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HallOfFame

Graham Eadie

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Player Bio

Inducted:
2008
Date of Birth:
25 November 1953
Birthplace:
Lidcombe, NSW
Nickname:
Wombat
Debut Team:
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Date:
27 February 1971
Opposition:
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Venue:
Redfern Oval, Sydney
Representative:
City, New South Wales, Australia
Clubs:
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Halifax

Career

Milestones

  • Premierships: 1972-73, 1976, 1978
  • Grand Final man of the match*: 1976, 1978
  • Kangaroo Tours: 1973, 1978
  • Challenge Cup: 1987
  • Lance Todd Trophy: 1987
  • Rothmans Medal: 1974
  • Dally M Fullback of the Year: 1983
  • Rated No. 36 in Rugby League Week’s Top 100 players: 1992

Playing

First Class Games
424
Points
2569
Tries
144

Biography

Graham Eadie, Australia's Test fullback after Graeme Langlands, played 237 first-grade games for Manly, and 12 Tests and eight World Series matches for Australia. He played his first Test on his first Kangaroo tour, in the second Test of 1973, when captain-coach Langlands was out injured, performing superbly and kicking five goals to help Australia to a 14–6 win that squared the series. He was again the fullback for the third Test at Warrington, which the Kangaroos won 15–5.

Eadie played one Test against Great Britain at home in 1974, the same year he won the Rothmans Medal, and when the great Langlands retired from representative football the following year, the Sea Eagles fullback was a natural to take over. He remained first choice until 1979, starring in Australia's Ashes victories in 1978 and 1979.

Eadie was a massive contributor to Manly's impressive performances during the 1970s, being the leading scorer in the premiership in 1974, 1975 and 1976. He won four premierships between 1972 and 1978, appeared in the inaugural State of Origin match in 1980, and retired from Sydney football in 1983.

Still to come, though, was a remarkable comeback when he successfully linked up with Halifax in the English League. In 1987, he became the second Australian (after Brett Kenny) to win the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match in the Challenge Cup final.

“The greenhorn kid who came down to join Manly from Woy Woy in 1971 and stayed 13 seasons and imprinted his name among the ‘greats’." 

Ian Heads Rugby League Week

77. Graeme Eadie - Hall of Fame

Career Stats

Club Career

Club
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Premierships 1971 1983 237 71 847 3 1,917
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Official Pre-Season 1971 1983 39 8 95 - 214
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles Mid-Week Premierships 1974 1983 15 5 36 - 89
Halifax England First Class Games 1986 1989 74 29 24 - 164

Representative Career

City - Country

City - Country
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
City Firsts Country Firsts
1974
1976
1979
1983
1974
1977
1980
1983
6 9 11 - 49

State

State
Team Name Competition Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
New South Wales State of Origin Queensland 1980 1980 1 - - - -
New South Wales Interstate Series Queensland 1974 1980 13 3 13 - 35
New South Wales Touring Teams 1977 1977 1 - - - -

International

International
Team Name Competition Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
Australia Tests and World Cup
1973
1977
1975
1979
20 7 12 - 45
Australia Tour Matches
1973
1975
1978
1973
1975
1978
16 11 4 - 41

Other Representative

Other Representative
Team Name Opponent Year Start Year End Played Tries Goals Field Goals Points
NSW Colts Queensland 1972 1972 1 1 2 - 7
Kangaroos The Rest 1974 1974 1 - 4 - 8

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Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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