A two-time Brownlow medalist and member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, Chris Judd is one of the most decorated players in the history of the game. After playing juniors with East Sandy, Chris soon made his way to the Sandringham Dragons and the AIS AFL Academy. Selected by West Coast with pick 3 in the 2001 draft, he exploded onto the AFL scene in 2002 and was award the AFLPA Best First-Year Player. Over a 279 game career, he become a six-time All Australian, including one as captain, and a five-time club champion – two at West Coast and three at Carlton (where he moved to in 2008). In 2022, he was made a member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Chris’ reflections on his time playing for Sandringham East Junior Football Club:

I was walking across Thomas St Park with my Dad on our way to sign up with Hampton Rovers and we just happened to run into a friend of my Dad who insisted that we join East Sandy instead. The next week I was signed up as a Zebbie! My earliest memory is of my very first game playing U9’s as a bottom ager. My Dad’s only advice was don’t go full back. Sure enough, I started at full back for the first quarter! There was a roaring wind so the ball didn’t come down that end and I didn’t get a touch. The next quarter I got moved to full forward which was now the end the wind was blowing against and so I still didn’t get a touch. It wasn’t until the last quarter that I got moved into the middle and this is where I stayed for most of my footy career. Even though we lost the game that day I was already hooked on footy! I can fondly remember all the different characters from those days. Alfy was our goal umpire and he always had a cigarette in his mouth and made some questionable decisions when the game was on the line. I had a lot of great coaches in my time and they all had their different quirks too. One particularly influential coach was Michael Mitchell. I had him for a few years and he had a big impact on my footy development at an age where I was starting to understand the nuances of the game. My advice to young players is to just enjoy your footy. So many young kids put so much pressure on themselves and play their junior footy constantly thinking about their dreams for the future instead of enjoying what’s right in front of their eyes.

Jobe Watson - Essendon

Career Games: 220

Career Goals: 113

Honours: 2 x All-Australian, 3 x Crichton Medals, 7 year captain, AFLPA best captain award, and earned a Brownlow

Jobe is literally a 191cm son of a gun; the son of three-time Essendon premiership champion Tim Watson. Drafted by Essendon under the father–son rule in the 2002 national draft, Jobe's career started slowly when initially touted as a key forward; this proved difficult alongside legends like Matthew Lloyd and Scott Lucas. When it was realised he had some of the sharpest hands in the business, Jobe worked hard on his fitness and transitioned to the midfield. Here he would become an extraction machine and one of the best midfielders of the modern era. Whilst team success may have unfortunately alluded Jobe, he led his team with pride, achieved much individual success, and is much loved by the Essendon faithful. Over his career Jobe would poll an impressive 113 Brownlow votes.

Brett O’Farrell – Sydney and Hawthorn AFL

After making his debut in 1998, former East Sandy junior Brett O’Farrell went on to play 21 AFL games with Sydney and Hawthorn across four seasons. O’Farrell was taken at pick 14 in the 1996 AFL draft after playing under 18’s TAC Cup with the Dragons. On debut for the Swans, O’Farrell joined an exclusive club when he scored a goal with his very first kick in AFL football. After playing in two finals that season, he was traded to Hawthorn but his time at the Hawks was cruelled by injuries. Post career, O’Farrell stayed involved in football working in development and pathways in regional areas.   

Brett’s reflections on his time playing for Sandringham East Junior Football Club:

I joined East Sandringham at the under 10 level and just loved it straight away. Our back fence was connected to the East Sandringham oval and so I’d just climb the fence and be at training. I remember an under 11 camp we had for a lightning premiership in Swan Hill which was great fun. And also winning the under 11 grand final when we played on the Moorabbin oval (the home of the Saints) was also great. I made mates for life at East Sandy and I still talk to them every day. In terms of coaches, I can’t go past the brilliant John “Ghost” Williams – he was an amazing football mind. My advice to the young Zebbies playing today is to have fun, listen and make your coaches life easy.

Ted Richards – Essendon and Sydney

Across a career spanning 261 games, Ted Richards had a reputation as one of the most likable players in the game. After spending his junior days with East Sandy, Ted progressed to Xavier and Sandringham Dragons. He was selected by Essendon with pick 27 in the 2000 National Draft. After making his debut in 2002, Ted played four seasons with the Bombers before a trade to Sydney. At the Swans quickly emerged as one of the competition’s elite defenders. Perhaps his most memorable season was 2012, when he played in a Swans premiership, was selected as an All Australian and finished runner-up in the clubs best and fairest.

Ted’s reflections on his time playing for Sandringham East Junior Football Club:

I was a student at Sacred Heart Primary and one of my friends, Steven Seletto, said that his under 9s team at East Sandy needed extra numbers and asked if I would like to join. I gave it a go and was immediately hooked! My earliest memories include making new friends, getting a number on my jumper, playing games on cold winter mornings, getting covered in mud, kicking goals, singing the song after the game and the anticipation of who would win the pie award after the game. But my fondest memory is the friendships I made. At the time we only had one team in each age group and kids came from 4 or 5 different local schools, but we were all mates and achieved success together. I was lucky in that my Dad (Jeff Richards) coached me for two seasons (under 10s and under 11s). We had a lot of fun together and the team achieved team won a premiership and finished runners up in those two years. When I retired from professional football at the age of 33, I reflected on my 25 year journey playing the game and it was these early years with Dad that were my happiest memories playing the game. My advice to youngsters is to have an open mind. As much as football is fun, the reality is you’ll be challenged at different times; whether you’re mixing with new friends, developing new skills or spending time on the bench. Going into these challenges with an open mind will hold you in good stead for when bigger challenges come later in life and you need to show resilience to handle them.

Jack Watts - Melbourne and Port Adelaide

Career Games: 174

Career Goals: 161

Honours: 2008 #1 draft pick, U18 Carnival Larke Medalist

Standing at 1.96 metres (6 ft 5 in) tall and weighing 93 kilograms (205 lb), Watts was considered the ulimate utility. His height and athleticism provided the ability to play in almost any position on the ground. Jack would go on to play 152 games for Melbourne over 9 seasons before moving to Port Adelaide where played another 21 games.

Not only was Jack a great footballer, he was also an elite junior basketballer who represented both Victoria and Australia.

Max King – St.Kilda

Max King is one of the most exciting tall forwards in the AFL today. Standing at more than two metres tall, he forms a crucial part of the young and emerging Saints team. After playing at East Sandy, King joined the Sandringham Dragons where he was selected for Vic Metro as a bottom age player. Since being selected at pick 4 in the 2018 draft, King has established himself as the spearhead most likely to lead St Kilda back into premiership contention. Whilst injuries have limited his output in the past few seasons, King showed his full potential in 2022 when he kicked 52 goals. 

Max’s reflections on his time playing for East Sandringham Junior Football Club:

We did our Auskick at East Sandringham with lots of friends from school, and just lived around the corner, so it was a great club to start our junior footy. Our first coach was St Kilda legend Stewy Loewe in the under 9s. I always loved playing finals footy at Zebbies. I was lucky enough to win a premiership in under 14s – a muddy game we played at Cheltenham. In terms of coaches, both Ryan “Rock” Murphy and Tim Marshall were massive influences and really helped shape me as a footballer. Rock was a great motivator!! My message to the young Zebbies today is simple – enjoy your footy!! I’m still good mates with a lot of guys who I played with as a junior so make sure you have lots of fun and enjoy running around with your 

Ben King – Gold Coast

The sixth pick in the 2018 draft, Ben King has today one of the premier forwards in the AFL competition. After a junior career at East Sandy, King moved to Sandringham Dragons in TAC and was selected for Victoria Metro in his top age year. He was subsequently named the All-Australian full forward for his performances during the championships. Taken at pick 6 in the 2018 draft by Gold Coast, King has become the key target in a rapidly emerging Suns forward line. In 2024, he enjoyed his best season kicking 55 goals for the Suns – the second-best in a season by a Suns player. 

Ben’s reflections on his time playing for East Sandringham Junior Football Club:

Lots of our close friends from school were playing at Easy Sandy and it was 5 minutes from our house, so it was the obvious choice for us! My earliest memory was playing under 9s and then playing under 10s straight after. Then we would hang around watching the older boys and eat hot dogs. I really enjoyed playing in the Lightning Premiership which was a round robin they used to run. We played the whole finals series on the same day and it was great fun. Ryan “ Rock” Murphy was a really memorable and influential coach for a lot of us. He was tough but also great fun and taught us lots about football as well as life. My advice to the youngsters playing for the Zebbies today is have as much fun as you can. If you’re having fun with your mates, then you will get the most out of your football. My best memories are still playing junior footy so just try and soak it all in!

Tom Blamires - North Melbourne

 Career Games: Ongoing

Career Goals: Ongoing

Honours: 2025 VFL Rising Star

Tom is hard working footballer who was drafted by North Melbourne as a SSP selection in late February 2026 and incredibly debuted just over two later; talk about making an immediate impact and what a debut it was with 23 touches in a win. Tom played juniors at East Sandringham before progressing to teams including Brighton Grammar, Sandringham Dragons, Sandringham VFL and Frankston VFL where he won last years VFL rising star.

Josh Lai - Port Adelaide

Career Games: Ongoing

Career Goals: Ongoing

Josh is highly athletic 185cm outside midfielder/defender with exceptional arial capability. Born is Singapore and raised in China until 6 years old, Josh has a bit of a Cindarella story to his AFL journey. Unlike most draftees, Josh did not play any games in the state talent league or VFL prior to being drafted by Port Adelaide as a SSP selection in 2025.

Josh played juniors at East Sandringham along with his twin brother Sean who is also a very capable footballer at Richmond VFL. Josh also repesented Mentone Grammar in the AGSV and Cheltenham in the SFL; the latter from where he was drafted following 14 appearances that included a best on ground Grand Final performance.

In just three seasons of AFLW, Hawthorn’s Bridie Hipwell has emerged as a very talented and athletic small forward. Hipwell was renowned for her versatility and ball-winning ability whilst playing for the Sandringham Dragons in the NAB League. She was drafted at pick 10 in the 2022 draft, she has played 27 games in her first three seasons. With a reputation for her forward pressure, Hipwell had a breakout performance in the 2024 season with a 14 disposal and 2 goal game against the Giants. She has recently signed a contract extension with Hawthorn until 2027  

Bridie’s reflections on her time playing for Sandringham East Junior Football Club:

I started playing footy at the Zebbies because my older brother Darby played there and it was also my local team. My earliest memory was our very first win, which was also our first game ever. I just remember having so much fun and thinking why hadn’t I started playing footy years ago. But my fondest memory was when we won our first grand final. This was in our second year of playing. We ended up going back to back again the next year which was awesome. My first coach was actually my dad Greg. He had a big influence on my football career and encouraged me to start a team. He loved it as much as I did and put his hand up to coach us. He also has spent so much time working on my kicking with me and helping me improve my skills. The last coach I had at Zebbies was Sean Lynch. He was so passionate and really pushed me to be the best player I could be as I got older and was influential in me making the Sandy Dragons and other representative teams. My message to young Zebbie today is to keep having fun – you play your best footy when you’re enjoying it and have a smile on your face.

Matthew Dennis – Hawthorn

1997 pick 42

5 games, 0 goals

Scott Howell - Carlton

Career Games: 39

Career Goals: 12

Honours: 1981 Premiership

Scott was a versatile 193cm utility who would float between the ruck and key positions. Debuting for Carlton in the 1980 finals series, success would soon follow when he would play in Carlton's 1981 premiership thriller against Collingwood. This vistory created history as he was third generation of the Howells to taste premiership glory with Carlton (along with his father 'Chooka' Howell and grandfather Jack P. Howell).

After six years at the Blues, Scott returned to Sandringham where he join the Zebras in the VFA. Here he would play another 35 games and kick 28 goals.

Shane Grambeau, St Kilda and Melbourne, AFL

Shane Grambeau was recruited to St Kilda as an underage player from East Sandringham. He debuted as ruckman with the Saints in 1971 at just 18 years of age. After 51 games over five seasons at Moorabbin, including three finals, Shane was sent to Melbourne as part of an exchange for Carl Ditterich. He enjoyed the best form of his career playing as a defender with the Demons, and matched up against some of the star VFL players of the era including Peter Hudson, Kelvin Templeton, Bernie Quinlan and Phil Carman. Shane’s best season was 1977 when he finished runner up in the Demons best and fairest to the legendary Robbie Flower. Sadly, injuries brought an end to Shane’s VFL career in 1979.  

Shane’s reflections on his time playing for East Sandringham Junior Football Club:

I started at East Sandringham in under 13s. Reg Parker was my first coach and he came with a wealth of knowledge after a great career with Sandringham in the VFA. Stephen Rae (who played 75 AFL games for St Kilda and Richmond) was our captain and was probably one of the best junior footballers of his time. East Sandringham has always produced some very good players and it was a breeding ground for St Kilda in those days. We had a very good team that first year, but were the second best side behind Oakleigh. They beat us comfortably three times that season, including in the second semi-final, so we had some work to do if we were going to win the grand final. We started underdogs, but we played the game of our lives and went on to win the premiership. That’s still a great memory. In addition to Reg Parker, we were also coached in those years by former St Kilda player Ian Cooper and then Reg Rodgers – both men had a major influence on us too. A few seasons later, my time at East Sandringham was cut short during my first year of under 17’s. It was actually at half time of pre-season practice game – Stephen Rae and I were asked to come off by St Kilda scouts who then asked us to come up and play in the main practice game at Moorabbin with the Saints. Our next big step up was underway! My advice to the young players at East Sandringham today is to listen to your coach and your parents and always train hard, eat well, sleep well and be kind to yourself. There will always be good days and bad days in footy, so never give up, and if you get beaten one day, get up and go again the next. I wish good luck to everybody at East Sandringham and thank you for giving me my chance to play football.

Stephen Rae (St Kilda and Richmond)

Career games: 75

Career goals: 49 

Honours: Premiership 1973.

Stephen represented East Sandringham Juniors between 1964-67 before being scouted by St.Kilda. In 1968 he joined the St Kilda Thirds playing 16 games, kicking 13 Goals and winning the Best & Fairest. Stephen was a half-forward-flanker who played some very consistent football for St.Kilda and then later at Richmond. He was renowned for a good turn of speed, being very elusive and having plenty of courage. In 1973 fortune favoured Stephen when he crossed to Richmond and became a member of the 1973 Premiership side. Unfortunately a serious knee injury in the middle of the 1974 season cut a promising career short.

Dale Evans – St.Kilda

Dale was just 15 years of age when St Kilda recruiter Ken Walker invited him down to Moorabbin to join in pre-season training in 1976. And he was still only 17 when he made his senior debut against North Melbourne. He joined a St Kilda team that featured stars of the era including Trevor Barker, Barry Breen and Cowboy Neale. Standing tall at 191cm, Dale was a strong mark and played mostly in key position roles. In his three seasons with the Saints, he played 19 games and kicked 4 goals. After finishing up at St Kilda, he went on to play in the VFA with Camberwell.

Dale’s reflections on his time playing for East Sandringham Junior Football Club:

My first involvement at East Sandringham was actually as the boundary umpire for my brothers under 13 side way back in 1970. I didn’t start playing in the under 13s myself until the following year. I was so happy to be playing football and in my team was Scott Howell who would later go to Carlton under the father/son rule and become a member of their 1981 premiership side. I also played alongside John Favier who went on to play at St Kilda. In 1973, we played in a premiership together in the under 13s for coach Wally Bencraft. I had lots of other great coaches too, and all were influential in some way in helping to form my career – Roy Isles (u13’s), Norm Francis (u13’s) and John Solomon (u15s). The best part about playing for East Sandringham Boys Club, as it was known back then, was just the great mateship we all had. I can remember the old club rooms were just a weatherboard structure, but it was a fantastic family atmosphere around the place. My family were very entrenched in the club – Mum was president of the ladies auxiliary for a few years and Dad was either team manager or trainer or on the committee or taxi driver for the away games. Both my parents were later made life members of the club. My message to the young players at the club today is to be dedicated, listen to your coaches and learn from them.

John Evans - St Kilda

Career Games: 14

Career Goals: 10

Standing at 191cm, John was a versatile ruck/forward that represented St Kilda 14 times and booted 10 goals. Despite the short career at top level, John was noted for his aerial strength and competitiveness in contests.

Les Prodham - Essendon VFL

Career games: 1

Career goals: 0

Honours: Gardiner Medal in 1957

Pridham, a 168cm rover, made his way into the Essendon team from East Sandringham Boys Club. He started out in the thirds and won a Gardiner Medal in 1957 for his performances in the league seconds. That year he made his first and only senior appearance, playing in Essendon's 27-point loss to Richmond at Punt Road.

Norm Gordes - Hawthorn

Career Games: 20

Career Goals: 3

Norm was a 196cm ruckman who represented Hawthorn between 1965 to 1967. 

Max Nowlan - St Kilda

Career Games: 8

Career Goals: 1

Honours: Captained St Kilda Reserves premiership in 1961 and under-19s premiership side in 1957.

Playing as a 183cm back pocket, Max represented the Saints in the 1959 and 1962 seasons. He played in an era where St Kilda had strong depth in their defensive stocks and struggled for regular opportunity.

Brian Sampson - Essendon

Career Games: 100

Career Goals: 45

Honours: 1962 & 1965 Premierships

Brian was a 192cm top class ruckman who was strong in the air. He joined Essendon from East Sandringham Juniors in 1958 and had an injury-interrupted career with many knee issues. Despite the setbacks he still managed 100 games for Essendon between 1959 to 1966. 

Following his time in Essendon, Brian headed to Perth where he played 49 games for West Perth in the WAFL.

Career Games: 1

Career Goals: 0

Ray was a 184cm that made his only VFL appearance against Fitzroy in 1969. He was the younger brother of Essendon's Brian Sampson.

Allan Davis - St Kilda, Melbourne, Essendon, Collingwood

Career Games: 250

Career Goals: 372

Honours: 1966 Premiership, St Kilda leading goal kicker 1971 & 1973

He played as a forward and topped the club's goalkicking charts in 1971 and 1973.

Allan was the youngest member of St Kilda 1966 premiership win where he played as a  a small forward (180cm). He would go on to play 173 games for the Saints and kick 303 goals before leaving in 1976. Further stints with Melbourne (41 games for 36 goals), Essendon (33 games for 27 goals) and Collingwood (3 games for 1 goal) would follow. The final stint at VFL level was actually coaching St.Kilda in four games in 1980 as a caretaker coach.

Russell Davies - St.Kilda

Career Games: 9

Career Goals: 4

Russell was a 175cm forward who represented the Saints 9 times in 1973. After the Saints, Russell played many years at Port Melbourne in the VAFA where he had much success with multiple flags.

Peter R Bell - St.Kilda

Career Games: 33

Career Goals: 33

Peter represented the Saints from 1973 to 1977 where he was a 188cm half-forward flanker with a reliable mark. He debuted in 1973 and ended his VFL career with 33 games where he booted 33 goals. After the Saints he returned to the familiar Zebra stripes and joined Sandringham in the VFA in 1978.

Brian Faulkhead - South Melbourne

Career Games: 1

Career Goals: 0

Brian played his only game for the Bloods in Round 7 1957 against North Melbourne.

Allan Harper - St.Kilda

Career Games: 9

Career Golas: 0

The 183cm verstile defender represented the Saints 9 times across the 1973 and 1974 seasons. Following the Saints, Allan would represent Dandenong and Frankton in the VFA with a combined 40 appears; including the famous 1976 Port Melbourne vs Dandenong Grand Final where he was front and centre in a massive dust up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5NLKco4Bds

John Manzie - St.Kilda

Career Games: 117

Career Goals: 51

Joining the Saints following their 1966 premiership, John would pave a great career as a winger in two stints from 1967-1968 and 1970-1975. This included 9 finals and a losing grand final in 1971.

John Favier - St.Kilda and Sydney Swans

Career Games: 28

Career Goals: 1

Playing as a 185cm half back flank, John played 26 games for St.Kilda between 1982-1984 before moving to Sydney in 1985. After a year in Sydney, John came back to Melbourne where he played with Frankston in the VFA. In 1987 he would finish 4th in the J.J. Liston Trophy.