Bruce Abernethy

Infobox afl player


firstname = Bruce
lastname = Abernethy


| birthdate = Birth date and age|1962|5|10|df=y
birthplace = Tasmania
originalteam = Port Adelaide (SANFL)
dead = alive
deathdate =
deathplace =
debutdate = 1982
debutteam = North Melbourne
debutopponent = Richmond
debutstadium = MCG
playingteams = North Melbourne (1982-83)

43 Games, 21 Goals

Collingwood (1984-86)

58 Games, 16 Goals

Adelaide (1991-92)

11 Games, 2 Goals
coach = notcoach
coachingteams =
statsend = 2005
careerhighlights =

Bruce Abernethy (born 10 May 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer in the SANFL, VFL/AFL and current media personality.

Football career

Nicknamed "ABBA", Abernethy debuted for Port Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League as a 16 year old in 1978 and quickly made his mark as a running player of the highest calibre. Abernathy played in a premiership in 1979.

Abernethy made his VFL debut in 1982 with North Melbourne and played 43 games in 2 seasons before being traded to Collingwood where he spent most of his career. After 58 games with the Pies, and bringing up his 100th VFL/AFL game, he returned to Port Adelaide in 1985 instead of continuing on with a VFL/AFL career. His club Best and Fairest win in 1987 and his key role in the Magpies trifecta of premierships from 1988 to 1990, including a Jack Oatey Medal winning performance in the 1988 Grand Final, ensured that recruiting scouts continued to entice him to return to the VFL. He re-joined the league in 1991 with the Adelaide Crows in their inaugural season.

Health problems led to his early retirement after 190 games and 115 goals with Port Adelaide, 43 games and 21 goals with North Melbourne, 58 games and 16 goals with Collingwood and 11 games and two goals with Adelaide.

Post-football career

After his football career, Abernathy became a boundary rider for the Seven Network's AFL coverage in Adelaide. Bruce became main sports presenter at 7 in the early 1990s and presents the sport report on Seven News on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and on weekends to maximise his coverage of weekend AFL. Bruce also acted as a presenter during Seven's coverage of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

See also

*1990 SANFL Grand Final
*1992 SANFL Grand Final