David Rhys-Jones

David Rhys-Jones (born 16 June 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Carlton Football Club and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).

David Rhys-Jones
Personal information
Full name David Rhys-Jones
Date of birth (1962-06-16) 16 June 1962
Original team(s) Oakleigh District
Height 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 84 kg (185 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1980–1984 South Melbourne/Sydney 076 0(39)
1985–1992 Carlton 106 0(73)
Total 182 (112)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1992.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Rhys-Jones's reputation as a footballer is somewhat sullied by his regular visits to the AFL Tribunal; he currently holds the record for being the most reported player in VFL/AFL history, having had his number taken by umpires 25 times over his 13-season career.[1] However, when fit and available, Rhys-Jones's versatility, pace and agility made him a valuable footballer; the best example being when he was given the challenging task of playing in defence on Hawthorn champion and AFL Hall of Famer Dermott Brereton in the 1987 VFL Grand Final and held him goalless for the only time that season, resulting in Carlton winning its 15th VFL premiership and Rhys-Jones unanimously being awarded the Norm Smith Medal for best afield by the voting panel.

Career

Rhys-Jones began his career with South Melbourne in 1980, which relocated north becoming the Sydney Swans in 1982. He moved back south to join Carlton in 1985 after a pay dispute. He remained with Carlton until his retirement in 1992. Rhys-Jones was a superbly balanced footballer, capable of playing in multiple positions and equally adept as a goalkicking option as he was at shutting down opponents. His nullifying of Dermott Brereton in the 1987 Grand Final earned Rhys-Jones the Norm Smith Medal. He was awarded nine Brownlow Medal votes that year.

In 1992, Rhys-Jones was appointed captain-coach of the North Launceston Football Club. After playing his 50th game in the 1995 winning grand final team, Rhys-Jones left to coach Frankston in the Victorian Football Association. After three years of successive finals appearances, including two grand finals, Rhys-Jones quit Frankston to concentrate on media commitments.

In 2000, he was appointed coach of Heidelberg Football Club. After a run of injuries in 2001, he decided to pull on the boots himself. The tribunal ruling that he was not allowed on the field forced Rhys-Jones to give his quarter-time team addresses from behind the boundary line. The following year, he announced in his biography that he used cocaine during his playing career.

Statistics
[2]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
  #  
 Played in that season's 
premiership team
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
1980Sydney40 43430144410—0.81.07.53.511.02.5—0
1981Sydney30 181517510828356—0.10.39.76.015.73.1—3
1982Sydney30 2131118616835459—0.10.58.98.016.92.8—1
1983Sydney30 149615411526958—0.60.411.08.219.24.1—0
1984Sydney30 19231317812730564—1.20.79.46.716.03.4—0
1985Carlton26 19221315615330959—1.20.78.28.016.33.1—2
1986Carlton26 174316613430070—0.20.29.87.917.64.1—3
1987#Carlton26 207417216633864210.40.28.68.316.93.21.19
1988Carlton26 1917715011126169330.90.47.95.813.73.61.73
1989Carlton26 162312914327269270.10.28.18.917.04.31.70
1990Carlton26 81565246982671.90.86.55.812.33.30.90
1991Carlton26 111325101.01.03.02.05.01.00.00
1992Carlton26 652272350880.80.34.53.88.31.31.30
Career 18211278157813102888613960.60.48.77.215.93.41.421

Honours and achievements

Team

Individual

Personal life

Rhys-Jones married his second wife Cheri Donnelly in Queensland in 2001. They have a son and a daughter together.[3][4] Additionally, Rhys-Jones has three children from his first marriage. Rhys-Jones and wife Cheri took over the Canada Hotel on Melbourne's Swanston Street, in 2002, renaming it the Plough and Harrow Hotel. That year, Rhys-Jones joined a reality show on Channel 7, called The Club, and he was chosen by audience votes to coach a new Australian rules football team in the Western Region Football League. The team was named the Kensington Hill Hammerheads, which Rhys-Jones coached to a premiership in its first (and only) year. Rhys-Jones lives in Melbourne.

References
  1. Eddy (2018), p.119
  2. "David Rhys-Jones". AFL Tables. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  3. "Rhys Jones' boy has rare condition". Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
  4. Herald Sun: Family battles with Cooper's insatiable hunger

Bibliography
  • Eddy, Dan (2018). The Norm Smith Medallists : The players who delivered on football's grandest stage. Melbourne, Victoria: The Slattery Media Group. ISBN 9781921778872.
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