Chris Yarran

Christopher Yarran (born 19 December 1990) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was also listed with the Richmond Football Club but did not play a senior match.

Chris Yarran
Personal information
Full name Christopher Yarran
Date of birth (1990-12-19) 19 December 1990
Place of birth Western Australia
Original team(s) Swan Districts (WAFL)
Draft No. 6, 2008 national draft
Height 180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 84 kg (185 lb)
Position(s) Half-back
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2009–2015 Carlton 119 (90)
2016 Richmond 000 0(0)
Total 119 (90)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2015.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Yarran is an Indigenous Australian footballer who played his junior years in Western Australia. He was primarily a small forward in his junior days, but occasionally spent time in the midfield and defence. At 17 years old, Yarran gained selection into the Swan Districts senior team, where he played thirteen games and kicked thirty-nine goals, including seven on debut and eight in three finals matches.[1][2] He played with Western Australia in the under 18s championships and kicked eight goals in four games.[3] He was selected to join the Australian Institute of Sport-AFL academy in the 2006/07 intake[4] and captained a team from the Clontarf Football Academy in a game against a visiting South African under 19s side in February 2007.[5]

Yarran is the cousin of former Fremantle player Shane Yarran.[6]

AFL career

Draft

Yarran was a noted talent and was expected to be drafted high,[7] with some considering him to be one of the most talented players available in the draft.[8] He would ultimately be selected by the Carlton Football Club with its first-round selection (sixth overall) in the 2008 national draft. At draft time, Carlton coach Brett Ratten said that Yarran could assist fellow small forward Eddie Betts and help to reduce the defensive pressure on then full-forward Brendan Fevola.[9]

Carlton (2009–2015)

Yarran played his first senior game for Carlton in round 7, 2009, against Fremantle. He played sporadically for Carlton during the season, managing six games, but played most of his games with Carlton's Victorian Football League (VFL) affiliate team, the Northern Bullants, including a five-goal performance in the VFL preliminary final. In 2010, Yarran played 16 games for Carlton, and earned an AFL Rising Star nomination. Throughout that season, Yarran formed part of a short-lived forward-line structure consisting of tall full-forward Setanta Ó hAilpín and three small forwards (Betts, Yarran, and Yarran's Swan Districts teammate Jeff Garlett) who became known as "Setanta's Little Helpers".[10]

In 2011, coach Brett Ratten abandoned the tactic of playing three small forwards in favour of two: Betts and Garlett. Yarran was moved onto the half-back line and within a year became a damaging rebounding defender, able to use his speed, agility and accurate disposal to set up much of Carlton's rebound play.[11] Yarran played 23 games for the season[12] and finished tenth in the John Nicholls Medal.[13] His output in the 2012 season was interrupted by a turf toe injury,[14] but he won the Goal of the Year award for a goal in round 1 in which he gathered a loose ball on the half-forward flank, evaded three Richmond opponents and skirted the boundary line before goaling from 50 metres.[15]

Richmond

In October 2015, Yarran was traded to Richmond in exchange for a first-round draft selection.[16] He failed to play a match for the club in 2016, however, after dealing with mental-health issues.[17] Yarran subsequently made a return to training, participating in the club's first day of pre-season training ahead of the 2017 season. He was released from his contract the next day after a mutual decision that he was unable to meet the demands of league football as a result of ongoing mental-health issues.[18]

Other work

Yarran featured in the award-winning 2010 documentary film, Three Boys Dreaming, which followed the lives of him and two other young Indigenous Australian footballers over a four-year period from ages 14 to 18.[19]

Personal life

In May 2019, Yarran was sentenced to five years in jail after stealing cars, attacking police and members of the public while under the influence of methamphetamine.[20] He was released on parole in April 2022.[21]

References
  1. 2008 Season Statistics
  2. Duffield, Mark; Streets ahead in class; 8 November 2008
  3. Selection 6: Christopher Yarran Archived 25 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Eight AIS/AFL Academy Archived 24 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  5. The AFL brings South Africa to Subiaco Oval Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Malcolm, Alex (27 November 2015). "From Bushby St to AFL: Docker Yarran the latest join a senior list". Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  7. Townsend, John; Bombers take aim at lively Yarran Archived 19 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine; 26 September 2008
  8. Quayle, Emma; Judgement Day; 23 November 2008
  9. Ralph, Jon; Shades of Rioli in recruit Chris Yarran, say experts; 1 December 2008
  10. Milbank, Zac (12 May 2010). "Setanta's little helpers on march". The Advertiser. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  11. Stevens, Mark (1 August 2011). "A switch to defence has unleased Carlton star Chris Yarran". Herald Sun. Australia. Retrieved 1 August 2011.
  12. AFL Tables, 2011 Stats - Player Lists - Carlton, Retrieved 19 Sep 2011.
  13. "John Nicholls Medal voting". Carlton Football Club. 6 October 2011. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  14. Macgugan, Mark. "Touch and go for Yarran's turf toe". Carlton Football Club. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  15. Clarke, Tim (29 September 2012). "Howe grabs AFL Mark of the Year". Sportsnewsfirst. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  16. Beveridge, Riley (22 October 2015). "AFL trades: Chris Yarran traded from Carlton to Richmond". Fox Sports (Australia). News Corp Australia. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  17. Anderson, Jon (29 October 2016). "Chris Yarran committed to playing AFL again after 12 months out of the game with mental health issues". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  18. "Club statement: Chris Yarran". RichmondFC.com.au. Bigpond. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  19. Quayle, Emma (18 July 2010). "Three Boys Dreaming... the sequel". The Age. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  20. Hampton, Shannon (30 May 2019). "Chris Yarran jailed: former footy star receives five-year sentence for meth-fuelled rampage". The West Australian. Seven West Media. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  21. Hampton, Shannon (5 April 2022). "Ex-AFL star jailed over violent rampage released from prison". The West Australian. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
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