FOULDS, Garry

A superb clubman, Garry "Vault" Foulds is one of only five men to play 300 games for the Club. He went about his football at Essendon with a minimum of fuss.

In 1977, he won the J. Clarke Medal as the EDFL Under 15 Grade 2 Best and Fairest Player while at West Essendon. Later in his career, he played with four other St Bernard's boys (David Johnston, Simon Madden, Paul Hamilton, Gavin Keane) twice in 1988 (Round 9 v Brisbane Bears, and Round 10 v Sydney).

His potential was spotted by then captain-coach, Des Tuddenham, who invited him to train with the Club. He spent two years in the Under 19s and Reserves before making his debut against Fitzroy in Round 8, 1974.

Foulds came to Essendon as a half-forward flanker and by the end of his time at Windy Hill there was hardly a position that he had not played, although he was at his best on the wing or across the half-back flank.

He debuted in 1974 and in 1978 won the Club's Most Improved Player award, an honour he won again in 1978. He played mostly in the backline but in one game at full-forward in 1981 he kicked seven goals in a narrow four point loss to Richmond.

Foulds' straight ahead play, coolness in a crisis and superb long kicking, was a feature of his game. He was equal runner-up in the Best and Fairest award in 1981 and third in the award in 1979.

Foulds was on the wing in the 1984 premiership team and on the half-back flank in the 1985 premiership win. He was also on the wing in the 1981 night premiership side.

He was equal second top Essendon vote scorer in the Brownlow Medal in 1979.

Foulds played for Victoria in 1979 and 1985, and in 1985 he was selected in the All-Australian team.

He was also selected on the half-back flank in The Sun all star team in 1979 and as an interchange in the 1985 side, and on the wing in The Truth Cazaly Team of the Year in 1981. He was on the wing in the Inside Football Team of the Year in 1981.

He was remarkably consistent and played every game in six seasons and missed only one game in two more. As a result, only Dick Reynolds, Tim Watson, Simon Madden and Dustin Fletcher have played more than his 300 games.

Garry Foulds was named at number 53 in the Champions of Essendon (2002) and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. He was awarded VFL Life membership in 1989.