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Toby Jason McGrath (born 11 October 1980) is an Australian rules footballer who played for South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WAFL). He was rookie-listed with both the West Coast Eagles and Essendon in the Australian Football League (AFL), but did not play a game for either club.

Early career

McGrath was born in Northam, Western Australia. He has three brothers: Bradley, Cory and Ashley McGrath. Cory and Ashley both played in the AFL, for Carlton and the Brisbane Lions respectively. McGrath played junior football in Katanning before being recruited to South Fremantle in the WAFL, where he made his debut in 1994.

AFL career

McGrath had a brief taste of the professional Australian Football League, when he was recruited from South Fremantle to the West Coast Eagles’ rookie list. He was delisted after spending a year on their list without playing a game. He was then given another chance by the Essendon Football Club in 2002 & 2003, where he played with his brother Cory, although again did not manage to make his senior debut.

Later WAFL career

He won the South Fremantle Football Club's Best & Fairest Award in 2004 and in 2005 he won both the Sandover, the WAFL’s prestigious best player award and Simpson Medal for the Best player in the Grand Final and was a member of South Fremantle’s premiership winning side. He represented WA on six occasions in 2000, 2004 and 2005, and was captain of the 2008 WA side that defeated Queensland in Townsville, 2009 and 2010.

In 2008 he was appointed captain of South Fremantle and played his 150th game for the Bulldogs while also winning his second Best & Fairest award. In 2009, he played in his fifth WAFL Grand Final and captained South Fremantle to the WAFL premiership, his second after being a member of the 2005 team. He played his 200th game for South Fremantle in the final round of the 2010 season. In 2011 Toby McGrath was named in South Fremantle’s Indigenous Team of The Century and he in 2012 was included in the WAFL’s Best 25 players of the Last 25 Years.

McGrath is employed as a fireman with the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia. He has three brothers, Cory and Ashley who have both played in the AFL and Bradley. Marty McGrath and Dion Woods, who played for Richmond and Fremantle respectively, are both cousins.

References

1. Riding The Bumps - McGrath hits 150;2008-04-16
2. Clarke, Tim (20 September 2009) Losing a thing of the past for McGrath Archived 22 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
3. Clarke, Tim (20 September 2009) Bulldogs tame the Lions in style Archived 11 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
4. Bulldog McGrath’s 200th won’t be his last hurrah
5. McGrath captains his way to 150 Archived 13 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine (16 April 2008)
6. Cory McGrath profile at Essendon Archived 12 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• WAFL playing statistics

• 1980 births
• Australian rules footballers from Western Australia
• Bendigo Football Club players
• Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football
• Living people
• People from Northam, Western Australia
• Sandover Medal winners
• South Fremantle Football Club players