Joel Wilkinson
| Joel Wilkinson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Wilkinson (front) in May 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Joel Wilkinson | ||
| Date of birth | 29 November 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Sydney Australia | ||
| Original team | Broadbeach (QAFL) | ||
| Draft | Zone Selection, Gold Coast | ||
| Height/Weight | 186cm / 81kg | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2011–2013 | Gold Coast | 26 (1) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 2013 season. | |||
Joel Wilkinson (born 29 November 1991) is a professional Australian rules football player at the Gold Coast Football Club. He was one of the club's underage recruits, and played in the Gold Coast's first season, in 2011.
Early life
Wilkinson has a Nigerian father and an Australian mother. At the age of four Wilkinson's family settled on the Gold Coast, Queensland and instantly began to pursue an interest in Athletics.[1] Although excelling in athletics, Wilkinson also represented the Gold Coast in cricket, soccer and tennis. In 2008 he grew tired of the sports he had already tried and began playing Australian rules football for his school Palm Beach Currumbin High School, for the first time at 16 years of age. Although Palm Beach Currumbin High School was predominantly known for its rugby league history, Wilkinson elected to play Australian rules football.
Junior Football
Wilkinson began playing for the Broadbeach Australian Football Club Under 18 team in 2009 and was chosen to represent the Gold Coast Stingrays in state competition later that year. He began playing senior football for the Broadbeach Cats in 2010 and in just his fourth game earned a nomination for the AFLQ Rising Star Award.[2] He was also named as the captain of the Under 18 Queensland Scorpions squad that competed in the 2010 AFL National Under 18 Championships.[3] At the conclusion of the 2010 season Wilkinson was drafted as a Queensland zone selection to the newly formed Gold Coast Suns and became one of four Gold Coasters drafted to the Suns, the others being Marc Lock, Jack Stanlake and Rory Thompson.
AFL career
Wilkinson made his debut in Round 14 of the 2011 AFL season, against the Western Bulldogs. In his second game in the AFL he kicked his first goal while playing against the Fremantle at Subiaco Oval.
Controversies
- On debut in 2011, in front a home crowd on the Gold Coast, Wilkinson was racially abused by Western Bulldogs player Justin Sherman.[4]
- While competing against Collingwood at the MCG in 2012, Wilkinson was racially vilified by a Collingwood member in the stands.[5]
References
- ↑ Smart, Nick (24 June 2011). "Wilkinson makes AFL debut with Suns". goldcoast.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 June 2011.
- ↑ "Round 6: Joel Wilkinson".
- ↑ Smart, Nick (2 October 2010). "Shining young Cat attracts Suns eye". goldcoast.com.au.
- ↑ Suns rookie Joel Wilkinson shaken by Western Bulldog Justin Shermans racial slur – couriermail.com.au. Published 28 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
- ↑ Suns rookie Racist comments cost Pie fan his membership – theage.com.au. Published 5 June 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2012.
External links
- Joel Wilkinson's profile on the official website of the Gold Coast Football Club
- Joel Wilkinson's statistics from AFL Tables