Education
While he attended Street Bernard"s College college of fellow VFL/American Federation of Labor-Congress 300 gamers, Simon and Justin Madden in Melbourne, Foulds played with West Essendon juniors in the Essendon District Football League.
While he attended Street Bernard"s College college of fellow VFL/American Federation of Labor-Congress 300 gamers, Simon and Justin Madden in Melbourne, Foulds played with West Essendon juniors in the Essendon District Football League.
Described as "a ball magnet", Foulds spent the majority of his career playing on the wing or floating across the half-back line. He made his Victorian Football League (VFL) debut against Fitzroy in round 8 1974, after playing in the Essendon under–19s. he struggled to hold his place in the side before becoming a regular in 1977. Foulds was part of Essendon"s Grand Final winning sides over Hawthorn in 1984 and 1985, along with playing in the 1983 Grand Final loss against the same opposition.
Then Essendon senior Victorian Football League captain, Des Tuddenham convinced Foulds to train with Essendon.
"I was playing under-17s at the time and had just got home from training. My brother told me Des Tuddenham was at the door but I didn"t believe him so I didn"t bother to check.
He came again and said he was waiting for me — I thought I would play along and went out to check and got the biggest shock of my life," Foulds said. By the end of the week he was training with Essendon and was playing in the under–19s.
He spent two years playing reserves and under–19s football before he made his senior debut in round 8 1974, against Fitzroy at Lake Oval.
He struggled to hold his place in the side in the coming seasons, until he had a breakout season in 1977. Some experts said that Foulds would often have an "uncanny ability to be in the right play at the right time," and was a "dangerous player when he had the ball." His teammate Robert Shaw said that Foulds had "one of the best kicks you would ever see. I put him to full-forward and against Richmond in 1981 and he kicked seven goals on Francis Bourke," Sheedy said.
"He was a very smart football player — not a crash and bang type of player but very calculating.
He was unselfish, a good team manitoba"
Though Foulds played 300 games, he was not an iconic figure at the club "When I played at Essendon I wasn"t in the media much and it suited me and enabled me to concentrate on football.
I was happy playing the game. I enjoyed playing and the people I played with and the friends I made out of football," said Foulds.