Aaron Sandilands

Aaron Sandilands

Sandilands in 2006.
Personal information
Full name Aaron Sandilands
Date of birth (1982-12-06) 6 December 1982
Original team(s) East Fremantle (WAFL)
Draft 33rd pick, 2002 Rookie Draft (Fremantle)
Height/Weight 211cm / 119kg
Position(s) Ruckman
Club information
Current club Fremantle
Number 31
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2003– Fremantle 239 (92)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 2015 season.
Career highlights

Aaron Sandilands (born 6 December 1982) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Originally from Mount Barker, a small town in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, Sandilands played with the East Fremantle Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), before being rookie listed by Fremantle in the 2002 Rookie Draft. Upgraded from the rookie list at the end of the 2002 season, he made his senior debut for the club in round one of the 2003 season. At 211 cm (6 ft 11 in) tall, and with a peak weight of 120 kg (260 lb), Sandilands became the heaviest and equal-tallest player to ever play in the AFL. Due to his height, Sandilands plays almost exclusively as a ruckman, occasionally resting in the forward line. At times, he has been described as the best ruckman in the competition, and was named in the All-Australian team in three consecutive years between 2008 and 2010. Sandilands is a dual Doig Medallist as Fremantle's best and fairest player, won in 2009 and 2015.

Fremantle career

Originally from the small town of Mount Barker in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, Sandilands was selected by Fremantle in the rookie draft prior to the 2002 season. He spent the entire 2002 year playing for East Fremantle in the WAFL, before being elevated to the senior list prior to the 2003 season.

Playing in 19 games in his first season, the highlights were being nominated for the AFL Rising Star and earning a Brownlow Medal vote for a dominant display against the reigning premiers, Brisbane Lions in Round 14[1] and playing in Fremantle's first ever finals match. Despite Essendon being convincing winners, Sandilands was one of the few to perform well, with 41 hitouts.[2]

As ruckmen are generally considered to peak in their late 20s,[3] Sandilands has impressed many to rank 6th or 5th in total hitouts in each of his first three seasons in the AFL, improving to 2nd (with the highest average) in 2006.[4] Despite this dominance in hitouts, it does not always result in Fremantle winning the clearances.[5]

In 2006 Sandilands suffered a broken jaw in the round 6 Western Derby in a clash with then West Coast Eagles ruckman Mark Seaby.[6] Following an investigation by the AFL, no charges were laid over the incident.[7]

Sandilands has been named in the All-Australian Team four times: on the interchange bench in 2008,[8] as the only ruckman in the 2009 team,[9] and as the key ruckman in 2010 and 2014.

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2015 season [10]
Legend
 D  Disposals  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  M  Marks  T  Tackles  H/O  Hit-outs  G  Goals  B  Behinds
Led the league for the Season only*
Led the league after finals only*
Led the league after Season and Finals*

*10 games required to be eligible.

Season Team # Games D K H M T H/O G B D K H M T H/O G B
Totals Averages (per game)
2003 Fremantle 31 19 137 61 76 56 15 353 5 1 7.2 3.2 4.0 2.9 0.8 18.6 0.3 0.1
2004 Fremantle 31 20 172 74 98 61 21 473 3 1 8.6 3.7 4.9 3.1 1.1 23.7 0.2 0.1
2005 Fremantle 31 18 187 81 106 74 19 414 5 1 10.4 4.5 5.9 4.1 1.1 23.0 0.3 0.1
2006 Fremantle 31 21 268 123 145 96 15 516 7 6 12.8 5.9 6.9 4.6 0.7 24.6 0.3 0.3
2007 Fremantle 31 15 190 82 108 55 13 404 6 4 12.7 5.5 7.2 3.7 0.9 26.9 0.4 0.3
2008 Fremantle 31 22 330 122 208 77 29 646 8 11 15.0 5.5 9.5 3.5 1.3 29.4 0.4 0.5
2009 Fremantle 31 20 348 143 205 80 34 659 13 8 17.4 7.2 10.3 4.0 1.7 33.0 0.7 0.4
2010 Fremantle 31 21 343 123 220 88 34 732 13 6 16.3 5.9 10.5 4.2 1.6 34.9 0.6 0.3
2011 Fremantle 31 13 225 82 143 54 24 432 6 2 17.3 6.3 11.0 4.2 1.8 33.2 0.5 0.2
2012 Fremantle 31 14 206 71 135 48 16 528 6 0 14.7 5.1 9.6 3.4 1.1 37.7 0.4 0.0
2013 Fremantle 31 10 92 18 74 22 7 278 3 1 9.2 1.8 7.4 2.2 0.7 27.8 0.3 0.1
2014 Fremantle 31 23 293 75 218 85 44 890 8 6 12.7 3.3 9.5 3.7 1.9 38.7 0.3 0.3
2015 Fremantle 31 23 292 51 241 79 34 998 9 4 12.7 2.2 10.5 3.4 1.5 43.4 0.4 0.2
Career 239 3083 1106 1977 875 305 7323 92 51 12.9 4.6 8.3 3.7 1.3 30.6 0.4 0.2

Honours and achievements

Brownlow Medal votes
Season Votes
2003 1
2004 1
2005 1
2006 5
2007 2
2008 10
2009 10
2010 20
2011 5
2012 6
2013 —
2014 7
2015 14
Total 82
Key:
Green / Bold = Won
* = joint winner
Red / Italics = Ineligible

Individual

References

  1. ↑ Sandilands the latest National Rising Star winner
  2. ↑ Wilson, Ray (6 September 2003) Hird shows his quality
  3. ↑ The ruck star lifestyle's not for me (13 September 2003)
  4. ↑ 2006 Statistics
  5. ↑ Disappointment all round
  6. ↑ Connolly wary of AFL derby's impact
  7. ↑ Cats contest Mooney charge
  8. ↑ Cats dominate star line-up
  9. ↑ Prestipino, David (14 September 2009) Sandilands a lonely All-Australian
  10. ↑ Aaron Sandilands' player profile at AFL Tables

External links

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