Colin Sylvia

Colin Martin Sylvia (8 November 1985 – 28 October 2018) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club and Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Colin Sylvia
Personal information
Full name Colin Martin Sylvia
Date of birth (1985-11-08)8 November 1985
Place of birth Mildura, Victoria, Australia
Date of death 28 October 2018(2018-10-28) (aged 32)
Place of death Mildura, Victoria, Australia
Original team(s) Bendigo Pioneers (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 3 (PP), 2003 National Draft
Melbourne
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 89 kg (196 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2004–2013 Melbourne 157 (129)
2014–2015 Fremantle 006 00(1)
Total 163 (130)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2015.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Football career

At 15 years of age, Sylvia made his debut for the Merbein seniors in the Sunraysia Football League and was a member of Merbein's 2002 premiership side.[1]

AFL career

In 2009, Sylvia had his best year at Melbourne, averaging 22 disposals and kicking 17 goals. In Round 9, against Hawthorn, he had a career-high 37 disposals and four goals, kicking three goals in a row during the third quarter. He was awarded three Brownlow Medal votes for his effort. At the end of the year Sylvia signed a two-year contract to remain with Melbourne.[2]

Sylvia's 2010 season was marred by injury, causing him to miss seven games. However, he was regularly one of Melbourne's best players in the 15 matches that he did play and he ended the season finishing fifth in the club's best and fairest award.[3] He was also Melbourne's equal leading vote-getter, with Aaron Davey, at the 2010 Brownlow Medal.[4]

In May 2013, Sylvia copped a three-game ban from the AFL tribunal for striking Gold Coast's Jared Brennan in the Demons' embarrassing 60-point defeat to the Suns.[5]

At the end of the 2013 season, after finishing fifth in Melbourne's best and fairest award for the season,[6] Sylvia signed as an unrestricted free agent with Fremantle.

After being relegated to the West Australian Football League (WAFL) prior to the commencement of the 2015 AFL season for failing to meet fitness standards, Sylvia announced his retirement from the game, effective immediately, on 28 April 2015.[7]

Personal life

Sylvia courted controversy with his off-field behaviour. He was accused of violence towards his girlfriend in 2006.[8] In March 2008 he received a one-match ban and a $5000 fine after breaking a 1:00 am curfew and failure to attend a compulsory recovery session.[9] Almost exactly a year later in March 2009, Sylvia "breached team expectations by being out late on Sunday evening" and was suspended by the club's leadership group five days later for the NAB Challenge match against the Western Bulldogs.[10]

In 2009, Sylvia talked openly about his off-field problems and behaviour and how he nearly gave up football because of injury.[11]

On 23 October 2011, police spoke with Sylvia after he left the scene of a serious accident in South Melbourne in the early hours of that morning. It is believed Sylvia was not the driver of the vehicle.[12]

Death

On 28 October 2018, Sylvia was driving in the Mildura suburb of Irymple when his car collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Nineteenth Street and Benetook Avenue about 2:20 pm.[13][14] Sylvia died at the scene. The driver of the second vehicle was not seriously injured, but was sent directly to hospital for treatment in fair condition.

Former Melbourne Football Club captain Garry Lyon stated the next day:

Colin Sylvia was tragically killed in a car accident near Mildura, just out of Mildura last night. Some of the details are a bit sketchy but a two-car collision up there ... Our condolences and sympathies are extended to Colin Sylvia and his family and friends.[15]

A public funeral was held in Mildura on 9 November, the day after what would have been Sylvia's 33rd birthday,[16] followed by a private cremation.

Statistics
[17]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2004 Melbourne 123106410250.30.02.01.33.30.71.7
2005 Melbourne 1216851295218164250.50.38.13.211.34.01.6
2006 Melbourne 12171061426620868530.60.48.43.912.24.03.1
2007 Melbourne 12161271367320968470.80.48.54.613.14.22.9
2008 Melbourne 1218169197123320119500.90.510.96.817.86.62.8
2009 Melbourne 12171710209170379115531.00.612.310.022.36.83.1
2010 Melbourne 121516721312233582611.10.514.28.122.35.54.1
2011 Melbourne 12192510215165380741011.30.511.38.720.03.95.3
2012 Melbourne 121715617013530559640.90.410.07.917.93.53.8
2013 Melbourne 121991121215736975850.50.611.28.319.44.04.5
2014 Fremantle 461322345610130.20.53.75.79.31.72.2
Career 163 130 74 1651 1101 2752 736 557 0.8 0.5 10.1 6.8 16.9 4.5 3.4

References
  1. (26 September 2009) "Demons re-sign Sylvia" Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Sunraysia Daily. Retrieved 14 August 2010
  2. (24 September 2009) "Sylvia, Wonaeamirri commit to Demons" Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine. The Age. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  3. Clark, Jay (3 September 2010). "Brad Green wins Keith "Bluey" Truscott gong". Herald Sun. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  4. Burgan, Matt. "MFC Brownlow Medal totals". Melbourne FC. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  5. Burgan, Matt (14 May 2013). "Sylvia accepts three matches". Melbourne Football Club. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  6. Ralph, Jon (4 October 2013). "Melbourne underachiever Colin Sylvia set to sign with Fremantle". Herald Sun.
  7. "Colin Sylvia to retire". Fremantle Football Club. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  8. Butcher, Steven (3 February 2006) "AFL star gets court order on girlfriend". The Age. Retrieved 1 June 2006.
  9. Stevens, Mark (11 March 2008). "Demons suspend Colin Sylvia". Herald Sun.
  10. "Demons suspend Sylvia again". 12 March 2009. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  11. Quayle, Emma. (7 June 2009) "Taming the demon". The Age. Retrieved 14 August 2010.
  12. Butler, Mark and Ralph, John. (23 October 2011) "Melbourne footy star Colin Sylvia questioned over South Melbourne crash". The Age. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  13. Drill, Stephen; Fagan, Josh (29 October 2018). "Former AFL star Colin Sylvia killed in car accident in Mildura". Herald Sun. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  14. Whiting, Michael (29 October 2018). "Former Demon and Docker Colin Sylvia dies in car crash". AFL. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  15. Millar, Benjamin; Fox Koob, Simone (29 October 2018). "Former AFL player Colin Sylvia dies in Mildura car crash". The Age. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  16. Langmaid, Aaron (9 November 2018). "AFL players, family and friends farewell ex-Melbourne player Colin Sylvia at Mildura funeral". Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  17. "Colin Sylvia". AFL Tables. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
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