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      Western Bulldogs
Footscray   Graeme Ion   Footscray

Number:

  17 Footscray

Western Bulldogs

Red white and Blue

Height:

   180

Weight:

   

Birthday:

   

Period on list:

  1958 to 1965

Senior Games:

  108

Goals:

  87

Disposals:

   

Recruited From:

  Footscray,
Honours:  

Grand Final 1961. State selection for Victoria in 1962. Captain for one match, when he was 20.
    Born in Queenstown Tasmania but grew up in West Footscray. Could read the play very well and was a great ball-handler and mark, with a fantastic leap. Initially played centre-half-forward but played mainly on the half forward flank but often took on full-forward. In the state match he got knocked unconscious but he got up to kick three goals.    

Footscray

        
Western Bulldogs   Was sometimes the feint for Ted Whitten or forward Gus Baxter.  He had great pace and would lead out and the back-men chase him while the ball was kicked over their head to a waiting Ted Whitten in goal.    
     He introduced the flick pass to the VFL after picking it up in the under 16's. The flick pass that was soon taken up by Ted Whitten as a signature pass.    
     Was also tough and gave as good as he got. His brother Barry Ion also played, although not as many games. They would be on opposite forward flanks.    
         
     Barry would occasionally pass to the fast leading Graham. "Brotherly Love" murmured the crowd. Barry went on to become a radio star in Adelaide.    
         
Click to return to Home page   One day against North Melbourne Noel Teasdale was giving him cheek, so that when Teasdale fell over Ion pushed his face into the mud.    
       
   He went to Deniliquen in NSW at only the age of 24 chasing the big bucks.