LEGENDS CLUB: Glen Foll and Chris Brlecic

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It's Canada Day, presented by PowerHealth Solutions, so we are honouring two Canadian Legends as part of our new honour club.

Here are the stories of Glen Foll and Chris Brlecic.

GLEN FOLL

It's hard to meet anyone in Australian Ice Hockey circles who doesn't know Glen Foll. We're pleased that he can be part of our Legend's Club.

In 1982, a 20-year-old Canadian made a decision to go play for the Macquarie Bears. That started a long and illustrious career Down Under.

Glen spent his first seven years in New South Wales and led the state to a couple Goodall Cups. Finally, in 1989 he moved to Adelaide. He had a decade of dominance locally in Adelaide so when Steve Oddy and Jim Thilthorpe created the Avalanche and the AIHL, Glen was one of the first leaders of the team.

He played on the first ever Avalanche team as a gritty and feisty defenseman at 37-years-old and played the first six seasons. He won two championships and scored a crucial goal late in Avalanche's first ever title.

Perhaps one of the most incredible parts about Glen Foll is that he played on the Australian National Team every year from 1986 to 2006 except for 1996 when he didn't travel with the team because his son Ryan was born. He was the captain of the Mighty Roos from 1990-2006 - an IIHF record.

Ryan plays on the Adrenaline now making the Folls the first father son combination to suit up. 

Glen has always had a keen eye on the game. He sponsors the Adrenaline, he has a son on the team, he used to play for the team and he is one of the best referees in the competition. 

Glen says the league has made strides since day dot.

"The local talent has improved over the years. The import level has always been there but it's the local talent that makes the difference and has been improving over the years," he says. 

For all that Glen does, he says he keeps involved with the game because he loves it.

"I may not be as actively involved as I used to but what would I do if I didn't stay involved with the game? It's a way of life. It's easy to stay involved and want to be involved," he says.

Even today, you can catch Foll suiting up with his son Ryan on the Adelaide Tigers.

"That drives me - the opportunity to play with my son," he says. "I think I can still hold my own and I don't the things I used to do but I still contribute and do what I can."

Above: Glen and his son Ryan. Both have played for the Adrenaline / Avalanche. Credit: Legends of Australian Ice.

Glen says he enjoys seeing the growth of the Adrenaline and is optimistic for the future.

"The team is in most games they play. There's a great coach in Jim which brings some enthusiasm to guys that didn't get a lot of ice time before. There's a great core group now and I think we're going to see a team that gets contributions from a lot of different areas," he says.

CHRIS BRLECIC

 Also from Canada, Brlecic moved to Australia and became one of the first imports for the Adelaide Avalanche in 2000. He helped lead the team to two straight championships (2000 and 2001).

He was constantly near the top of the scoring list and he averaged nearly a point a game in his career. The combination of John and Greg Oddy, Luke and Ben Thilthorpe and Trevor Walsh was a lethal force up front.

Inaugural coach and Adrenaline life member John Botterill says Brlecic was one of the best players he coached.

"Chris came to the AA program as just another overseas player but I soon found him to be a "Coach's Dream Player"," he says. "If you needed some tough shut down defense then Chris was your man, you needed some hard nosed bang and crash offense then Chris was your man and if you needed someone to physically sort out the opposition then Chris was your man! A player with this skill and team dedication soon became a team leader and ultimately an AA Captain."

Luke Thilthorpe, a fellow Legend's Club member and former teammate, says he can't say enough about what Chris brought to the table.

"He was a competitive and fierce hockey player. A hard worker, team player who was always willing to get in the corners and battle," says Thilthorpe.

"He was an unbelievable team mate and leader. A great two-way hockey player and a guy you want on your team and will do whatever it takes to win."

Brlecic played 128 games for the club and eventually captained the team for a  season. He went back to Canada in 2007.

That was after he got his Aussie citizenship! He played for Australia from 2005-2007 and had 10 points in 14 career games in the green and gold.