Western Bulldogs FC
Born: 10 May 1981
Height: 188cm
Weight: 99kg
Junior Club:
Senior Club: Northern Eagles
Schools:
Regional Selection: Northern Raiders U18 (1998-99)
Queensland Selection: U18 (1998-99)
Draft Details: Selection #37 (3rd round) 1999 National Draft
AFL Debut: Western Bulldogs v Sydney, SCG Rd 10, 2000, (14 May)
Jumper Number: 8
AT A GLANCE: A bullocking utility player who has put together a stellar AFL career with the Western Bulldogs with a minimum of fanfare and recognition in his home state or even in Victoria. A product of the Northern Eagles who represented Queensland at U18 level in 1998-99, he was taken by the Dogs at No.37 in the 1999 National Draft after playing senior football with the Northern Eagles and winning All-Australian U18 selection in 1999. Was described in his first AFL Guide in 2000 as “strong overhead and on the ground – showed good all-round athletic potential at the AFL draft camp and could be a readymade player”. He was.
He debuted in Round 10 of 2000 and after three years consolidating his senior berth at Whitten Oval has been pretty much a regular since 2003 when available. Won the Dogs “Best First Year Player” award in 2000, when he played Rounds 10-13 and Rounds 19-22 across half back before an ankle injury denied him a probable finals debut against Brisbane at the Gabba. Didn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations placed on him in 2002, but bounced back in ’03 when his last seven games had club faithful tipping big things. He played 21 games in a breakout campaign in 2003, including his 50th, and finished 8th in the B&F.
He was described in the 2003 AFL Guide as “one of the success stories of 2003 – a hard-nosed defender who added some real teeth to the midfield unit with ferocious desire to win the ball”. Was again used in a midfield role in 2004, when he was one of only six Bulldogs to play every game and secured a spot among the club’s leaders. Switched to more of a forward role in 2005, when played through the pain of a recurring shoulder injury to kick 21 goals in 19 games was described in the 2006 AFL Guide as “a future captaincy candidate” His 2006 campaign included his 100th game in Round 11 but ended with a serious knee injury in Round 12 against the Lions which required a reconstruction, and in ’07, after resuming in Round 7, he missed the last six games with shoulder problems.
Happily, two unblemished 25-game seasons followed in 2008-09, including his first six finals, as he played in the key spot at centre half forward in a side looming as a premiership contender. In ’08 he kicked a career-best six goals against Essendon in Round 21 on his way to a career-best tally of 34 which ranked 5th on the Dogs list, and in ’09 he went even further, booting a total of 38 goals, with two bags of five plus four in the semi-final against Brisbane, to rank 2nd only to Jason Akermanis. He was admired for his ability to hold down the key forward spot despite his lack of height, and was respected and admired more within the Bulldogs camp than he should have been outside it. Has a career best possessions total of 23. By the end of 2009 he had climbed into the top 40 on the club’s all-time games list and the top 30 all-time goal-kickers, with more to come.
