played 150 or more games at two separate clubs.

Playing career

Quinlan was recruited fromTraralgon,which was inFootscray'szone,and arrived at Footscray halfway through the1969 VFL season.TeammateBarry Roundalso made his debut in the same year, and coincidentally they would tie for theBrownlow Medal12 years later in 1981, both by that time playing at different clubs.

Quinlan played 177 games for the club, playing mostly atcentre half-forward(also occasionally playing as acentre half-back). The 1970s were a tough time financially for the Bulldogs, and many quality players were cleared to other clubs. Quinlan was cleared toFitzroyin 1978 for 70,000dollars.In October 1979, Quinlan was fined $500 for missing two training sessions with the Victorian squad the previous month. Quinlan had recently moved toBaxterand complained that he had not been notified in time by Fitzroy, but the VFL's administration managerAlan Schwabdismissed these as "inadequate excuses". In the end, he was left out of the squad going to Perth for theState of Origin Carnival. In December 1979, the Lions and the football public were shocked when it was announced by club presidentFrank Bibbythat Quinlan had told the committee he wanted to devote more time to his farm. With a year remaining on his contract, Fitzroy were desperate to retain his services and made Quinlan a substantial financial offer to stay.Quinlan relented and returned for the1980 VFL season.

Fitzroy had an ordinary season in 1980. WhenRobert Wallstook over as senior coach for1981,Quinlan and the Lions returned to form. He won theBrownlow Medalin 1981, tying with his former Bulldog teammateBarry Round(who had left the Bulldogs too by this stage). He also twice kicked more than 100 goals in a season: 1983 and 1984. Quinlan led a formidable forward line in the mid-1980s with the likes of Michael Conlan,Garry Wilson,David McMahon and Gary Sidebottom. Together withPaul RoosandGary Pertin the back line, they propelled Fitzroy to their most successful years in the post-war era.

He was a prodigious kicker of thefootballwhich earned him the nickname "Superboot".He regularly featured in theWorld of Sportkicking competitions (a sports program which was popular inMelbournefor three decades).

Playing statistics

Led the league after season and finals

Season	Team	No.	Games	Totals							Averages (per game)
				G	B	K	H	D	M	T	G	B	K	H	D	M	T
1969	Footscray	2	9	18	16	99	7	106	46	—	2.0	1.8	11.0	0.8	11.8	5.1	—
1970	Footscray	2	21	12	25	292	26	318	109	—	0.6	1.2	13.9	1.2	15.1	5.2	—
1971	Footscray	2	21	48	47	343	61	404	168	—	2.3	2.2	16.3	2.9	19.2	8.0	—
1972	Footscray	2	21	37	41	304	79	383	112	—	1.8	2.0	14.5	3.8	18.2	5.3	—
1973	Footscray	2	20	20	23	301	83	384	115	—	1.0	1.2	15.1	4.2	19.2	5.8	—
1974	Footscray	2	18	9	7	272	44	316	80	—	0.5	0.4	15.1	2.4	17.6	4.7	—
1975	Footscray	2	22	36	17	285	46	331	100	—	1.6	0.8	13.6	2.2	15.8	4.8	—
1976	Footscray	2	23	34	39	311	83	394	109	—	1.5	1.7	13.5	3.6	17.1	4.7	—
1977	Footscray	2	22	27	38	311	92	403	126	—	1.2	1.8	14.1	4.2	18.3	5.7	—
1978	Fitzroy	5	14	18	15	198	62	260	77	—	1.3	1.1	14.1	4.4	18.6	5.5	—
1979	Fitzroy	5	22	48	39	313	106	419	116	—	2.2	1.8	14.2	4.8	19.0	5.3	—
1980	Fitzroy	5	22	27	29	325	110	435	123	—	1.2	1.3	14.8	5.0	19.8	5.6	—
1981	Fitzroy	5	24	73	32	332	116	448	152	—	3.0	1.3	13.8	4.8	18.7	6.3	—
1982	Fitzroy	5	21	53	35	289	96	385	108	—	2.5	1.7	13.8	4.6	18.3	5.1	—
1983	Fitzroy	5	24	116	70	268	62	330	155	—	4.8	2.9	11.2	2.6	13.8	6.5	—
1984	Fitzroy	5	23	105	44	228	48	276	121	—	4.6	1.9	9.9	2.1	12.0	5.3	—
1985	Fitzroy	5	22	84	58	229	45	274	127	—	3.8	2.6	10.4	2.0	12.5	5.8	—
1986	Fitzroy	5	17	52	37	149	34	183	73	—	3.1	2.2	8.8	2.0	10.8	4.3	—
Career			366	817	612	4849	1200	6049	2017	—	2.2	1.7	13.3	3.3	16.6	5.5	—

Life off the field

Quinlan was picked up in the January 1972national serviceintake and posted toPuckapunyalwith Footscray teammatePeter Welsh.He served in the Service Corp unit and rose to the rank of Lance Corporal. During his playing career, Quinlan worked as a clerk for theState Electricity Commission of Victoria.He said in later years that he considered it a "dead-end job" and wished he had taken up a trade instead.
After retiring as a player, Quinlan first joined theABCfootball commentary team when they had the broadcasting rights in 1987, and then switched to theSeven Networkwhen they regained the rights in 1988. He worked as a commentator with the Seven Network until 1995.

Fitzroy Football Club senior coach

Quinlan returned toFitzroyas senior coach for the1995 AFL season,when he replacedRobert Shaw,who left at the end of the 1994 season.However, it soon became clear that he was out of his depth as a senior coach and was sacked after a 126-point loss toSydney Swansin Round 19, 1995. It was later revealed that senior playerJohn McCarthywas one of the key voices in having him removed.Quinlan was then replaced byAlan McConnellas caretaker senior coach of Fitzroy Football Club for the rest of the 1995 season.

The Brisbane Lions mascot Bernie "Gabba" Vegas is partially named as a tribute to Quinlan.

Other roles

In 2017, Quinlan joined former footballersDon ScottandTony Jewellto form a landscaping and gardening crew, doing odd jobs around the Mornington Peninsula.

He has worked as a weights coach with VFL teamPort Melbourne.

Bibliography

• Cullen, Barbara (2015).Harder than Football.The Slattery Media Group.ISBN9780992379148.

External links

• Bernie Quinlan's playing statisticsfrom AFL Tables
• Bernie Quinlanat AustralianFootball.com
• AFL Hall of Fame – Players
• Hall of Fame Inductee: Bernie QuinlanonYouTube