Aaron Davey
Encyclopedia
Aaron Davey is a professional Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

 player of Indigenous Australian
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....

 heritage. He currently plays for the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....

 in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 (AFL).

Davey exploded onto the AFL scene, quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting young players in the league, finishing runner-up to the AFL Rising Star in 2004
2004 AFL season
Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2004.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Wizard Home Loans Cup:The Wizard Home Loans Cup Final saw St...

. He is one of few successful top-level footballers to have been elevated from the rookie list
Rookie list
The Rookie List is a means for Australian Football League clubs to maintain additional players outside of the 38-man primary or senior list. Rookie listed players are not eligibile to play in AFL home and away or finals matches unless they are elevated to the senior list, either to replace a...

. Davey's representative honours include twice playing for Australia against Ireland
Ireland international rules football team
The Ireland International rules football team is the representative team for Ireland in international rules football, a compromise between Gaelic football and Australian rules football...

 in 2005
2005 International Rules Series
The 2005 International Rules series was the 8th annual International Rules Series and the 14th time that a test series of International rules football was played between Ireland and Australia and was won by Australia....

 and 2006
2006 International Rules series
The 2006 International Rules series is the 9th annual International Rules Series and the 15th time that a test series of international rules football has been played between Ireland and Australia....

.

Davey is a cult figure at the Melbourne Football Club and a highly popular player with young Demons fans. Davey's achievements at Melbourne include a Best and Fairest
Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal
The Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Melbourne Football Club player judged Best and Fairest for the season.It is named in honor of Keith 'Bluey' Truscott, a former dual premiership player and World War II fighter ace killed in 1943....

 for an outstanding 2009 season. Davey is also a recognised leader of Melbourne's young indigenous group of players.

Early years

Davey, of Indigenous Australian ancestry with tribal ancestry that can be traced to the Kokatha in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

, was born to mother Lizzie and father Alwyn Davey. Aaron's brother, Alwyn
Alwyn Davey
Alwyn Davey is a professional Australian rules footballer who currently plays for the Essendon Football Club of the Australian Football League.-Early life:...

, was named after his father, who died when Aaron was nine years old. Both boys were raised in Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...

 in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...

.

Davey started playing football as a forward pocket
Forward pocket
In Australian rules football, the forward pocket refers to a position on the field deep in offense.Forward pocket players, situated in the forward line, need to have good avoidance and goal sneak skills and usually, quality forward-pockets are noted for their agility and ability to score difficult...

 player in the Northern Territory Football League
Northern Territory Football League
The Northern Territory Football League is an 8 team Australian rules football semi-professional league operating in Darwin in the Northern Territory.The premier grade is the largest Australian rules football league in the Northern Territory...

 for the Palmerston Football Club
Palmerston Football Club
The Palmerston Football Club, nicknamed, Magpies, is a member club of the Northern Territory Football League.-History:The Palmerston Magpies Football Club began in 1970 and was originally known as the Internationals. At that time most players were English and Greek soccer players...

. He moved to Melbourne to further his prospects of an Australian rules career, and trialled with the Port Melbourne Football Club
Port Melbourne Football Club
The Port Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Borough, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League ....

 in the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...

 (VFL). After an exceptional debut season in the VFL, Davey was voted the VFL player most likely to succeed AFL level.

Surprisingly he was overlooked by all clubs in the 2003 AFL Draft
2003 AFL Draft
The 2003 AFL Draft was the 2003 instance of the AFL Draft, the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League...

. However, he caught the eye of Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....

 talent scouts and was selected at Pick #3 in the rookie draft
2003 AFL Draft
The 2003 AFL Draft was the 2003 instance of the AFL Draft, the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League...

.

When later asked on Before the Game
Before the Game
Before The Game is an Australian rules football/comedy television show in Australia on Network Ten. The show is hosted by Andrew Maher, with regular panelists including Mick Molloy, Dave Hughes, Sam Lane, and Lehmo. The format of the show is a light-hearted discussion of issues relating to the...

, why Davey was not selected in the AFL Draft, Melbourne's former coach Neale Daniher
Neale Daniher
Neale Francis Daniher is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League . Neale was also an Assistant Coach to the Essendon and Fremantle Football Clubs and the Coach of the Victorian State Team and the Melbourne Football Club...

 responded by postulating that clubs were not on the lookout for short indigenous players after the possessionless display of Leon Davis
Leon Davis (footballer)
Leon Davis is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Drafted to Collingwood in 1999 as a small forward, Davis is of Aboriginal heritage. Davis made an early impression at the Pies and played Round 1 in his debut season. He showed that he was capable of turning a match but...

 in the 2002 Grand Final
2002 AFL Grand Final
The 2002 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Brisbane Lions and the Collingwood Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 2002. It was the 106th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football...

.

Debut Season: 2004

Davey debuted in the 2004 Wizard Cup
Australian Football League pre-season competition
The Australian Football League pre-season competition, which is known at present as the NAB Cup, is a competition held before the beginning of the Australian Football League premiership season...

, playing a handful of sensational pre-season games before debuting in the senior side in the first round of 2004. In his first AFL game, the lightly built forward kicked a goal and totalled an impressive 13 possessions, receiving a nomination for the AFL Rising Star award.

In his next 15 games, Davey won wide acclaim for his blistering acceleration, evasive footwork and goal sense. He was likened to Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

 player Andrew Lovett
Andrew Lovett
Andrew Lovett is an Aboriginal Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League for Essendon between 2005 and 2009...

, another young indigenous player. In particular, Davey's ability to run down opposition players with explosive acceleration, his hard tackling and his "one percenter" second and third efforts at the ball earned him the respect of coaches and players across the league.

Davey formed a potent forward line combination, crumbing the likes of Russell Robertson
Russell Robertson
Russell "Robbo" Robertson is a professional Australian rules footballer, who last played for the Melbourne Football Club....

 and David Neitz
David Neitz
David Neitz , nicknamed Neita, is a retired Australian rules footballer. The strongly built centre half back who became a full forward was the longest-serving captain in the history of the Melbourne Football Club and the first Melbourne player to achieve the 300-game milestone.Neitz was born in...

. He quickly became a cult hero, particularly amongst young supporters, and a face of the Melbourne Football Club.

Davey played the rest of the season until a hamstring
Hamstring
In human anatomy, the hamstring refers to any one of the three posterior thigh muscles, or to the tendons that make up the borders of the space behind the knee. In modern anatomical contexts, however, they usually refer to the posterior thigh muscles, or the tendons of the semitendinosus, the...

 injury in round 16 against the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...

 at the Telstra Dome
Telstra Dome
Docklands Stadium is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...

 put him out for four games. He returned for the finals and played in a losing elimination final against Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

.

At the end of the season, Davey won the AFLPA Best First Year Player award, which has been awarded to many superstars of the game, notably Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

lists Chris Judd
Chris Judd
Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

 and Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes is a professional Australian rules football player with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League ....

.

Season 2005

In 2005, Davey played all 22 games and another losing elimination final, this time against Geelong
Geelong Football Club
The Geelong Football Club, nicknamed The Cats, is a professional Australian rules football club, named after and based in the city of Geelong, playing in the Australian Football League . The club has been the VFL/AFL premiers nine times, with a record equalling 3 in the AFL era. Geelong has also...

. He was selected for the International rules
International rules football
International rules football is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed to facilitate international representative matches between Australian rules football players and Gaelic football players....

 series as one of only three Demons players. Davey was selected along with Lovett and several other indigenous players in Kevin Sheedy's handpicked squad. Topping off a sensational season, Davey finished third in the club best and fairest
Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal
The Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Melbourne Football Club player judged Best and Fairest for the season.It is named in honor of Keith 'Bluey' Truscott, a former dual premiership player and World War II fighter ace killed in 1943....

 behind Travis Johnstone
Travis Johnstone
Travis Johnstone is an Australian rules footballer who has played for the Brisbane Lions and Melbourne in the Australian Football League...

 and Russell Robertson
Russell Robertson
Russell "Robbo" Robertson is a professional Australian rules footballer, who last played for the Melbourne Football Club....

 respectively.

In that year, Davey won the AFL Players Association
AFL Players Association
The AFL Players Association, or AFLPA, is the representative body for all current and past professional Australian Football League players....

 Marn Grook Award for Best Emerging Indigenous Player and was one of three indigenous players in the Demons line-up to hail from Darwin, along with Matthew Whelan
Matthew Whelan
Matthew Whelan is a former professional Australian rules football player.Wearing the number 45 jersey, Whelan was reliable defender/back pocket known by Demons fans simply as the "Wheels". He also earned the nickname "Wrecker" for his big hits and tough and uncompromisingly defensive style of...

 and Shannon Motlop
Shannon Motlop
Shannon Motlop is an indigenous Australian rules footballer. Primarily playing as a midfielder or small forward, he represented both the Kangaroos and Melbourne in the Australian Football League...

. The three played with each other in the local Darwin junior football. The injection of Byron Pickett
Byron Pickett
Byron Pickett is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played with three clubs in the AFL. He was known as a big game player as well as for his strength, hard bumps and tough approach to the game. Pickett is one of 12 players with two premiership medallions, a Norm Smith Medal...

 into the Demons side provided Davey with a football mentor and it was about this time that Davey began to show a little onfield aggression.

Season 2006

In 2006, Davey's versatility and added bulk saw him used in the forward line, midfield and even at times defence. Initially, football commentators on 3AW
3AW
3AW is a talkback radio station in Melbourne, Australia on 693 kHz AM. It began transmission on 22 February 1932 as Melbourne's fifth commercial radio station.-History:...

, especially Rex Hunt
Rex Hunt
Rex James Hunt is an Australian television and radio personality, and a former Australian rules football player. He is an Australian rules football commentator, currently on the 1116 SEN radio station with son in law Lee Raynor conducting a program called Off The Hook. He is better known around...

, referred to him as "Jack Davey" - a reference to a former Australian radio quiz show host Jack Davey
Jack Davey
John Andrew Davey was a New Zealand-born star of Australian radio in the 1930s, '40s and '50s.-New Zealand:Jack Davey was born John Andrew Davey on 8 February 1907 and educated at King's College, Auckland...

, whose trademark greeting at the opening of the show was "Hi Ho, everybody!" Due to this it is not uncommon to hear 3AW replay a soundbite of Jack Davey saying "Hi Ho, everybody" whenever Davey scores a goal. But more recently (from 2006 onwards), he has been widely referred to as "Flash" by many commentators for his incredible pace and acceleration.

In another exciting season, he achieved a total of three Goal of the Year
Goal of the Year (Australia)
The Goal of the Year is a competition for the best goals kicked in the VFL/AFL during that season. It is run in conjunction with the Mark of the Year competition and is currently sponsored by Panasonic. The award is also known as the Phil Manassa Medal....

 nominations, including back-to-back weeks of soccer style strikes.

Season 2007

He played for the Indigenous All-Stars in the pre-season against Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

, where he re-injured his hamstring.

Despite the Demons horror season, with Melbourne winning only five games for the year, Davey produced a career best game in round 7 against the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...

, collecting 29 disposals and kicking three goals, for which he received two Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

 votes, the equivalent to second best on ground.

As the season continued the Demons struggled and Davey's increasing aggression saw him suspended for two games for striking Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...

 player Troy Selwood
Troy Selwood
Troy Selwood is a former Australian rules footballer who played 75 games for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League . He is the current co-captain of the Geelong Football Club's team in the Victorian Football League ....

 at The Gabba in round 15.

Season 2008

His 2008 was a struggle with injuries in a year that the club was not performing well.

Season 2009

After starring for the Indigenous All-Stars against Adelaide in the 2009 pre-season, Davey's 2009 season started strongly. Even though his club continued to struggle. Under new coach Dean Bailey
Dean Bailey
Dean Bailey is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon, a former coach of the Melbourne Football Club, as well as a former assistant coach at Port Adelaide.-Coaching career:...

, Davey was switched to the midfield with devastating effect. His round four performance against Richmond was instrumental to the win. Even though the club had a poor year, Davey personally had an outstanding year. Davey's year was capped off by winning the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal
Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal
The Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Melbourne Football Club player judged Best and Fairest for the season.It is named in honor of Keith 'Bluey' Truscott, a former dual premiership player and World War II fighter ace killed in 1943....

, which is awarded to Melbourne's Best and Fairest player.

Season 2010

Davey's 2010 season was not as successful as the year before and, although he remained one of Melbourne's better players and their main playmaker, he was not as damaging as the previous season. He finished the season by coming fourth in Melbourne's Best and Fairest
Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal
The Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Melbourne Football Club player judged Best and Fairest for the season.It is named in honor of Keith 'Bluey' Truscott, a former dual premiership player and World War II fighter ace killed in 1943....

. He was, however, Melbourne's equal leading vote-getter, with Colin Sylvia
Colin Sylvia
Colin Sylvia is an Australian rules footballer, currently playing with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early life:...

, at the 2010 Brownlow Medal
2010 Brownlow Medal
The Brownlow Medal is the most prestigious individual award in Australian rules football and was awarded in 2010 to Chris Judd from the Carlton Football Club for being voted as the fairest and best during the 2010 Australian Football League home and away season. The vote counting ceremony was held...

.

Achievements

  • Runner-Up AFL Rising Star 2004
  • AFLPA
    AFLPA Awards
    The AFL Players' Association Awards are a group of awards given annually to players in the Australian Football League, voted for by all AFL players.-Leigh Matthews Trophy:...

     Best First Year Player Award 2004
  • Harold Ball Memorial Trophy 2004
  • AFL Rising Star Nominee 2004
  • International Rules Series
    International Rules Series
    The International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...

     2005
    2005 International Rules Series
    The 2005 International Rules series was the 8th annual International Rules Series and the 14th time that a test series of International rules football was played between Ireland and Australia and was won by Australia....

    , 2006
    2006 International Rules series
    The 2006 International Rules series is the 9th annual International Rules Series and the 15th time that a test series of international rules football has been played between Ireland and Australia....

  • AFL Players Association
    AFL Players Association
    The AFL Players Association, or AFLPA, is the representative body for all current and past professional Australian Football League players....

     Mark Grook Award 2005
  • Indigenous All-Stars 2007, 2009
  • Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal
    Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal
    The Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy is awarded to the Melbourne Football Club player judged Best and Fairest for the season.It is named in honor of Keith 'Bluey' Truscott, a former dual premiership player and World War II fighter ace killed in 1943....

    list 2009

Media Appearances

Davey made an appearance on the AFL Players Revue of the Grand Final edition of the The AFL Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...

 doing a Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

 impersonation.

In 2009, Davey featured in the official advertisement for the AFL, playing football on a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 court.

Personal Life and Family

Aaron is the older brother of Alwyn Davey
Alwyn Davey
Alwyn Davey is a professional Australian rules footballer who currently plays for the Essendon Football Club of the Australian Football League.-Early life:...

, who plays for Essendon
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

 and both are cousins of Brownlow Medal
Brownlow Medal
The Chas Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal , is awarded to the "fairest and best" player in the Australian Football League during the regular season as determined by votes cast by the officiating field umpires after each game...

list, Gavin Wanganeen
Gavin Wanganeen
Gavin Adrian Wanganeen is a retired Australian rules footballer, playing in two Australian Football League premierships with Essendon and Port Adelaide. Wanganeen is a Brownlow Medallist and is considered one of the finest indigenous players ever...

, and NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 player Patrick Mills
Patrick Mills
Patrick "Patty" Sammie Mills is an Indigenous Australian professional basketball player who plays as a point guard for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers....

.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK