Jade Rawlings
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| Personal Info | |
|---|---|
| Birth | October 9, 1977, Tasmania |
| Recruited from | Devonport, Tasmania
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| Playing Career¹ | |
| Debut | Round 6, May 4, 1996, Hawthorn vs. St Kilda, at Waverley Park |
| Team(s) | Hawthorn (1996-2002)
94 games, 62 goals Western Bulldogs (2003-2004) 44 games, 32 goals Kangaroos (2005-2006) 39 games, 7 goals |
| ¹ Statistics to end of Round 20, 2006 season | |
| Career Highlights | |
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Jade Rawlings (born October 9, 1977) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League.
Contents |
[edit] Hawthorn career
Picked up very late in the 1994 AFL Draft at pick 94 by the Hawthorn Football Club, Rawlings developed into a very handy key position defender and occasionally, forward. He racked up 116 games for the Hawks before going into a contractual dispute at the end of 2004.
[edit] Move to Western Bulldogs
He was picked up at number 1 in the 2003 AFL Pre-season Draft by the Western Bulldogs, who needed a tall forward, even though Rawlings was probably more at home in the backline. On debut with his new club in Round 1, 2003 against, Rawlings booted 7 goals but in what would be a sign of things to come, missed a relatively simple shot that may have cost the Bulldogs the game.
Throughout 2004 Rawlings' kicking was woeful, sometimes kicking difficult goals along the boundary line but missing relatively simple goals (with a 50% accuracy rate). He was dropped to the VFL. In 2004 Rawlings didn't fare much better, his knee troubles ruling him out for the Bulldogs after Round 14 of that year. Rawlings soon got into internal disputes at the club and was traded to his third club, the Kangaroos.
[edit] Kangaroos career and retirement
After his recruitment, coach Dean Laidley did not guarantee Rawlings a senior game in 2006, saying he had to earn his spot.
Rawlings joined his brother Brady at the Kangaroos and was believed to be one of the reasons for moving to the club.
After playing just two games in the 2006 season, Rawlings announced that he would retire after the Round 21 game against one his former club, Hawthorn, despite an interview on Before the Game the week prior which had relatively no hint of retirement, although he did say his "knees weren't too flash" - a problem which hampered him during the 2005 season.
His final game was played in his home state of Tasmania (at Aurora Stadium) , a match where Rawlings was visibly emotional, as he was well-respected by the Hawthorn and Kangaroos sides (despite some in the media criticising the increased pay packet he was on).
[edit] Personal Life
Rawlings is married to Samantha Richardson (sister of Matthew Richardson - a footballer for the Richmond Football Club) They have a daughter, Gabriella, and are expecting their second child.
