David Wojcinski

David Wojcinski

David Wojcinski
Personal information
Full name David Wojcinski
Date of birth (1980-09-18) 18 September 1980
Original team(s) Gippsland Power (TAC Cup)
Draft Pick 24, 1998, Geelong
Height / weight 180cm / 80kg
Club information
Current club Geelong
Number 40
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1999–2012 Geelong 203 (66)
International team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2010–2011 Australia 2
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2012.
2 State and international statistics correct as of 2011.
Career highlights

AFL

Geelong Football Club

  • Most Improved Player award 2004
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

David "Wojo" Wojcinski (born 18 September 1980) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Career

Wojcinski made his debut in 1998 . He won the club's Most Improved Player award for 2004.

In 2007 he returned from a serious knee injury to play a major part for the Geelong side with his pace off half back. He was rewarded with a premiership medal in September.

After injuring a tendon in his right finger during a 2008 pre-season practice match against the Richmond Tigers,[1] Wojcinski found he required surgery to his little finger.[1] He made a quick recovery from this surgery, playing against Essendon in Round 2. Whilst 2008 begun well for Wojcinski, Round 15 saw him injure an Achilles tendon, ruling him out until the Preliminary final against the Western Bulldogs more than two months later. [2] His lack of match fitness jeopardized his selection for the Grand Final side, which was announced on 25 September 2008. The selection left Wojcinski out of the starting 22, and as an emergency, Paul Chapman was chosen over him after returning from his own injury. Mark Thompson, coach of the Geelong Cats, confirmed the reason for "Wojo" missing out was simply due to his bad run with injury. He quoted[3] "fit and in good form he's (Wojcinski) in our best 22, no doubt. And everybody in the room, everybody that knows Geelong would know that,".

David overcame the disappointment of missing out on Grand Final selection in 2008 to produce career best form over the following years. He rightfully won his spot back in the 2009 Grand Final as Geelong came from behind to beat St. Kilda and win their second premiership in three years. In 2011, David was one of only a handful of players to add a third premiership medal to his collection, as Geelong overpowered Collingwood in the final quarter of the Grand Final to be runaway victors. David's dash off half back and his 'take them on' attitude was a key component in Geelong's success, and during his career was one of the fastest and most exciting players to watch with his electrifying speed both from the half-back flank and through the midfield.

David finished 2011 on 199 games and took until Round 11 2012 to play his 200th.[4] He went on to play only 3 more games that season before announcing his retirement after the elimination final loss to Fremantle Football Club. He did, however, play a crucial role in the Cats VFL Premiership that same year, putting the icing on the cake of an excellent football career.[5]

Statistics

[6]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team # Games G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
Totals Averages (per game)
1999 Geelong 40 5 1 1 7 9 16 0 5 0.2 0.2 1.4 1.8 3.2 0.0 1.0
2000 Geelong 40 9 1 1 49 27 76 15 14 0.1 0.1 5.4 3.0 8.4 1.7 1.6
2001 Geelong 40 6 0 0 32 18 50 4 10 0.0 0.0 5.3 3.0 8.3 0.7 1.7
2002 Geelong 40 17 4 1 119 71 190 35 35 0.2 0.1 7.0 4.2 11.2 2.1 2.1
2003 Geelong 40 18 7 4 152 71 223 38 25 0.4 0.2 8.4 3.9 12.4 2.1 1.4
2004 Geelong 40 21 9 9 172 104 276 54 40 0.4 0.4 8.2 5.0 13.1 2.6 1.9
2005 Geelong 40 2 0 2 21 8 29 7 6 0.0 1.0 10.5 4.0 14.5 3.5 3.0
2006 Geelong 40 15 1 6 116 80 196 45 30 0.1 0.4 7.7 5.3 13.1 3.0 2.0
2007 Geelong 40 25 14 9 196 185 381 77 52 0.6 0.4 7.8 7.4 15.2 3.1 2.1
2008 Geelong 40 14 8 8 118 116 234 46 25 0.6 0.6 8.4 8.3 16.7 3.3 1.8
2009 Geelong 40 21 3 4 153 200 353 57 64 0.1 0.2 7.3 9.5 16.8 2.7 3.0
2010 Geelong 40 24 6 5 191 232 423 92 44 0.2 0.2 8.0 9.7 17.6 3.8 1.8
2011 Geelong 40 22 12 9 162 173 335 76 49 0.6 0.4 7.4 7.9 15.2 3.4 2.2
2012 Geelong 40 4 0 1 33 22 55 13 14 0.0 0.2 8.2 5.5 13.8 3.2 3.5
Career 203 66 60 1521 1316 2837 559 413 0.3 0.3 7.5 6.5 14.0 2.8 2.0

Personal life

Wojcinski grew up in Heyfield, Victoria. He is the son of Lee and Charlie Wojcinski and has three sisters: Deanne, Sarah and Emma. Wojcinski married partner Casey Bell in October 2008 at Port Douglas, after much disappointment after being dropped from the AFL Grand Final. David and Casey have three children: sons Alfie (2006) and Monty (2009) and daughter Olive (2011).

In 2008, Wojcinski was an ambassador for an anti-booze-fuelled-violence campaign run by the Geelong Advertiser titled "Just Think".[7] In this role, Wojcinski appeared in advertising alongside fellow ambassadors, and former Geelong teammates, Tom Harley and James Kelly.[7]

Wojcinski retired from AFL football in 2012. He continued to play football for the Newtown & Chilwell Eagles in the Geelong Football League and later also coached them, until he resigned at the end of the 2015 season.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 "Surgery for Cats defender". Herald Sun. 11 March 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  2. ↑ Upbeat Wojo says bring home title
  3. ↑ Heartbreak kid Wojcinski a team man
  4. ↑ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/david-wojcinski-celebrates-200th-game-with-victory/story-e6frf9jf-1226389907052#
  5. ↑ http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2012/09/24/352012_gfc.html
  6. ↑ David Wojcinski's player profile at AFL Tables
  7. 1 2 Devic, Aleks (5 December 2008). "Just Think campaign reaches new heights". Geelong Advertiser. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  8. ↑ Wade, Nick (6 August 2015). "GFL: David Wojcinski to stand down as Newtown & Chilwell coach at season’s end". Geelong Advertiser.
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