Kade Simpson

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**Kade Simpson**
Personal information

Birth	5 May 1984 (1984-05-05) (age 24), Melbourne, Australia
Recruited from	Emerald/Eastern Ranges U18
Height and weight	182cm/77kg
Playing career¹
Debut	Round 11, 8 June 2003, Carlton vs. Geelong, at Telstra Dome
Team(s)	Carlton (2003-) 76 Games, 44 goals
¹ Statistics to end of Rnd 11, 2008 season
Career highlights
AFL Rising Star nominee 2005 Australian International Rules team 2006 Carlton interim captain (2007)

Kade Simpson (born May 5, 1984) is an Australian rules footballer, currently playing with the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League.

"Simmo" was drafted in the fourth round of the 2002 AFL Draft. His skills were immediately apparent, but he did not have enough weight to play regular seniors in his first two seasons; even now, his weight is a relatively light 77kg. He played for the Northern Bullants, and on his few selections in the senior team, received so little ground time that he did not have a disposal in his first three games.

Simpson first broke into the senior team as a regular in the latter half of 2005. Still eligible for the AFL Rising Star in his third season on the list, Simpson was nominated in Round 18. He played nine of the last 10 games of the season, missing one game through injury, and his pace and skill began to attract attention.

Simpson took a big step up in the 2006 season, being elevated to the leadership group and running 4th in the best and fairest. He played every game, mainly as a running link-man from half-back. He finished in the top 5 in the AFL for running bounces, which was typical of his rebound play, averaged 19 disposals with a maximum of 30, and eleven goals. This style of running play prompted Kevin Sheedy to select Simpson for the Australian International Rules team for the 2006 tour of Ireland.

Simpson captained the Blues between Rounds 14 and 19 during 2007, in the absence of regular captain and vice-captain Lance Whitnall and Nick Stevens. The interim captaincy was initially to be rotated amongst four players, but Simpson impressed sufficiently to retain the role.