David Swallow
Swallow playing for Gold Coast in 2017
Personal information
Full name David Swallow
Date of birth (1992-11-19) 19 November 1992 (age 31)
Original team(s) Gold Coast (VFL)
Draft No. 1, 2010 national draft
Debut Round 2, 2011, Gold Coast vs. Carlton, at the Gabba
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 87 kg (192 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Gold Coast
Number 24
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2011– Gold Coast 220 (100)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

David Swallow (born 19 November 1992) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League (AFL). Swallow won the Gold Coast Suns Club Champion award in 2014, becoming the second player to win the award after Gary Ablett Jr. won the award in the club's first three seasons, and served as Gold Coast co-captain from 2019 to 2021. He received a nomination for the 2011 AFL Rising Star award in round 14 of the 2011 season.

Early life

Swallow was born in Perth, Western Australia to a Dutch mother and an English father.[1] His older brother, Andrew, is a former captain of the North Melbourne Football Club and a dual Syd Barker Medallist.[2] He attended Shelley Primary School and Rossmoyne Senior High School, and played his junior football at Rossmoyne Junior Football Club. Swallow was named on the half-back line of the 2009 Under-18 All Australian team as a 16-year-old, and was awarded the Larke Medal as the Under-18 competition's best player.[3][4]

In 2010, despite not yet being drafted by an AFL team, Swallow was permitted to play in Gold Coast's Victorian Football League (VFL) team prior to the club's inaugural season in 2011. This meant that if Gold Coast wanted to draft Swallow, the club had to select him with one of the first three picks in the 2010 AFL draft.[5] However, it was widely assumed that Swallow would be taken with the first pick in the draft,[6] which was confirmed on 19 November.[7]

AFL career

Swallow was part of the inaugural Gold Coast Suns team which played against Carlton in round 2 of the 2011 AFL season. He was also part of the club's first victory against Port Adelaide in round 5. After a 21-possession, two-goal performance against the Western Bulldogs in round 14, Swallow was nominated for the 2011 AFL Rising Star award.

In 2014, Swallow won the Gold Coast Suns Club Champion award, becoming the second player after Gary Ablett Jr. to win the award.[8]

In November 2018, Swallow signed a five-year contract extension with the Suns, tying him to the club until the end of 2024.[9]

In February 2019, Swallow was named as Gold Coast co-captain, alongside Jarrod Witts.[10]

Swallow was suspended for one match for striking Port Adelaide's Justin Westhoff following Gold Coast's loss to the Power in round 1 of the 2020 season.[11]

In February 2022, Swallow stepped down from the Suns' co-captaincy, with Touk Miller named in his place.[12]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of 2023[13]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2011 Gold Coast 24 21 11 14 208 205 413 62 84 0.5 0.7 9.9 9.8 19.7 3.0 4.0 2
2012 Gold Coast 24 12 8 2 130 96 226 31 43 0.7 0.2 10.8 8.0 18.8 2.6 3.6 1
2013 Gold Coast 24 18 3 2 195 152 347 47 61 0.2 0.1 10.8 8.4 19.3 2.6 3.4 1
2014 Gold Coast 24 22 15 20 287 226 513 67 118 0.7 0.9 13.0 10.2 23.3 3.0 5.4 5
2015 Gold Coast 24 6 2 2 70 46 116 16 35 0.3 0.3 11.7 7.7 19.3 2.7 5.8 0
2016 Gold Coast 24 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 0
2017 Gold Coast 24 18 11 8 213 177 390 49 91 0.6 0.4 11.8 9.8 21.7 2.7 5.1 0
2018 Gold Coast 24 20 11 11 243 198 441 73 91 0.6 0.6 12.2 9.9 22.1 3.7 4.6 2
2019 Gold Coast 24 22 13 7 282 227 509 87 84 0.6 0.3 12.8 10.3 23.1 4.0 3.8 7
2020[a] Gold Coast 24 15 4 10 154 116 270 54 59 0.3 0.7 10.3 7.7 18.0 3.6 3.9 2
2021 Gold Coast 24 21 6 7 258 202 460 106 99 0.3 0.3 12.3 9.6 21.9 5.0 4.7 0
2022 Gold Coast 24 22 8 7 273 170 443 95 77 0.4 0.3 12.4 7.7 20.1 4.3 3.5 5
2023 Gold Coast 24 23 14 11 222 160 382 78 101 0.6 0.5 9.7 7.0 16.6 3.4 4.4 0
Career 220 100 94 2535 1975 4510 765 943 0.5 0.4 11.5 9.0 20.5 3.5 4.3 25

Notes

  1. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honours and achievements

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Lesson 8: Many Players, One Team" (PDF). You Can Kick Goals Too. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  2. ^ Gold Coast snaps up David Swallow
  3. ^ WA dominates All-Australian side Archived 5 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Swallow, Hooper 2009 Larke Medallists
  5. ^ West Australian Swallow joins Gold Coast Football Club Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ How the Coasters enticed a Swallow to take flight
  7. ^ "Gold Coast SUNS outstanding results at the 2010 NAB Draft". Gold Coast FC. 18 November 2010. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
  8. ^ "Ablett dethroned: Young Sun a club champ". AustralianFootball.com. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  9. ^ Bowen, Nick (7 November 2018). "Gun Suns midfielder signs on until end of 2024". afl.com.au. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  10. ^ Whiting, Michael (25 February 2019). "Suns shock: Former Pie co-captain, ex-Cat a leader". afl.com.au. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  11. ^ Beveridge, Riley (23 March 2020). "Suns skipper cops ban, four players hit with fines". afl.com.au. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  12. ^ Whiting, Michael (21 February 2022). "'Childhood dream' for new Suns skipper, foundation star steps down". afl.com.au. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  13. ^ "David Swallow". AFL Tables. Retrieved 21 March 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Swallow.
Gold Coast Suns – current squad
Captains of the Gold Coast Suns
Club Champion · Gold Coast Suns best and fairest winners
Inaugural Gold Coast Suns AFL team
VFL/AFL club games record holders
2011 AFL Rising Star nominees
VFL/AFL number one overall draft picks
2010 AFL national draft
Larke Medal winners
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