Ted Fidge (born 7 June 1963) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

Ted Fidge
Personal information
Full name Ted Fidge
Date of birth (1963-06-07) 7 June 1963 (age 61)
Original team(s) St Peter's, East Bentleigh
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 81 kg (179 lb)
Position(s) Forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1982–1988 Melbourne 42 (61)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1988.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Fidge, recruited from St Peter's, started his VFL career in 1982, playing nine games for the season.[1] A forward, Fidge made another nine appearances in 1983 but did not feature at all in the 1984 season; however, he was a member of the Melbourne Reserves premiership team.[1][2] He kicked 27 goals for Melbourne in 1985, from 15 games, which saw him finish second in their goalkicking.[1] In 1986, he played eight games and missed an entire season again in 1987.[1] He made only one appearance in 1988, but it was memorable, as he was reported for striking Collingwood player Darren Millane, for which he got a six-week suspension.[3] It would be Fidge's last game for Melbourne, as he was delisted at the end of the season after undergoing a groin operation.[4]

He captain-coached Sale in the 1989 and 1990 Latrobe Valley Football League seasons.[5] The club finished third both times.[5]

His younger brother John Fidge also played for Melbourne.[6]

In 2023, aged 60, Fidge told A Current Affair that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) as a result of his football career, mentioning that medical costs had wiped out his superannuation and that his wife was his full-time carer despite also having a job; they criticised the AFL's lack of support, and Fidge says he will donate his brain to science.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d AFL Tables: Ted Fidge
  2. ^ "Ted Fidge". Demon Wiki.
  3. ^ Canberra Times, "Brereton out for 6 matches", 7 June 1988, p. 21
  4. ^ Linnell, Garry; Connolly, Rohan (27 October 1988). "Eagles keen to get Bulldog Royal". The Age. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Coaches". Sale Football Club.
  6. ^ Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785.
  7. ^ "'It's not fair': Former player pleads for AFL support in CTE battle". 9now.nine.com.au. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  8. ^ Former footballer pleads for AFL support in CTE battle | A Current Affair, retrieved 21 December 2023