| David Schwarz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | David Schwarz | ||
| Date of birth | 24 July 1972 | ||
| Original team | Sunbury | ||
| Height/Weight | 195 cm / 105 kg | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1991–2002 | Melbourne | 173 (244) | |
| Representative team honours | |||
| Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
| 1999 | Victoria | 1 (?) | |
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1 Playing statistics to end of 2002 season season .
2 State and International statistics correct as of 1999 season.
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| Career highlights | |||
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David Schwarz (born 24 July 1972) is a former Australian rules footballer, who retired in 2002, after playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), for 12 seasons.
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Recruited from Sunbury, Schwarz made his AFL debut in 1991. As a player for the Melbourne Football Club, he was known as "the Ox" for his beast-like build. He played centre half-forward or full-forward and was touted as one of the games next superstars, taking more marks than Wayne Carey in 1994, kicking nine goals straight against Sydney[1] and with some breathtaking finals performances (including "that" blind turn against Carlton). Strong marking, agile and athletic, he was destined for superstardom until he suffered numerous knee injuries, playing only two games in 1995 and missing the entire 1996 season.
Schwarz resumed playing in 1997 at a weight of 103 kilograms (230 lb), which was 3 kilograms (6.6 lb) above the weight he subsequently carried in 2000. He capped his effort by winning the club’s best and fairest in 1999 and passing the 100 game mark – something that was unthinkable a few years earlier when knee injuries left his career in tatters. In typical style he celebrated with 20 of his closest mates and his mother, who had brought him up single handed since the age of eight. His father had been murdered.[2]
Winning the best and fairest was a triumph for Schwarz after he had been mentioned as a possible swap for Richmond’s Wayne Campbell the previous summer. Never afraid to speak his mind and a natural team leader, he was a leading contender for the Melbourne captaincy, but was satisfied with being vice-captain to his good mate David Neitz.
Late in his playing career, he appeared as a panelist on the AFL Footy Show in a memorable show where Sam Newman threw a pie in his face. A visibly angry Schwarz pushed Newman down to the ground.
He retired in the middle of 2002 having played 173 matches and kicking 244 goals.
In 2005, in his job on radio station SEN 1116, he admitted that during his football career he had a gambling problem and whittled away most of his income.
From 2007 onwards Schwarz has been a part of the Channel Seven AFL Commentary team along with Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Tim Watson, Leigh Matthews, Tom Harley and Matthew Richardson.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Todd Viney |
Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist 1999 |
Succeeded by Shane Woewodin |
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