Kieren Jack
Encyclopedia
Kieren Jack is a professional Australian rules football
er for the Sydney Swans
in the Australian Football League
(AFL).
Rugby League
star Garry Jack
.
Jack grew up in Cherrybrook, New South Wales
, a suburb of Sydney
. His first experience of Australian rules was in the Paul Kelly
Cup in 1998 whilst still in primary school playing for the junior Pennant Hills Demons AFC
. He went on to play a key part in premierships with the junior Demons in 1999 and 2000. Jack played both rugby league
(for Balmain's juniors) and Australian rules until 2000 before breaking the news to his father that he wanted to stop playing league to focus on Australian Rules.
He was identified by AFL talent scouts and taken by Sydney in the 2005 Rookie Draft from the NSW/ACT Rams
Under 18 team.
's decision to identify him as his was only a $5 bet.
In 2007, he was promoted from the rookie list. Notable for his tackling and running abilities, he plays as a midfielder for the Swans.
In round four, 2008, he gained a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for his role on West Coast Eagles
onballer Daniel Kerr
in a match the Swans won by 62 points (their biggest win over the Eagles since 2000). In the same season, he also shut down the likes of Shaun Burgoyne
and Luke Power
in games the Swans have won by considerable margins.
In 2009, he featured in the official advertisement for the AFL, contesting the Australian football against Leon Davis
along the floor of on an ice hockey
rink.
In 2010, Jack continued to improve the offensive side of his game, whilst still being able to negate some of the star midfielders of the AFL. Jack's career year was capped off with taking home the Bob Skilton Medal as the Swans' best and fairest player over Shane Mumford and Josh Kennedy. He was also named on the International Rules squad to tour Ireland in October.
After a breakthrough season in 2010, Jack struggle through much of 2011 with an ankle injury. He missed 6 games due to injury and was for the most part unable to recapture his form and impact from 2010.
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 for the Sydney Swans
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...
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).
Early life
He is the son of former Balmain TigersBalmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
Rugby League
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
star Garry Jack
Garry Jack
Garry Jack is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He was a representative in the Australian national team and star player with the Balmain Tigers. Jack was a for the Tigers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, under the captaincy of Wayne Pearce and the coaching of Warren Ryan...
.
Jack grew up in Cherrybrook, New South Wales
Cherrybrook, New South Wales
Cherrybrook is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cherrybrook is located 27 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire...
, a suburb of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. His first experience of Australian rules was in the Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (footballer)
Paul Kelly is a former Australian rules footballer, winner of the Brownlow Medal and captain of the Sydney Swans for ten seasons. He was and still is known to Swans fans everywhere as "Captain Courageous"....
Cup in 1998 whilst still in primary school playing for the junior Pennant Hills Demons AFC
Pennant Hills Demons AFC
Pennant Hills Demons is an Australian rules football club competing in the Sydney AFL league and based out of the Sydney suburb of Pennant Hills. Their home ground is Ern Holmes Oval.-History:The club was formed in 1971...
. He went on to play a key part in premierships with the junior Demons in 1999 and 2000. Jack played both rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
(for Balmain's juniors) and Australian rules until 2000 before breaking the news to his father that he wanted to stop playing league to focus on Australian Rules.
He was identified by AFL talent scouts and taken by Sydney in the 2005 Rookie Draft from the NSW/ACT Rams
NSW/ACT Rams
The NSW/ACT Rams were an under 18 Australian rules football representative club in the TAC Cup.The team, under the guidance of AFL NSW/ACT represented New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and had the moniker of the Ram, partly derived as an acronym from Riverina, ACT, Murrumbidgee...
Under 18 team.
AFL career
Before even making his debut, Jack made news in 2007 for being one of four players involved in an AFL betting scandal, though many criticised the AFLAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
's decision to identify him as his was only a $5 bet.
In 2007, he was promoted from the rookie list. Notable for his tackling and running abilities, he plays as a midfielder for the Swans.
In round four, 2008, he gained a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for his role on West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
onballer Daniel Kerr
Daniel Kerr
Daniel Matthew Kerr is an Australian rules footballer.Kerr was recruited from East Fremantle Football Club and made his AFL debut in 2001 with the West Coast Eagles. He is a hard-running midfielder who is a vital part of the midfield at the Eagles.-Background:Kerr is of Anglo-Indian descent...
in a match the Swans won by 62 points (their biggest win over the Eagles since 2000). In the same season, he also shut down the likes of Shaun Burgoyne
Shaun Burgoyne
Shaun Playford Burgoyne is an Australian rules footballer playing with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
and Luke Power
Luke Power
Luke Power is an Australian rules footballer. He is currently contracted to play for Greater Western Sydney. He was a part of the Brisbane Lions's 2001, 2002, and 2003 premierships. He is known for his effective use of the ball disposals, rare mistakes and his deadly accurate left foot. Many AFL...
in games the Swans have won by considerable margins.
In 2009, he featured in the official advertisement for the AFL, contesting the Australian football against 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...
along the floor of on an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
rink.
In 2010, Jack continued to improve the offensive side of his game, whilst still being able to negate some of the star midfielders of the AFL. Jack's career year was capped off with taking home the Bob Skilton Medal as the Swans' best and fairest player over Shane Mumford and Josh Kennedy. He was also named on the International Rules squad to tour Ireland in October.
After a breakthrough season in 2010, Jack struggle through much of 2011 with an ankle injury. He missed 6 games due to injury and was for the most part unable to recapture his form and impact from 2010.
Season Statistics
| Year | Team | Number | Games | Kicks | Handballs | Total Disposals | Marks | Tackles | Goals | Behinds | Goal Accuracy % | Brownlow Medal Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sydney | 48 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 0 |
| 2008 | Sydney | 15 | 23 | 171 | 113 | 284 | 69 | 91 | 11 | 9 | 55% | 2 |
| 2009 | Sydney | 15 | 22 | 174 | 149 | 323 | 55 | 85 | 13 | 10 | 57% | 0 |
| 2010 | Sydney | 15 | 24 | 307 | 181 | 488 | 68 | 147 | 21 | 15 | 58% | 10 |
| Totals | 71 | 660 | 453 | 1113 | 196 | 327 | 45 | 34 | 57% | 12 |