Nick Sautner
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| Nick Sautner | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | 19 July 1977 | ||
| Original team(s) | Springvale reserves | ||
| Height / weight | 186 cm | ||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
Nicholas 'Nick' Sautner (born 19 June 1977) is an Australian rules footballer, best known for his Victorian Football League (VFL) football career with the Sandringham Zebras. He has also spent time at Preston in 2003, and Frankston in 2001 and 2002.
Throughout his career, Sautner cemented a reputation as one of the VFL's most prolific goal-kickers. Through his career, he won the Jim 'Frosty' Miller Medal for leading goalkicker in the VFL a record nine times, breaking the record held by the eponymous Jim 'Frosty' Miller of six. He was league leading goal-kicker a record six years in a row from 1999–2004, breaking the record of four in a row held by George Taylor (1920–1923) and Miller (1968–1971), and won the award nine times in eleven years from 1999–2009.
Career overview
Sautner began his VFL career in 1996 with the Springvale Football Club, playing as a defender in the reserves, but he never managed a senior game for Springvale. He moved to Sandringham in 1997 and arrived at the Trevor Barker Oval to take his place at centre half back as the youngest player in its premiership side of that year, playing every game for the season (one of only three players to do so). Two years later Sautner switched to the forward line, and was immediately successful, kicking 89 goals and winning the Jim "Frosty" Miller Medal as the competition's leading goal kicker.
The 2000 season saw the VFL become affiliated with the professional Australian Football League, and saw Sandringham affiliated with the Melbourne Football Club. Sautner kicked 70 goals and won the Frosty Miller Medal again, as part of the Zebras' premiership team.
Sautner switched teams in 2001 when he moved to bayside rival Frankston and again in 2003 when he was lured to the Northern Bullants. He played a total of 58 games with those clubs, and was the league's leading goal kicker again in all three seasons, including his career-best 93 goals in the 2002 season with Frankston.
He returned to Sandringham in 2004 and won the Frosty Miller medal for the sixth consecutive time, a VFL record, as well as winning a third premiership with the Zebras. In the following two seasons, Sautner won two more premierships, bringing his total to five (a Sandringham record), but his streak of Frosty Miller medals was broken, by James Podsiadly in 2005 and Aaron Edwards in 2006.
Between 2007 and 2009, Sautner won another three Frosty Miller Medals, bringing his total to nine, a VFA/VFL record.
Despite his success at VFL level, Sautner has never been recruited by an AFL team; he trialled with St Kilda and Melbourne, but was unsuccessful with each.
Sautner announced his retirement from VFL football in January 2011 when he was unable to meet the training schedule set down by Brett Lovett as stated in the VFL record on June 12, 2011. Sautner played with Collegians in the Victorian Amateur Football Association in 2011 and 2012, winning premierships in both seasons.[1][2]
Post-football career
After retiring from football, he held sports administration positions with Etihad Stadium, progressing to chief commercial officer/general manager until 2013.
References
- ^ Brad Beitzel (18 September 2011). "Gastro stop before Grand Final". Northern Times. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
- ^ Ewen McRae (24 September 2012). "VAFA: Old Xavs are yesterday's heroes as Collegians steal victory". The Weekly Review. Retrieved 6 March 2014.