James Cook (Australian footballer)
Encyclopedia
James Cook is a former Australian rules football
er who played for Carlton
, the Western Bulldogs
and Melbourne
in the Australian Football League
(AFL).
, which they had gained by trading Warren McKenzie
to Sydney. It was Carlton's earliest ever draft pick up until Marc Murphy
in 2005.
He had to wait three seasons to make his debut and in just his fourth league game kicked six goals in a win over Sydney
at Optus Oval to earn a AFL Rising Star nomination, and better the five goals which he booted against Hawthorn
two weeks earlier. His performances for the rest of the season were poor but he was picked in both the Qualifying Final and Semi Finals, where he kicked three and two goals respectively. He made just seven appearance in 1995, a premiership year for Carlton, but was not able to establish a place in the strong forward-line come the finals. At the end of the year, Cook was traded to Footscray in exchange for Ben Sexton
.
and Chris Grant
. His run started in round 22 when he kicked seven goals and three behinds against Hawthorn. He then kicked a game high four goals to help his club defeat Sydney in the Qualifying Final, outperforming Swans forward Tony Lockett
. Cook's six goals in the Preliminary Final had the Western Bulldogs up by 22 points at three quarter time but Adelaide came back to win by two points.
In 1998 he kicked 23 goals from 11 appearances and in 1999 he finished with 32 from 19 games. On five occasions during this time he kicked five goals or more but also played many games where he saw little of the ball and he was offloaded to Melbourne in the 1999 Pre-Season Draft
.
when he kicked six goals before an ankle injury forced his retirement.
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...
er who played for Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
, 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...
and Melbourne
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).
Carlton
Cook played at North Hobart while still a teenager and was recruited by Carlton with the second pick of the 1990 AFL Draft1990 AFL Draft
The 1990 AFL Draft was the 5th annual draft of Australian rules footballers to the 14 clubs in the Australian Football League. It consisted of the national draft held at the end of the 1990 season, the pre-season draft, held before 1991 AFL season and a mid-season draft.Clubs receive picks based...
, which they had gained by trading Warren McKenzie
Warren McKenzie
Warren McKenzie is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton and Sydney in the VFL/AFL.McKenzie made his VFL debut half way through the 1985 season, against Footscray. He played a total 67 games for Carlton including the winning Grand Final of 1987...
to Sydney. It was Carlton's earliest ever draft pick up until Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy
Marc Murphy is an Australian rules footballer, recruited at number one in the 2005 AFL Draft by the Carlton Football Club.-Early life and junior career:...
in 2005.
He had to wait three seasons to make his debut and in just his fourth league game kicked six goals in a win over Sydney
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
at Optus Oval to earn a AFL Rising Star nomination, and better the five goals which he booted against Hawthorn
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
two weeks earlier. His performances for the rest of the season were poor but he was picked in both the Qualifying Final and Semi Finals, where he kicked three and two goals respectively. He made just seven appearance in 1995, a premiership year for Carlton, but was not able to establish a place in the strong forward-line come the finals. At the end of the year, Cook was traded to Footscray in exchange for Ben Sexton
Ben Sexton
Benjamin David Sexton is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Footscray and Carlton in the Australian Football League during the 1990s....
.
Western Bulldogs
After struggling in his first year at Footscray, Cook played the best football of his career in 1997, with the club now re-branded the Western Bulldogs. He kicked 36 goals for the season, 17 of them in the final three games as the Bulldogs fell just short of making a Grand Final, to finish third in their goal-kicking behind Simon Minton-ConnellSimon Minton-Connell
Simon Minton-Connell is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL, and nephew of the great full-forward, Peter Hudson.-VFL/AFL career:...
and Chris Grant
Chris Grant
Christopher Lee "Chris" Grant is a former Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League, and a legend of the Western Bulldogs Football Club...
. His run started in round 22 when he kicked seven goals and three behinds against Hawthorn. He then kicked a game high four goals to help his club defeat Sydney in the Qualifying Final, outperforming Swans forward Tony Lockett
Tony Lockett
Anthony Howard "Tony" Lockett is a former Australian rules football player. Lockett is the highest goal scorer in the history of the VFL/AFL with 1,360 goals in a career of 281 games, that commenced in 1983 with the St Kilda Football Club, and finished in 2002 with the Sydney Swans...
. Cook's six goals in the Preliminary Final had the Western Bulldogs up by 22 points at three quarter time but Adelaide came back to win by two points.
In 1998 he kicked 23 goals from 11 appearances and in 1999 he finished with 32 from 19 games. On five occasions during this time he kicked five goals or more but also played many games where he saw little of the ball and he was offloaded to Melbourne in the 1999 Pre-Season Draft
1999 AFL Draft
The 1999 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and a rookie elevation. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 1999 there...
.
Melbourne
At Melbourne, he only managed three games but won a game against the KangaroosNorth Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
when he kicked six goals before an ankle injury forced his retirement.