Shannon Grant

Shannon Grant (born 19 April 1977) is a retired Australian rules footballer who was known as one of the premier midfielders in the AFL. He began his career at the Sydney Swans in 1995 before moving to the Kangaroos in 1998 and being a part of their 1999 premiership side, in which he also won the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground. In 1996, he actually played against North Melbourne in the Grand Final, playing on the losing side of Sydney.

In the 2005 season, Shannon Grant was involved in numerous comeback victories by the Kangaroos. The first was in Round 2 against his old club the Sydney Swans at Manuka Oval. Trailing by 17 points at 3 quarter time, Grant and his team mates lifted with Grant kicking 3 goals to help the Roos to a convincing win. The following week against St Kilda, the 'Roos again lifted from a 3rd quarter shocker, trailing against the highly fancied St Kilda which had not lost a game at Docklands Stadium since 2003. Grant once again kicked 4 goals in the last quarter to defeat the Saints by 7 points, 100-93. Grant's fourth was a 'ripper' from 5 metres in from the boundary 45 metres out. Then later in Round 19, the Kangaroos trailed by 3 goals with 4 minutes to play against the lowly Collingwood at the Telstra Dome.

Grant announced his retirement on Tuesday 26 August 2008. The following Saturday, Grant played the 300th game of his career. Fittingly, his 301st and last game of AFL football was an elimination final against his old club, the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, which the Kangaroos lost by 35 points. Grant was given a standing ovation by both Sydney and North Melbourne players as he left the ground for the final time, as he was well respected by both clubs.

Grant coached the Frankston Football Club for one season in the Victorian Football League in 2009.

At season end of 2009, he was appointed coach of the struggling Bendigo Bombers for 2010, also in the VFL.