View source for Jeff Fehring

{{short description|Australian rules footballer, born 1955}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Jeff Fehring
| image = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1955|4|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Leitchville, Victoria|Leitchville]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2008|7|25|1955|4|21|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Hay, New South Wales|Hay]], [[New South Wales]]
| originalteam = Leitchville Gunbower Football Club
| height = 198 cm
| weight = 106 kg
| position = [[Ruckman (Australian rules football position)|Ruckman]]
| statsend = 1981
| years1 = 1977–1979
| club1 = [[Geelong Football Club|Geelong]]
| games_goals1 = 19 (1)
| years2 = 1980–1981
| club2 = [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]]
| games_goals2 = 17 (3)
| careerhighlights = 
}}

'''Jeff Fehring''' (21 April 1955 &ndash; 25 July 2008) was an [[Australian rules football]]er who played for [[Geelong Football Club|Geelong]] and [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]] in the Victorian Football League (as the [[Australian Football League|AFL]] was then known) from 1977 to 1981.

Fehring was born at [[Leitchville, Victoria|Leitchville]], on the [[Murray River]], near [[Echuca, Victoria|Echuca]]. He made his debut as a [[Ruckman (Australian rules football position)|ruckman]] with the [[Geelong Football Club]] in 1977, playing 19 games and kicking 1 goal until 1979. He moved to [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]] in 1980, and in 1981 his moment of fame came. While he only went on to play 17 games and kick 3 goals for St Kilda, one of those goals was a huge [[torpedo punt]] that was estimated to be 84–86 metres,<ref>{{Cite web |title=REDLEGS MUSEUM {{!}} PLAYERS |url=http://www.redlegsmuseum.com.au/ON_FIELD/PLAYERS/FEHRINGJeff.aspx |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=www.redlegsmuseum.com.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-30 |title=Longest torpedo goals of the AFL |url=https://www.uselessaflstats.com.au/longest-torpedo-goals-of-the-afl/ |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=Useless AFL Stats |language=en-AU}}</ref> kicked from beyond the centre circle at [[Moorabbin]] in 1981. The goal came minutes after he was reported, and he was so fired up that he kicked the (wind-assisted) goal, one of the biggest in [[Australian rules football]] history.<ref>{{Ref AFL Encyc|4th|194}}</ref>

Fehring's VFL career was over at the end of the [[1981 VFL season|1981 season]], and he moved to [[Adelaide]] to play for [[Norwood Football Club]] in the [[South Australian National Football League]] (SANFL). After playing in Norwood's 1982 premiership, Fehring retired from football and became a [[cattle]] [[farmer]] after marrying in 1984, but with water prices affected by [[drought]], he was forced to sell his farm and livestock and move to [[Alexandra, Victoria|Alexandra]], where it was hoped there would be more rain. Despite working several jobs, Fehring lost his [[emu]] and cattle farm, and his marriage. Taking custody of his two children, he moved to [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] briefly, before buying a pub and hotel in [[Deniliquin, New South Wales|Deniliquin]] in southern [[New South Wales]]. That business also failed, and beset by health problems including [[Type 2 diabetes]] and recurring heart problems, Fehring committed [[suicide]] on 25 July 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.theage.com.au/sport/aussie-rules/drought-led-to-vfl-players-suicide-20080730-3n63.html |title=Drought led to VFL player's suicide |last=Mulvey |first=Paul |date=30 July 2008 |newspaper=[[The Age]] |accessdate=2010-12-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120523180949/http://news.theage.com.au/sport/aussie-rules/drought-led-to-vfl-players-suicide-20080730-3n63.html |archivedate=23 May 2012 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{AFL Tables|J/Jeff_Fehring}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fehring, Jeff}}
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:2008 suicides]]
[[Category:2008 deaths]]
[[Category:Norwood Football Club players]]
[[Category:St Kilda Football Club players]]
[[Category:Geelong Football Club players]]
[[Category:Suicides in New South Wales]]
[[Category:Australian sportspeople who committed suicide]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]