Jade Rawlings

Infobox afl player


firstname = Jade
lastname = Rawlings


| birthdate = Birth date and age|1977|10|9|df=y
birthplace = Tasmania
originalteam = Devonport, Tasmania
dead = alive
deathdate =
deathplace =
debutdate = Round 6, 4 May 1996
debutteam = Hawthorn
debutopponent = St Kilda
debutstadium = Waverley Park
playingteams = Hawthorn (1996-2003)

116 games, 62 goals

Western Bulldogs (2004-2005)

29 games, 32 goals

Kangaroos (2006)

3 games, 2 goals
coach = Richmond Football Club - Assistant coach 2007
coachingteams =
statsend = Round 20, 2006
careerhighlights =

*International Rules 2003
*Western Bulldogs leading goalkicker (equal) 2004
*AFL Rising Star nominee 1998

Jade Rawlings (born 9 October 1977) is the senior coach of the Coburg Tigers Football Club that plays in the Victorian Football League and is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League with the Hawthorn,Western Bulldogs and the Kangaroos Football Clubs.

Hawthorn career

Picked up very late in the 1994 AFL Draft at pick 94 by the Hawthorn Football Club, Rawlings developed into a very handy key position defender and occasionally, forward. He racked up 116 games for the Hawks before going into a contractual dispute at the end of 2004.

Move to Western Bulldogs

He was picked up at number 1 in the 2004 AFL Pre-season Draft by the Western Bulldogs, who needed a tall forward, even though Rawlings was probably more at home in the backline. On debut with his new club in Round 1, 2004 Rawlings booted 7 goals but in what would be a sign of things to come, missed a relatively simple shot that may have cost the Bulldogs the game.

Throughout 2004 Rawlings' kicking was woeful, sometimes kicking difficult goals along the boundary line but missing relatively simple goals (with a 50% accuracy rate). He was dropped to the VFL. In 2005 Rawlings didn't fare much better, his knee troubles ruling him out for the Bulldogs after Round 14 of that year. Rawlings soon got into internal disputes at the club and was traded to his third club, the Kangaroos.

Kangaroos career and retirement

After his recruitment, coach Dean Laidley did not guarantee Rawlings a senior game in 2006, saying he had to earn his spot.

Rawlings joined his brother Brady at the Kangaroos and was believed to be one of the reasons for moving to the club.

After playing just two games in the 2006 season, Rawlings announced that he would retire after the Round 21 game against one of his former club, Hawthorn, despite an interview on "Before the Game" the week prior which had relatively no hint of retirement, although he did say his "knees weren't too flash" - a problem which hampered him during the 2005 season.

His final game was played in his home state of Tasmania (at Aurora Stadium) , a match where Rawlings was visibly emotional, as he was well-respected by the Hawthorn and Kangaroos sides (despite some in the media criticising the increased pay packet he was on).

Jade played most of the year in 2006 with the Tasmanian Devils Football Club in the VFL showing some good form.

Jade is now an assistant coach with the Richmond Football Club(AFL).

Personal life

Rawlings is married to Samantha Richardson (sister of Matthew Richardson - a footballer for the Richmond Football Club) They have two children.

External links

*Kangplayer|ref=31793
*AflRleague|ref=J/Jade_Rawlings.html
* [http://www.searchingkangaroo.com/forum/upload/index.php?act=idx The Searching Kangaroo - Unofficial Fan Forum and sponsors of Joel Perry in Season 2006]