Sandgroper Sports
Watty, Scotty & Anth are Three sports mad Western Australians who are keen to profile West Aussie sportspeople, their lives and experiences in sport and outside of sport. We love hearing great human stories and we know that many others in our community do too. Sandgroper sports proudly focusses on Western Australians and takes the form of a casual discussion, where we discuss with our guests their lives in WA, what it's like being a WA athlete, what life is like outside of sport and what they think makes our state unique. Our podcasts are real life, authentic, conversations with our guests discussing how they got to where they are today, the ups and downs of their careers and what it means to be from WA.
Sandgroper Sports
Earl Spalding: The "Duke" of Footy & Cricket
Tough. Fearless. A premiership hero. Earl Spalding was as hard as they come on the footy field, but did you know he was also a gun cricketer?
In this episode of Sandgroper Sports Podcast, we sit down with the man known as "The Duke" to chat about his incredible dual-sport career. From playing Sheffield Shield alongside Terry Alderman and Bruce Reid—claiming the wicket of David Hookes—to making his mark at Perth Football Club before heading east to the VFL/AFL.
Spalding played in Melbourne’s 1988 Grand Final side, then became a key part of Carlton’s dominant 1995 premiership team. He shares what it was like playing alongside legends like Stephen Kernahan and Greg Williams, plus the special moment of running out with his brother Scott.
We also dive into his coaching career—returning to East Fremantle, helping shape the Fremantle Dockers, and leading Perth Football Club. And of course, we get some classic stories from his playing days.
This one’s full of laughs, memories, and great footy insight. Don't miss it!
🎧 Listen now! #AFL #WAFL #EarlSpalding #CarltonFC #MelbourneFC #EastFreo #PerthFC #FootyLegends #SandgroperSports