Gordon Fode


Gordon Fode is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League.

Early life

Fode was a exceptional talented young athlete in several sports. Went to Brighton East. Represented State level & national in Athletics, Tennis, Soccer, & Snow Skiing. Fode, as a junior played for from the age of 5 until 13, and was Captain for 7 years, during this time played against his formidable team mate, who went on to play for national Australian Socceroos with 29 Caps, Hall of Fame player for from .
Fode, also played tennis as junior, Victorian Circuit, and was coached for small
period by Australian former tennis great champion Fred
Stolle at and in 1985, was Club U15 Junior Champion at . When he turned 14,Fode was asked to trial to play first time VFL/AFL for in Cheltenham. Fode only played 8 games in 1985 SMJFL, from 16 rounds, and won Best & Fairest in League, with only 8 games played. Later in 1986, Fode was asked to join development squad at Moorabbin . Recruiting Officer John Beverage, asked him to come down to trial, he was selected in U15 Nepean Development Squad with teammate Robert Harvey, Brett Bowey, Brad Pearce, Jason Daniels, who all went on to join U19 Squad Team, with, the great, Shane Warne.

VFL/AFL career

St Kilda (1988–1995)

Arrived as a young athlete aged 14, never played the game prior & was placed into development U15 Academy Squad with Robert Harvey, Brett Bowey, Jason Daniels, by recruitment manager John Beveridge. Alongside Fode, Harvey, Bowey, Daniels all managed to play U19 games & Reserves in that same year, as 15 year olds, which St.Kilda [Football Club

Hawthorn (1996)

After 1995, he left St Kilda, and joined Hawthorn drafted Fode with 5th selection in the 1996 Pre-season draft. Fode played alongside former greats, & premiership players, Dunstall, Langford, Collins, Pritchard, Jenke, Dear, Hudson, Crawford, Holland, Dixon, Scott and Harford, during 1996 AFL Centenary year, pre-season night Cup. Fode played all reserves games in '96 season averaging a goal per every game, and only managed a few senior AFL pre-season games, but never debut senior game for .
Fode retired young, aged 27, from the VFL/AFL at the end of the 1996 AFL season and went back to playing soccer, scoring goals as a striker & playing for now days, . In 1997, Fode was called up to trial out for the NSL league Melbourne Knights Football Club alongside former Croatian international forward striker . But later, Fode was overlooked for a contract with the Melbourne Knights.

Career highlights

Athletics:
  • U-15 Victorian State Schoolboys Champion Long Jump 1985 Olympic Park
  • U15 Victorian State Schoolboys 110m Hurdles 1985 2nd in Final, against former Australian Olympic champion .
  • U15 Victorian State Schoolboys 400m 1985 2nd in Final against, former Australian Olympic champion .
Tennis:
  • U-15 Club Tennis Champion 1985 Brighton
Soccer:
  • U7-U13 Sandringham Junior Soccer Club Victorian Football - Top goal scorer, Best & Fairest, and Coaches Award.
VFL/AFL Football:
  • U-15 Victorian State Schoolboys Squad Team 1986
  • U-17 Victorian Teal Cup Squad Team 1987
  • All Australian U-17 Squad Team 1988

Personal life

Fode's father, Marko Fode born in Croatia 1942, Korcula, Town called Blato. Former champion goalkeeper in NSL League . Currently holds National Soccer League/A-League Men club record for the most consecutive clean sheets between Rnd.8 and Rnd.18. Marko Fode career as went onto to play for two Australian NSL championship Football clubs. Footscray J.U.S.T FC 1968 - 1969 Victorian State League Cup Champions who were coached by former great Australian Socceroos Coach Rale Rasic. Then went onto South Melbourne Hellas FC having then six great seasons from 1971 to 1974 and 1975/76.
Played Approx,100 NSL League games for South Melbourne Hellas FC. Premierships in 1972 & 1974 VSL State Championship Cup winners, and 4 x times Dockerty Cup Champions league titles. Played against & alongside some of his best former teammates who went on to play for Australia Socceroos: Billy Vojtek, Jimmy Armstrong, John Bedford, Frank Micic, Branko Buljevic.
Marko Fode was inducted into South Melbourne Hellas FC Hall of Fame selected squad of players, and representative Victoria State team on numerous occasions between 1964 - 1975, as a goalkeeper, playing against South Australia 1964, and 1965 against Moscow Torpedo at Olympic Park, in front of 25000 people.
Fode's mother, Georgina Fode, was born in Croatia 1946, town called Slavonski brod, later moved to Zagreb, and went to Zagreb University School. Victorian State School champion swimmer, freestyle, backstroke, & diving. Coached by the great former Brownlow Medalist & 1966 Premiership player for St. Kilda FC, Neil Roberts, at Northcote High school days.