David Neitz

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**David Neitz**
Personal Info
Birth	January 22, 1975, Ulverstone, Tasmania
Recruited from	Parkmore
Height/Weight	193cm / 100kg
Playing Career¹
Debut	Round 1, March 27, 1993, Melbourne vs. Hawthorn, at Waverley Park
Team(s)	Melbourne (1993-) 272 games, 550 goals
¹ Statistics to end of Round 9, 2006 season
Career Highlights
Coleman Medal 2002 Melbourne Best and Fairest 2002 All Australian Team 1995, 2002 AFL Rising Star nominee 1993 Melbourne leading goalkicker 1996, 1997 (equal), 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 International Rules Series 1998 2002

David Neitz (born January 22, 1975), nicknamed Neita, is an Australian rules footballer, and captain of the Melbourne Football Club (the Demons). Neitz was born in Ulverstone, Tasmania, and entered the Australian Football League in 1993 as a key position player, and soon became one of Melbourne's best young prospects. In 1994, Neitz was named to his first Victorian State of Origin team, and he went one step further in 1995 by making the All Australian Team as well as the Victorian side.

After the retirement of Demons great Garry Lyon, Neitz moved to the full-forward position and began his successful run as one of the AFL's elite goal scorers. He has led Melbourne's goalkicking six times (1996, 1997 (equal), 1999, 2002, 2003, and 2004), and in 2002 won the prestigious Coleman Medal for leading the league in goals. On April 8, 2005, Neitz became the 40th person in VFL/AFL history to kick 500 career goals.

Neitz was appointed captain of Melbourne in 2000, and on April 8, 2005 he broke the club record for most games captained (previously held by Garry Lyon with 112 games as captain). He has been an All-Australian in 1995 and 2002, and played for Australia in two International Rules series against Ireland in 1998 and 2002. In 2002, Neitz also won his first Melbourne Best and Fairest Award, the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal.

On April 8, 2005, Neitz played his 250th career AFL game, and in 2006 signed a two-year contract extension seeing him through to the end of 2007. Neitz became Melbourne's all-time leading goalkicker on May 19 2006, surpassing Norm Smith's previous record of 546 goals. Two weeks later, he broke Robert Flower's long standing record of 272 games, making him the longest serving Demon in history.