Ben Harrison

Who is Ben Harrison?

Ben Harrison is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League.

A Tasmanian, Harrison was just 17 when he was picked up by Carlton in the 1992 AFL Draft. He served a long apprenticeship before finally making his senior debut in 1995. His two games in 1995 were the only times he was able to break into the Carlton side, with the club forming such a strong 21 that they would go on to win the premiership that year. After taking home the reserve's "Best and Fairest" award in 1995, he joined his childhood friend Matthew Richardson at Richmond for the 1996 season, having been traded for Justin Murphy.

He only played eight games in his first season with Richmond but was a regular member of the team in 1997. In the final round of the home and away season, Harrison kicked the winning goal in a two point win over Carlton. The result meant that his former club would miss the finals for the first time since 1992 and it would be the last game that their captain Stephen Kernahan played in the AFL. During both the 1997 and 1998 seasons, Harrison spent some time up forward and kicked four goals on three occasions. He was however primarily a key defender, also used as a half back flanker and on the wing.