Orazio Fantasia


Orazio Maurice Fantasia is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for, and in the Australian Football League.

AFL career

Fantasia graduated from Norwood Morialta High School in 2013. Fantasia played his junior football for the Payneham Norwood Union Football Club where his talent was identified by South Australian Hall of Famer Garry McIntosh who selected him in the club's senior side as a 15 year old. He made his senior debut for Norwood in the South Australian National Football League in 2013. In only his fourth game he was a member of their 2013 SANFL premiership side.

Essendon

Fantasia was drafted into the AFL by the Essendon Football Club with the 55th overall selection in the 2013 national draft.
He made his debut against in round 20, 2014 and was dropped for the following round but regained his spot in round 22 against the, replacing Dyson Heppell who missed the game due to a broken hand. In the final round of the 2015 season, he was rewarded with a nomination for the AFL Rising Star where he recorded 27 disposals and five marks in the Bombers' three-point victory over.
Fantasia received a second nomination for the Rising Star after his three goals, eleven disposals, seven contested possessions, and seven tackles in round 17, 2016.
In August 2018, Fantasia signed a three-year deal, keeping him at Essendon until the end of the 2021 season.
At the end of the 2020 AFL season, Fantasia requested a trade back home to South Australia, and was traded to Port Adelaide on the final day of the trade period.

Port Adelaide

Fantasia struggled with injuries and form during his time at Port Adelaide, and was delisted after the expiration of his three-year contract having managed only 19 matches for the club in his three years.

Carlton

Fantasia was thrown a lifeline by, signing a two-year contract as a Delisted Free Agent ahead of the 2024 AFL season.
Fantasia played 21 matches for Carlton over his two seasons, before being delisted at the end of the 2025 season.

Statistics

! colspan=3| Career
! 120
! 157
! 116
! 842
! 641
! 1483
! 388
! 316
! 1.3
! 1.0
! 7.0
! 5.3
! 12.4
! 3.2
! 2.6