Simon Black

Simon Black (born 3 April 1979) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League.

Black is a midfielder with a reputation for hard work and skill. He has the ability to get under the pack to retrieve the ball as well as deliver it with precision to teammates and rarely wastes a possession.

Born in Mount Isa, Queensland, he relocated to Western Australia with his family at a very young age, where he attended school at Corpus Christi College in Bateman.^[1]

He was drafted by the Brisbane Lions in 1997 from the East Fremantle Football Club, and he debuted in the first game of the 1998 season and immediately showed his class. His numerous awards for his efforts include the 2002 Brownlow Medal, the 2003 Norm Smith Medal and the 2001, 2002, and 2006 Merrett-Murray Medals awarded to the best and fairest player with the Brisbane Lions and three premiership medallions he received as a part of the Lions' hat-trick of premierships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He was also a member of the famous midfield group the 'Fab Four' consisting of Black, Michael Voss, Nigel Lappin and Jason Akermanis during Brisbane Lions' premiership era.^[2]

Leadership

In 2004, Black was made a vice captain of the Lions, a position he retained in 2005. In 2006, he was made a member of the nine-man leadership group of the Lions led by captain Michael Voss alongside senior players Jason Akermanis, Jonathan Brown, Chris Johnson, Nigel Lappin, Justin Leppitsch, Luke Power, and Chris Scott, though disciplinary action against Akermanis and Leppitsch's mid-season retirement due to injury reduced the group to seven. Of these, Lappin and Scott spent the year out through injury; likewise, Johnson and Brown also endured long-term injuries that precluded them from playing much of the season. This left much of the on-field leadership to Black and Power, especially as Voss prepared to step down from the captaincy at the end of the season. Black and Power shared on-field leadership duties, including the coin toss, through the end of the 2006 season. The leadership group was also instrumental in the off-field culture of the club, particularly in the handling of the Akermanis situation.

After Voss retired at the end of 2006, the leadership group of Black, Johnson, Brown, and Power (Lappin being unavailable through injury for all games) acted as co-captains through the 2007 NAB Cup. The club announced on 20 March 2007 that all five players would share the captaincy for the 2007 season.^[3]

At the end of the 2008 season on 27 October, Newly appointed Coach Michael Voss named Jonathan Brown as the sole captain of the Brisbane Lions. Black was appointed as one of four vice captains along with Luke Power, Jed Adcock and Daniel Merrett. However, for the 2011 season Black and Power agreed to step down as vice-captains to make way for younger leaders, such as Tom Rockliff. Black is still considered an integral part of the leadership around the club.

Background

• Black was born in Mount Isa in Queensland – the same birthplace of fellow sports stars Greg Norman and Pat Rafter – before his family settled in Perth.

• He was a standout junior 800m and 1500m runner as a junior and competed several times at national level.

• He joined East Fremantle Football Club and represented Western Australia in the 1997 U18 Championships where he earned All-Australian honours.

• Despite being widely tipped as a first round prospect, Black was drafted by the Brisbane Lions with selection No.31 in the 1997 National Draft.

1998-1999 Rising Star

• Black was impressive during the pre-season and earned his senior debut in Round 1 against the Bulldogs at the Gabba.

• He played nine senior matches and averaged over 12 disposals during his debut season and took out the Club’s Best First Year Player award.

• Black consolidated himself as an automatic senior selection and built a reputation for winning the ball in contested situations.

• He collected 20 possessions and kicked two goals against Geelong in Round 9 which earned him an AFL Rising Star Nomination. He ultimately finished third in the award behind Sydney’s Adam Goodes and Adelaide’s Brett Burton.

• He played a remarkable 22 matches and averaged close to 19 disposals.

• The West Australian claimed the Attitude Barometer award (Full Ground) and won the Lions Rookie of the Year award for the second consecutive season after club officials changed the selection criteria to fall in line with the AFL’s Rising Star award.

• His breakthrough season ended on a sour note when he suffered a fractured eye socket five minutes into the Preliminary Final loss to North Melbourne at the MCG.

• He was awarded nine votes in the Brownlow Medal – more than highly fancied team-mates Michael Voss and Jason Akermanis.

2000 Break-through Year

• Black continued his evolution into an elite midfielder by finishing equal seventh in the Club Champion voting despite missing four matches with a broken hand.

• He averaging 23.9 disposals, led the competition in centre clearances on a per game basis and finished second behind Geelong’s Garry Hocking in hard-ball gets.

2001 Golden Era

• Black played every match from the start of the pre-season competition through to the Grand Final, leading the AFL in tackles and averaging a team-high 24.6 possessions.

• He was an integral member of the Lions’ breakthrough premiership win, was joint Club Champion with Captain Michael Voss and was named as the starting ruck-rover in the All-Australian team.

• He finished 5th in the AFLPA's Most Valuable Player voting behind Andrew McLeod, Michael Voss, Ben Cousins and Brett Ratten.

• Black also won a $39,000 car as the Herald Sun Player of the Year and figured in the top 10 in countless other media awards.

• He was expected to poll many more than his 12 votes in the Brownlow Medal after entering the count as one of the top fancies with the bookies.

• He represented Australia for the first and only time during the off-season as part of the International Rules Series against Ireland.

2002 Brownlow Medalist

• Black established himself among the true champions of the game by helping lead his team to its second consecutive premiership in his 100th AFL match.

• He collected 22 possessions in the Grand Final against Collingwood despite receiving a heavy tag from Scott Burns.

• He collected a whopping 583 possessions from 25 games and earned All-Australian selection for the second consecutive season.

• Comparisons between him and dual Brownlow Medallist Greg Williams began to surface because of his outstanding peripheral vision and ability to get the contested ball.

• He won the game’s most coveted individual honour – the Brownlow Medal – when he polled 25 votes to beat Port Adelaide’s Josh Francou (21) and skipper Michael Voss (17).

• Black, Voss and Jason Akermanis made more history on Grand Final day by becoming the first trio of awarded Brownlow Medallists to play in a premiership team together.

• He was awarded his second Merrett-Murray Medal – making him only the sixth player ever to win back-to-back best and fairest awards in back-to-back premiership years. He was also the sixth man in the history of the VFL/AFL to win the Brownlow and Club Champion award in a premiership year.

2003 Norm Smith Medalist

• Black continued his sublime football career by averaging over 24 disposals in a year the Lions made history by winning their third consecutive premiership.

• He finished just one vote behind Michael Voss in the Club Champion award and was considered unlucky not to have been selected in the AFL All-Australian team.

• He was outstanding throughout the 2003 Finals Series and finished the season with one of the great Grand Final performances in recent history. Collingwood simply had no answer Black who collected a career-best 39 possessions – the most by any player in a Grand Final – and was duly rewarded with the Norm Smith Medal.

• With two Club Champion awards, a Brownlow Medal and Norm Smith Medal among his trophy collection, Black had the distinction of being one of the most decorated players in the game by the ripe old age of 24

2004 End of an era

• Black claimed his third All-Australian honours following another outstanding season which saw him play every match and averaged 23.6 possessions.

• So highly was the Brownlow Medallist rated, that Port Adelaide’s 2004 pre-Grand Final planning was spent on trying to shut him down with specialist tagger Kane Cornes.

• Black was booked for striking during the Grand Final loss and, despite having never been reported before throughout his career, was subsequently suspended for three matches. The suspension broke a remarkable sequence of 107 consecutive matches dating back to 2000.

• He finished third overall in the Club Champion award – his fourth consecutive ‘podium’ finish.

2005 Injury Plagued

• Black’s season started three games late due to his suspension following an incident in the 2004 Grand Final but the interruption did nothing to curb his influence in his first game back – collecting 26 possessions against Hawthorn in Round 4.

• He remained at his consistent best and was a driving force behind the team’s mid-season turnaround which saw the Lions win five straight matches and seem a legitimate finals contender.

• However, a corked calf restricted him in the latter stages of the season as the Lions missed finals for only the second time since Black arrived in 1998.

2006 Back to his best

• Having overcome his injuries which hampered much of 2005, Black played every match and averaged 24 disposals per game.

• He exuded greater leadership qualities when faced with playing in the midfield without the likes of Michael Voss, Jason Akermanis and Nigel Lappin who were absent at times throughout the season.

• He made 30 more clearances, gathered 100 more loose-ball gets and had twice as many hard-ball gets over the season than any of his team-mates. He laid the most tackles at the Club as well.

• It came as no surprise that Black won his third Merrett-Murray Medal among other awards at the Club Champion dinner.

2007

• Black’s leadership qualities were formalised at the beginning of 2007 when he was named one of the four Lions Co-Captains following the retirement of skipper Michael Voss.

• He collected an equal career-high 39 disposals against Hawthorn in the opening round of the season and firmed considerably for the Brownlow Medal after the first dozen games.

• He was sublime in his 200th AFL match and earned three Brownlow votes for his performance despite the fact that his team were comfortably defeated by Collingwood at the Gabba.

• He played 21 of a possible 22 matches, averaged over 22 disposals per game, finished equal fifth in the Club’s Best & Fairest and took home the Lions’ Best Midfielder award.

• Black was also afforded the honour of being inducted as a Life Member of the Club having completed ten sensational seasons.

• He continued to attract the attention of the umpires and finished equal Runner-up in the Brownlow Medal behind Geelong’s Jimmy Bartel.

2008

• Black’s 11th season was arguably one of his finest – which seems absurd considering his previous decade of outstanding performances.

• He averaged a career-best 25.7 disposals per game and only collected fewer than 20 touches only twice in his 21 matches.

• After a blistering start to the season which saw him firm in Brownlow Medal betting, Black missed the team’s Round 7 clash with Geelong at Skilled Stadium due to a groin complaint. The injury also meant he was unable to represent the ‘Dream Team’ in the AFL’s Hall of Fame Tribute match the following week at the MCG.

• A 36 disposal performance against Melbourne during the ANZAC Round at the Gabba earned him the Club’s Sands of Gallipoli Medal for best afield – one of the few accolades that he had not previously received.

• He led the Club in contested possessions, hard ball gets, clearances and handballs despite struggling for much of the season with a groin injury.

• For the second consecutive season, Black finished Runner-up in the Brownlow Medal – only one vote shy of Western Bulldog midfielder Adam Cooney.

• He finished Runner-up in a tight race for the Club’s Best and Fairest award behind fellow Co-Captain Jonathan Brown – yet took home the Courier Mail Player of the Year award and the Club’s Best Midfielder award.

• When team-mate Jonathan Brown was chosen as sole Captain at the end of 2008, Black was selected as one of four Club Vice-Captains alongside Luke Power, Jed Adcock and Daniel Merrett.

2010

Black had another consistent season in 2010, finishing second in Brisbane's Best and Fairest for the fourth time, having also won three, and bringing his career tally of top ten finishes in the Lion's Best and Fairest to eight.^[4]

Black, along with Jonathan Brown and Luke Power, are the only three remaining players from Brisbane's triple-premiership winning sides still playing in the AFL today, more than ten years since the first premiership. In addition, current coach Michael Voss is still associated with the club today.

References

External links

• Simon Black's profile on the Official AFL Website of the Brisbane Lions Football Club
• Simon Black's statistics from AFL Tables