| Rod Ashman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth | 3 December 1954 | ||
| Original team(s) | Eaglehawk | ||
| Debut | Round 5, 1973, Carlton vs. Fitzroy, at Waverley Park | ||
| Height | 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Weight | 76 kg (168 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1973–1986 | Carlton | 236 (370) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1986. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Rodney Ashman (born 3 December 1954) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
Playing primarily in the forward pocket, Ashman was a member of Carlton's famous "Mosquito Fleet" which was pivotal to the club's success in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[1] He played in back-to-back premierships in 1981 and 1982.
Ashman's courageous style of play saw him suffer frequent concussion. After getting concussed several times in the space of a month, Ashman wore a helmet for the rest of his career.[2] Although he didn't like it, he realised its value in a match against Richmond where he got kicked in the head, but was protected by the helmet.[2] When he suffered a stroke in May 2010, Ashman wondered whether it was the result of one of those concussions he sustained during his playing days.[2]
Ashman was inducted into Carlton's Hall of Fame in 1993[3] and was later named in the forward pocket in Carlton's Team of the Century.