Travis Varcoe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Travis Varcoe |
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Varcoe playing for Collingwood in August 2018
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Travis Varcoe | ||
| Date of birth | 10 April 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | South Australia | ||
| Original team | Smithfield (SAAFL) Central District (SANFL) |
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| Draft | 15th overall, 2005 Geelong |
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| Position(s) | Utility | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Travis Varcoe, born on April 10, 1988, is a former Australian rules footballer. He played in the Australian Football League (AFL) for two major teams. From 2006 to 2014, he was with the Geelong Football Club. Later, from 2015 to 2020, he played for the Collingwood Football Club. After retiring as a player, Travis became an assistant coach for the Western Bulldogs. He also appeared on the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.
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Travis Varcoe's Football Journey
Travis Varcoe started his football career in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He played for the Central District Football Club in 2005 when he was just 17. An injury to his foot early in that season made it harder for him to impress talent scouts. However, the Geelong Football Club still chose him. They picked him as the 15th player overall in the 2005 National Draft.
Playing for Geelong
At Geelong, Travis Varcoe was given the special number five jersey. This jersey was previously worn by famous club players like Gary Ablett and Polly Farmer. Travis often played as a forward pocket, which is a position close to the goal. He could also play in the midfield when needed. People often compared his fast play and strong effort to another quick player, Aaron Davey. Travis was sometimes called "The Magician" because of his quick and clever handballs and tricky skills on the field.
Travis played a very important role for Geelong in the 2009 season. He helped his team win the Grand Final against the St Kilda Football Club. In that game, Travis made a crucial handball to Paul Chapman. This led to a great goal that gave Geelong a six-point lead. Soon after, his teammate Max Rooke scored another goal, securing Geelong's 12-point victory.
Before the 2010 AFL season, Travis had a very strong pre-season training. But then he got a thumb injury, which kept him out for the first few weeks. When he returned to the main team, he played so well that he finished ninth in Geelong's 2010 best and fairest award, called the Carji Greeves Medal.
In the 2011 AFL Grand Final, Travis kicked the very first goal of the game, just seconds after it started. He also kicked the second goal. But perhaps his most amazing goal was in the fourth quarter. He took a mark (caught the ball) in Geelong's defense, but was bumped, and the mark wasn't counted. Travis then ran forward with the play, got the ball back, and kicked a goal from a long distance. Geelong won that game by 38 points, and Travis earned his second premiership medal. By 2015, Travis had played 149 games and won 122 of them. He also reached 100 wins faster than any other player, doing it in his 113th game.
Time with Collingwood
On October 15, 2014, Travis Varcoe moved to the Collingwood Football Club. This was part of a trade deal involving three clubs: Collingwood, Geelong, and Melbourne. Even though some thought he was past his best at Geelong, Travis played some of his best football after joining Collingwood. Many people considered him one of the top new players of the 2015 season.
After Collingwood was knocked out of the 2020 AFL finals series, Travis announced that he was retiring from playing football.
Travis Varcoe's Life Outside Football
In August 2018, Travis Varcoe's sister, Maggie, sadly passed away. This happened after she was involved in a collision during a football game for her team, Angle Vale Football Club. Travis continued to play for Collingwood in the weeks after her death. He did this as a way to honor her memory. The special Indigenous jersey that Collingwood wore in 2019 was inspired by Maggie. Travis's sister-in-law designed it.
