Jeff Farmer (footballer)
A mercurial forward who electrified crowds with his explosive speed and became the first Indigenous player to kick 400 AFL goals.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Australian rules footballer, born 1977·Birthday: June 24·Generation X
Biography
Jeff Farmer kicked impossible goals from the boundary for Melbourne and Fremantle in the Australian Football League. His career mixed breathtaking speed with sheer unpredictability, making him a fan favorite. As a prominent Indigenous athlete, he navigated cultural pressures while forcing defenders into nightmares. After retiring, his playing style—a blend of raw talent and audacious flair—expanded what seemed possible on the football field.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jeff was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jeff Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Jeff's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Indigenous Australian rules footballer to kick 400 goals in the AFL.
- Kicked 76 goals in the 2000 AFL season, finishing as the competition's leading goal-kicker.
- Played 249 AFL games across a career with the Melbourne Demons and Fremantle Dockers.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'The Wizard' was coined by a commentator after a spectacular goal.
He was drafted by Melbourne with pick 48 in the 1994 AFL Draft.
In 2000, he kicked a career-best 11 goals in a single game against Collingwood.
“You have to back yourself and have a crack from anywhere.”
