Fabian Francis facts for kids

Fabian Francis (born 24 October 1973) is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He is best known for his time playing with the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He also played a bit of rugby league.

Early Life and Sports Beginnings

Fabian Francis was born in Darwin, Northern Territory. His family has Torres Strait Islander heritage. Growing up, he loved playing both rugby league and Australian rules football.

In 1992, Fabian was part of the Litchfield Rugby League Club's winning team. He then decided to focus on Australian rules football. He started playing for the Southern Districts Football Club in the Northern Territory Football League.

Later in 1992, Fabian moved to Adelaide. He joined the Port Adelaide team in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Even though he didn't play a senior game for Port Adelaide in the SANFL right away, he impressed the Melbourne team. They chose him to join their AFL squad.

Fabian's AFL Journey

Starting in the AFL

Fabian Francis made his debut in the Australian Football League (AFL) with the Melbourne Football Club in 1991. However, he didn't enjoy living in Melbourne very much. After just one season, he decided to go back to Darwin. There, he played rugby league again for a short time.

Playing for Brisbane and Port Adelaide

The coach of the Brisbane Bears, Robert Walls, convinced Fabian to return to Australian rules football. Fabian played for Brisbane from 1994 to 1995. During the off-season, he continued to play rugby league in Darwin. He even played for the Northern Territory team in a special cup in 1995.

In 1996, Fabian returned to the Port Adelaide SANFL team. He was a key player in their team that won the 1996 SANFL Grand Final. He also came in second place for the Magarey Medal, which is a big award in the SANFL.

Joining Port Adelaide's AFL Team

Fabian was then chosen to be one of the first players for Port Adelaide's new AFL team in 1997. He quickly became a fan favorite at Port Adelaide. Supporters voted him their favorite player in both 1999 and 2000.

Challenges and Moving On

After the 2001 AFL season, Fabian left Port Adelaide. The Fremantle Dockers were interested in drafting him for the 2002 season. Fabian moved to Perth with his family and started training with the Dockers.

However, a problem came up with the AFL's rules about player payments. This meant Fremantle couldn't pick Fabian in the draft. Fremantle then made a deal with Fabian. He would play for South Fremantle in the WAFL for the 2002 season. The plan was for Fremantle to draft him later that year.

Injury and Retirement

Sadly, during the 2002 season, Fabian suffered a serious knee injury while playing for South Fremantle. This injury meant he could not play senior football again. He was not drafted by Fremantle later that year. He did stay involved with the club for a while, working as a runner on the field.

Life After AFL

After his professional football career, Fabian Francis has worked to help people. He has helped Indigenous Australians who are unemployed find jobs. He did this work in places like Darwin and Alice Springs.

Family Life

Fabian Francis has children. He later married Trish Gully. In 2021, his step-son, Jason Horne-Francis, who is Trish's son from a previous marriage, was chosen as the very first pick in the 2021 AFL draft. This was a huge achievement for Jason and his family.

See also

• 1996 SANFL Grand Final