Justin Plapp

Who is Justin Plapp?

Justin Plapp is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Richmond and St Kilda in the Australian Football League.

Plapp caught the attention of AFL clubs after kicking 98 goals with the Burnie Dockers in 1996, which was the most by a player in the TFL Statewide League that year. He started his AFL career with two good performances at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, three goals on debut against Fremantle and five more in a win over Carlton the following weekend. His five goal haul in the second game earned him an AFL Rising Star nomination.

In the 1999 AFL Draft, Plapp was traded to St Kilda for pick 39, Scott Homewood. He was used at St Kilda as a half back flanker in his three seasons.

He was appointed captain-coach of the Burnie Dockers in 2008 and continued on into the first season of the revamped Tasmanian State League competition in 2009.

After leading his Burnie team to second position after the roster season, the Dockers were to crash out in straights sets in the finals.

Plapp's final match as a player was to be memorable for his missed set shot at goal after the final siren in the 2009 Preliminary Final which saw the Dockers lose to eventual premier Clarence by 4 points marking a sad end to Plapp's playing career and subsequently his coaching career at Burnie.