Tony McGuinness

Biography

AFC Debut Number: 2                 AFC Debut Game:  Round 1 v Hawthorn, 1991

AFC Career Guernsey Number: 11

Tony McGuinness had forged an impressive career with Footscray in the VFL/AFL prior to Adelaide’s arrival, and his return to SA was a boost for the inaugural roster.

The rover debuted for Glenelg as a 17-year-old in 1981 and in just his second season he won their best-and-fairest and the SANFL’s Magarey Medal. His 112-game career with the Tigers ended in 1985 with a premiership, before he moved to Footscray in Melbourne. After 109 games with them he had one best-and-fairest to his name plus three All Australian selections. Despite this, the birth of Adelaide proved impossible to resist and McGuinness returned to SA at the end of 1990, keen to be involved in the new club from day one.

He kicked the Club’s first goal in a premiership game and that fast start set the tone for a terrific career. During his Adelaide career McGuinness was a Club Champion, two-time All Australian, and three-time Club Champion runner-up. After four years as a vice-captain he took over from Chris McDermott as captain in 1995, leading the side until the end of his 113-game AFL career in 1996. McGuinness returned to coach Glenelg from 1998-200 and later worked as an assistant coach with Port Power. His was a obvious selection in the AFC Team of the Decade 1991-2000

In 2021 he was selected as rover in Adelaide’s “Best 22 of 30 Years”.