Brian Cunningham (footballer)
Brian 'Bucky' Cunningham (born 14 August 1952 in Adelaide, South Australia) is a former Australian Rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), playing for Port Adelaide (The Magpies). Cunningham was later CEO of Port Adelaide Football Club (The Power) in the AFL (Australian Football League).
| Brian Cunningham | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Nickname(s) | Bucky | ||
| Date of birth | 14 August 1952 | ||
| Place of birth | Adelaide, South Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | Rosewater | ||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 74Kg | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1971–1983 | Port Adelaide | 256 (428) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1983. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Source: AustralianFootball.com | |||
Making his league debut in 1971, Cunningham played as a rover and small forward throughout his career. In 1979 Cunningham was appointed captain of the Magpies, and captained the club until 1982. Port won 3 premierships in Cunningham's four years as captain. Cunningham retired at the end of the 1983 season, having played 256 games for Port (kicking 428 goals) and 6 games representing South Australia.
Cunningham was appointed CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the Port Adelaide Football Club in 1992 and was part of the club's successful bid to join the AFL. The Magpies maintained a team in the SANFL. Port Adelaide's first AFL season was 1997. Cunningham remained the Port Adelaide Football Club's CEO in the AFL until his retirement following The Power's first AFL premiership in 2004.
In 2005, Cunningham was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.
Between his playing and CEO days, Cunningham worked as a high-school teacher. He was appointed Chief Executive of the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science & Technology (DFEEST) in South Australia in 2005.
See also
References
- Football Times - 1984 Year Book