Gavin Wanganeen
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Gavin Wanganeen (born 16 June 1973) is one of the most talented Australian Rules footballers of the last decade. Wanganeen began his career aged 16 with South Australian National Football League (SANFL) side Port Adelaide, winning the SANFL rookie of the year and in doing so, ganied the attention of Australian Football League (AFL) side Essendon. Wanganeen debuted for Essendon in 1991, inmmediately finding a niche as an attacking defender. His quality was recognised in 1993 when he won the Brownlow Medal, the award for the best and fairest player in Australia, as well as being a key factor in Essendon's premiership win the same year. In 2002, he was voted the 19th best Essendon player of all time in the "Champions of Essendon" list.
Wanganeen returned to Port Adelaide in 1997 to captain the newly created Port Adelaide AFL side but injuries conspired to ensure that his impact was less than hoped. It was not until he relinquished the Port Adelaide captaincy at the end of the 1999 season that his form returned and he finished the 2003 season as a favourite to once again win the Brownlow (he was to finish fourth).
Wanganeen was the first Aboriginal Australian to win the Brownlow.