Rod Waddell facts for kids

Rod Waddell was born on May 23, 1957. He is a former Australian rules footballer. He played for two big teams, Carlton and Geelong. These teams were part of the Victorian Football League (VFL). The VFL was the top football league in Victoria, Australia, before it became the AFL.

Rod Waddell's Football Journey

Rod Waddell started his football career playing for the Lalor Football Club. This club was in a local league called the Diamond Valley Football League. He was a talented player known for his speed.

Joining the VFL

In 1981, Rod Waddell was chosen to play in the VFL. This was a big step up for him. There was a rule called "zoning" back then. This rule meant that players from certain local areas had to play for a specific VFL team.

At first, there was a mix-up. Rod was mistakenly thought to be in the zone for another team, Collingwood. He even played some games for their reserve team. But it turned out Lalor, his old club, was not in Collingwood's zone. Lalor was actually in Carlton's zone. Because of this mistake, Collingwood's reserve team lost some points they had earned.

Playing for Carlton

Once the zoning mistake was fixed, Rod Waddell joined the Carlton Blues. He was known for being very fast on the field. In late 1981, he played three senior games for Carlton. He then played two more games in 1982.

Time at Geelong

Later in the 1982 season, Rod Waddell moved to the Geelong Cats. He played 20 more senior games for Geelong between 1982 and 1984. Even though he played many games, he found it hard to keep a regular spot in the team. He finished his VFL career in 1984.

Family Connections

Rod Waddell comes from a family of talented footballers. He is the uncle of three well-known players: Daniel Motlop, Shannon Motlop, and Steven Motlop. They all went on to have successful careers in the AFL.