David Rodan

David Rodan
David Rodan during the 2007 AFL Season
Personal information
Full name	David Rodan
Date of birth	(1983-10-08) 8 October 1983
Place of birth	Fiji
Original team	Calder Cannons (TAC Cup)
Draft	#33, 2001 National Draft, Richmond #86, 2006 National Draft, Port Adelaide
Height/Weight	173cm / 87kg
Position(s)	Midfielder
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2002–2006 2007–2012 2013 Total	Richmond Port Adelaide Melbourne	065 0(43) 111 0(86) 009 00(2) 185 (131)
International team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
2008	Australia	2 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 2013 season.
Career highlights
Peter Badcoe VC Medal 2010 round 5

David Rodan (born 8 October 1983) is a retired professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Richmond, Port Adelaide and Melbourne Football Clubs.

Rodan is the first Fijian-born player to reach 100 AFL games.^[1]

Early life

David Rodan was born in Fiji^[2] to mother Amelia and father David Snr, both of Tongan heritage. He spent his first year in the town of Lami near Suva. When he was three years old, his family moved to Australia.^[3] His father wanted him to play rugby union, but there were no rugby clubs for juniors in his area. Instead, he tried Aussie Rules, beginning junior football with Oak Park and the Holy Child Football Club in Broadmeadows, and he developed a passion for the sport.^[4]

Rodan rose through the junior ranks until dominating in the TAC Cup competition, winning back to back Morrish Medals (2000 and 2001).

AFL career

Richmond (2001 - 2006)

Rodan was recruited by AFL club Richmond at the end of 2001 at pick 33. He played every game for two years (from his debut in 2002), and was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award in his debut season and kicked 17 goals of which three were nominated for the Goal of the Year award.

Playing for Richmond, he played as a small crumbing forward along with Andrew Krakouer in the early part of his career.

He became an Australian citizen in September 2002 in order to get a passport to travel to London, England to participate in an Australian Football Exhibition Match against Essendon as his Fijian passport had expired.^[5]

After the retirement of Matthew Knights, Rodan shifted into the midfield.

He did not participate in the 2005 regular season due to a severe knee injury. Rodan made a return to league football in 2006, but was delisted at the end of the season, first hearing of his sacking at the club's best and fairest function via an impromptu speech from captain Kane Johnson.^[6]

Port Adelaide (2007 - 2012)

Rodan was given a career lifeline when he was drafted by Port Adelaide with the final selection of the 2006 AFL draft.

Rodan did not miss a game in the 2007 season, which meant he played in the 2007 AFL Grand Final. He received six Brownlow Medal votes at the 2007 medal count including a best on ground 3 votes for his round 12 performance, putting him in the top 60 players in the competition.

Rodan ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament in a training injury in December 2009 and was expected to miss the entire 2010 season.^[7] However, following ligament augmentation and reconstruction surgery, which replaced the torn ligament with one made of polyester fibres, Rodan was able to play in round six, 2010.^[8]

Melbourne (2013)

Rodan was traded to the Melbourne Football Club on 25 October 2012. Port Adelaide had initially stated that he had been delisted, but had not formally lodged the paperwork with the AFL allowing a trade to be made between Port Adelaide and Melbourne. He was traded for Pick no. 88 in the 2012 AFL Draft.

Rodan announced his retirement after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament again in Round 22 against the Adelaide Crows.

References

External links

• David Rodan's profile on the official website of the Port Adelaide Football Club
• David Rodan's statistics from AFL Tables

Australian squad – 2008 International Rules Series Captain: Harvey Bock Boyd Brennan Brown Burgoyne Campbell Crowley Firrito Foley Hayden Montagna Motlop Murphy Osborne Pendlebury Petrie Rodan Rooke Sewell Simpson Selwood Thomas Thompson Wells Coach: Malthouse