James Morrissey (born 4 October 1964) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who represented in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...

(AFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. He was nicknamed 'The Freak' by his teammates for his ability to kick amazing goals. Morrissey debuted for Hawthorn during the latter part of the

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

season but did not play another senior game until

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

. He was a member of three Premiership sides in his nine seasons at the

Hawks Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily a ...

. Morrissey managed to kick a goal in all three grand finals he played in. Morrissey was initially used as an interchange player that when on the ground would roam the wing and half forward line. He had the ability to do things on the ground that other players just couldn't believe, hence the nick-name of 'The Freak'. In 1991 he was moved to the backline and he proved to be an effective defender. He kept forward Chris Lewis quiet in the 1991 Grand Final and was among Hawthorn's best that day. His form dropped away in 1993 and was delisted at the end of that year. Morrissey was a school teacher by profession and also created an AFL board game that was sold commercially.

External links

* Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia) 1964 births Living people Hawthorn Football Club players Hawthorn Football Club Premiership players Old Xaverians Football Club players Three-time VFL/AFL Premiership players {{AFL-bio-1960s-stub