{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Gary Odgers | image = | fullname = Gary W. Odgers | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|12|15|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | originalteam = Golden Point | height = 178 cm | weight = 75 kg | position = | statsend = 1987 | years1 = 1981–1987 | club1 = St Kilda | games_goals1 = 91 (28) | careerhighlights = }} '''Gary Odgers''' (born 15 December 1959) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
==St Kilda career== Odgers came to the VFL from Ballarat club Golden Point and was used in a variety of roles by St Kilda, but mostly as a defender.<ref>{{cite book|last=Holmesby|first=Russell|last2=Main|first2=Jim|title=The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers| publisher=BAS Publishing|year=2007|isbn=9781920910785}}</ref> He first broke into the side in 1981, playing five games that year.<ref name=AFLTables>[http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/G/Gary_Odgers.html AFL Tables: Gary Odgers]</ref> In 1982 he appeared in the first 17 rounds of the season, before losing his spot in the team with a shoulder injury.<ref name=AFLTables/><ref>''The Age'', [http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?id=2CRVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n5QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4532,3890490 "St Kilda"], 25 August 1982, p. 27</ref> Over the next four seasons he was a regular fixture in the St Kilda team and probably had his best year in 1985 when he got eight Brownlow Medal votes, the only time he ever featured in the count.<ref name=AFLTables/> His 1985 season ended in style when in the final round against Footscray he kicked a 60-metre torpedo goal to seal the win, having earlier given his side the lead.<ref name=Champagne>''The Age'', [http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?id=xU9VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NpUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6184,279857 "A champagne win for Saints"], 2 September 1985, p. 31</ref> It was St Kilda's only win at Moorabbin Oval that year.<ref name=Champagne/> He was promoted to vice captain in 1986 and played 19 games that season.<ref name=AFLTables/><ref>''The Age'', [http://www.news.google.com/newspapers?id=CO0xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gZIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4478,2945026 "Elphinstone is 'back home' with Saints"], 24 March 1986, p. 27</ref> He only made two more appearances for St Kilda, which came in the opening two rounds of the 1987 season, but played in the St Kilda reserves grand final team that year, which lost to Carlton at the MCG.<ref name=AFLTables/>
==Ballarat Football League== Odgers went home to Ballarat in 1988 and was an assistant coach at Golden Point for a year, before joining East Ballarat as senior coach.<ref name=SportingPulseRedland>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/club_info.cgi?c=1-109-34758-0-0&sID=56342&articleID=4886280&news_task=DETAIL| title=Gary Odgers takes over as Redland coach| publisher=SportingPulse}}</ref> In his five years coaching East Ballarat, they made the Ballarat Football League grand final four times, for three premierships, in 1989, 1990 and 1993.<ref name=SportingPulseRedland/> As a player, he won two best and fairests (1990, 1992).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/club_info.cgi?c=1-6145-80341-0-0&sID=130823| title=Senior Best and Fairest| publisher=SportingPulse}}</ref>
==Coaching in Queensland== Odgers, who moved to Queensland in 1995, was an assistant coach of the Mt Gravatt team that were premiers in 2002.<ref name=SportingPulseRedland/> He was senior coach in 2003, replacing Danny Craven, but resigned during the season for business and health reasons.<ref name=SportingPulseRedland/> In 2006 he took over from David Hart as Redland coach and held the job for two years.<ref name=SportingPulseRedland/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=1-4711-0-0-0&sID=56333&articleID=4885756&news_task=DETAIL| title=Odgers Steps Down at Redland| publisher=SportingPulse}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|1}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odgers, Gary}} Category:1959 births Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Category:St Kilda Football Club players Category:Golden Point Football Club players Category:East Ballarat Football Club players Category:Living people Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen