We have found records of 19 of our boys playing at least one match of AFL Football.

The Nolan brothers (Clarrie, Jack and Leo) are the only players we can find prior to the 1960s. We think there must be more. Michael “Juice” Newton (2005-2011) is the most recent.

Steve Johnson is our most well known and decorated – 293 games, 516 goals  3x Premierships, 1x Norm Smith Medal, 3x All-Australian, 2-time leading goalkicker, 3rd in a Brownlow Medal. He could easily have been awarded a 2nd Norm Smith in 2011. Many would pick him in their AFL Team Of 2000-2025.

We have had 3 other 100-gamers – Alan Jarrott (170), Darren Steele (137) and Mark Porter (110).

Brian Kekovich was twice Leading Goalkicker (1967, 1968) for Carlton and kicked 4 goals (and 4 behinds) in the 1968 Grand Final, making him our only other Premiership Player. Injury cut his career to just 2 seasons, but he must have been some talent.

Clarrie Nolan was also a Leading Goalkicker for North Melbourne. Michael “Juice” Newton won AFL Mark Of The Year, and Karl Norman was a Rising Star nominee.

We will soon announce an All Time Team of these AFL players, complete with a positional line-up. We are still trying to uncover them all, so nobody is left tout.

We will also release a Team Of The 2000s, consisting of players that played at either AFL or State League level (VFL, SANFL, WAFL) and attended W.H.S from 2000 onwards.

Of note is the “Early 2000s Golden Era” between 2001 and 2005, where 6 of our boys debuted in the AFL in the space of those 5 years. In the 18 years since, we haven’t had another. In fact, only 3 Wangaratta boys have made it since.