87-749: Jeff or Jeffrey White may refer to: Jeff White (Australian footballer) (born 1977), Australian rules footballer Jeff White, founder of Operation Rescue (Kansas) Jeffrey White (born 1945), District Judge serving on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California Jeff White (visual effects) , visual effects artist Jeff White (musician) (born 1957), bluegrass guitarist/mandolinist, songwriter and record producer See also [ edit ] Geoffrey White (disambiguation) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by
174-600: A proposed relocation of the North Melbourne Football Club which had sold some of its home games there. The league pushed for a merger with the Sharks offering significant financial incentives, however North Melbourne blocked the move and the AFL decided that a new licence would be the best avenue for moving forward. On 24 December 2007, the AFL obtained Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) registration for
261-453: A $ 5 million net asset base and 111 sponsors (at least one major, 10 secondary level and 100 tertiary) by mid-October 2008. In the leadup to the 2009 AFL Draft , the AFL allowed the Gold Coast to recruit 12 players born between January and April 1992, with all other AFL clubs being restricted to players born in 1991 or earlier. Karmichael Hunt , a professional rugby league footballer with
348-460: A 12-point upset win over Carlton in Round 22, both at home. The team finished 17th at the end of the season, only above Greater Western Sydney on the AFL ladder. In November 2012 the club announced their "20-ONE-3" plan that targeted signing twenty thousand members and winning a premiership within three years - by the conclusion of the 2015 AFL season. The plan was criticised as being overly ambitious. By
435-413: A 12th placed finish), the club stagnated on the field in 2023 and again failed to make finals. On 11 July 2023, Suns officials announced that Stuart Dew would no longer be the coach after two consecutive losses to Collingwood and Port Adelaide that eliminated them from finals contention. Dew finished with 30.17% winning record over six seasons with the club. Steven King was appointed interim coach for
522-580: A 13-point loss to fellow AFL newcomers Greater Western Sydney . Their solitary win in that time was a narrow win over Melbourne in the triangular round of the 2012 NAB Cup . The home-and-away season did not begin well for the Suns either, losing their first fourteen matches in succession to be the only winless team after Round 15 of the 2012 AFL season . Among the losses included losses by more than ninety points to Collingwood and St Kilda (twice), seven-point losses to Fremantle and North Melbourne at home and
609-471: A 27-point loss to the newest AFL franchise, Greater Western Sydney . Their fourteen losses to start the season was the worst by any team since Fremantle lost its first 17 matches of the 2001 season . Their horror start to the season ended in round 16 with a narrow 2-point win against Richmond. They had a lead of up to 36 points halfway through the second quarter, which then shrank to 24 points after 2 quick goals before half time from Richmond. Richmond then had
696-468: A look" at the possibility of drafting White for the 2009 season. Ratten cited White's experience and leadership in helping to guide the younger ruckmen at Carlton as a potential draw-card. St Kilda was also suggested as a possible destination for White to continue his playing career, but the Sydney Swans later emerged as the most likely destination for White. Ultimately White signed to play in 2009 with
783-531: A move from the Fremantle Dockers at the end of 1997. He was Melbourne's first-choice ruckman for a decade, relying on his key attributes of athleticism and durability. He was an All-Australian in 2004, and was selected for Victoria several times. He was an important member of the Melbourne sides which made the 2000 AFL Grand Final and qualified for six finals series from 1998 to 2006 . White's career
870-433: A personal point of view, I still feel like I've got some time left." His preference would have been to continue at Melbourne, saying, "I love the club and would love to play on" but that he "totally understands" his delisting. Dean Bailey spoke highly of White's leadership at Melbourne, saying that White will leave a lasting legacy at the club. Carlton coach Brett Ratten suggested that he would "have to go back and have
957-445: A poor win–loss record. Eade's departure was exacerbated at the end of the season by Ablett's request to be traded back to his original club Geelong , despite having another year to serve on his contract with the club. The club appointed Port Adelaide and Hawthorn premiership player Stuart Dew as coach ahead of the 2018 season. Under Dew, the Suns adopted a draft strategy of recruiting young players, which in part contributed to
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#17330853918271044-572: A season with Melbourne. He finished his career at Melbourne in Round 22 against Richmond , kicking two goals and having 17 possessions. He received 53 Brownlow votes throughout his career—47 with Melbourne and six with Fremantle. He reached double-figures in Brownlow votes on three occasions, with his highest being the 15 votes he received in 2004. He received his final Brownlow vote in Round 7, 2008, in Melbourne's win over Fremantle. He received Brownlow votes in nine of his 14 AFL seasons. He
1131-406: A second-last finish in 2018 and last place finish in 2019, the latter being the club's second wooden spoon . David Swallow was appointed captain in 2019 and emerging talent such as Izak Rankine and Matt Rowell showed signs of propelling the club to better results in the future, though Rankine left the club in 2022 to play with Adelaide . Following their best win-loss record in 2022 (10 wins for
1218-519: A serious shin injury and a knee injury, until Round 12, 2008 . In both 2005 and 2006, he ranked third in the league in number of hit-outs. Melbourne's poor form throughout the 2007 season , when they won just five matches, saw the side finish 14th. White brought up his milestone 250th AFL-game in Round 19 with a win over the Western Bulldogs . His last season with Melbourne was 2008 , in which he
1305-413: A serious shoulder injury, while other players were lost to a combination of injury and suspension. The Suns hit the mid-to-late stage of the following season in reasonable form with a 6–8 win–loss record, though disastrously lost their last eight matches and finished in 15th place. Divisions between some of the players and Eade's cautious game-style emerged and by Round 19 club officials sacked Eade, citing
1392-449: A six to two goal quarter, snatching the lead back. The lead then went to 18 points Richmond's way before Gold Coast snatched it back to just 4. With 5 seconds left, a kick from the right forward pocket in Gold Coast's 50 was marked by Karmichael Hunt. After the siren sounded he kicked the goal to make Gold Coast 2-point winners. The Suns then won two more matches for the season, a 30-point win against Greater Western Sydney in Round 20 and
1479-618: A traditional ruckman. He was noted for his athleticism and vertical-leap, which helped him overcome his lack of height in comparison to other ruckmen. His approach to ruck-work—with greater emphasis on possessing the ball and working around the ground—helped him adapt to the changed centre-circle rules, and compensated for his lack of height and diminished ability at stoppages. Following the departure of Jim Stynes from Melbourne, White later worked on his game with former ruckman Sam Newman . Percy Johnson, Stynes and finally Newman guided and influenced White's ruck-work during his career. Throughout
1566-692: A vast improvement in White's personal performance, as he enjoyed the finest season of his career, winning Melbourne's best-and-fairest , receiving All-Australian selection, and ranking second in the league for total number of hit-outs. He reached the top ten in the 2004 Brownlow Medal with 15 votes, including four best-on-ground displays, with dominant performances against North Melbourne and Fremantle among them. His most productive period came between Rounds 9 and 16, where he recorded three best-on-ground displays, averaged 25 hit-outs and received 13 Brownlow Medal votes. His Round 6 performance against Carlton
1653-508: A wooden base and a plaque. The plaque's inscription reads from left to right, "Brisbane Lions AFC, QCLASH, Gold Coast Suns FC". A three-man committee of former Brisbane Lions chairman Graham Downie, Southport Sharks director Alan Mackenzie and lawyer and community leader John Witheriff established the club's administration. As part of the AFL bid criteria, the GC17 consortium required a commitment from 20,000 locals to become football club members,
1740-456: Is "Suns of the Gold Coast Sky". The club's primary home ground is Carrara Stadium (known for commercial purposes as "Heritage Bank Stadium"), where they play home matches and train outdoors. The club's indoor training and administrative facilities are located at the adjacent Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre . The Gold Coast Suns have a local rivalry with fellow Queensland AFL team
1827-472: Is also noted as one of his career-best performances, with Melbourne winning by more than 100 points, as White recorded 26 disposals, took eight marks, kicked one goal, and received the three Brownlow votes for his influential display. Coinciding with White's career-best form, Melbourne sat atop the AFL ladder after Round 18, but in the final month of the season, the team lost its last five matches, finishing fifth after Round 22, and losing to Essendon in
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#17330853918271914-656: Is an avid golfer and is a member of the Huntingdale Golf Club, and also plays regularly at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club . He plays off of a handicap of 5. At his final press-conference with Melbourne, he jokingly stated that a card on the seniors' Champions Tour was a potential aim once his football career is finished. White played for the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup in 1993 and 1994. He
2001-546: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Jeff White (Australian footballer) Jeffrey Newman "Jeff" White (born 19 February 1977) is an Australian rules footballer who had a distinguished career in the Australian Football League (AFL) spanning 14 years. He played most recently and notably for the Melbourne Football Club , following
2088-752: The 2011 AFL season at the Gabba in Brisbane , while their home stadium ( Metricon Stadium ) underwent final redevelopment works. Gold Coast had a bye in Round 1, and played its first AFL game debuted in Round 2 on 2 April 2011 against Carlton at the Gabba in front of a crowd of 27,914. The first five goals were scored by Carlton, before Charlie Dixon scored the first-ever goal for the Gold Coast Suns. Carlton went on to win by 119 points. Gold Coast won its first game in Round 5 on 23 April 2011, defeating Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium . Gold Coast trailed by 40 points late in
2175-605: The Australian Football League investigating several stadium options for the Gold Coast's inaugural AFL season in 2011. A new $ 172 million stadium in Helensvale was a strongly considered option. The AFL eventually brokered a deal with the Gold Coast City Council and the Queensland Government to redevelop Carrara Stadium. The $ 144.2 million upgrade would increase the stadium capacity to 25,000. Construction for
2262-572: The Brisbane Lions . The two teams contest the "QClash" twice each season. The first QClash was held in 2011 , with Gold Coast winning by 8 points; the game established the highest pay TV audience ever for an AFL game, with a total of 354,745 viewers watching the game. The medal for the player adjudged best on ground is known as the Marcus Ashcroft Medal . It is named after former footballer Marcus Ashcroft , who played junior football on
2349-466: The Elimination Final , this time to Geelong . It was during this match that White sustained his career-threatening facial injury. Following the 2005 season, he signed a three-year deal with Melbourne—his last contract with the club—worth A$ 1.4m. He was an integral part of Melbourne's strong 2006 form, as the team won 11 out of 12 games after losing the first three matches of the season. He
2436-578: The Gold Coast Suns , and adopt the colours red, gold and blue. The club's newly assembled junior squad competed in the 2009 TAC Cup under 18 competition and won most of their games, eventually finishing in 5th place. They defeated the Northern Knights in the elimination final but then lost their semi final to the Geelong Falcons . In November 2009 the team signed twelve 17-year-olds around
2523-532: The Port Adelaide Football Club . There was strong opposition from the majority of the QAFL clubs and supporters, and the AFL felt that the popular Sharks brand, and its reliance on gaming and hospitality revenue, could divide rather than unite the Gold Coast community. In 2006, the AFL attempted to negotiate a merger between the Sharks and a Melbourne-based club. The AFL made the Gold Coast a primary target for
2610-490: The QClash against Brisbane. In round 19, the club recorded its inaugural win without their captain, defeating St Kilda. The club went on to lose the remaining matches of the season, finishing in 12th. Inaugural coach Guy McKenna was sacked at season's end, leaving the club after 88 games in charge and winning just over 25% of them. Following McKenna's departure, the Suns announced Rodney Eade as their new coach. Eade had coached
2697-612: The Redland Australian Football Club in the AFL Queensland State League . After one season with Redlands he retired from playing and joined Gold Coast Football Club as a coach During 1998 —his first year living back in Melbourne—he was selected to play for Victoria . He was selected in the squad of 25 for Victoria in 1999 but did not make the final 22 for the match against South Australia . This
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2784-409: The Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs to multiple finals series and was regarded by some pundits as a good choice to push the Suns into a maiden finals campaign. In his first season, Eade made the decision to rush back Gary Ablett Jr into the side, which led to the on-field targeting of the star midfielder, while key position players Charlie Dixon and Harley Bennell were traded to other clubs as
2871-633: The Victorian Football League (VFL). Inaugural VFL team Source: 2010 VFL Season Results Concessions on entry into the AFL Players acquired through concessions Initial 2011 playing squad recruitment Guy McKenna would continue to coach the team throughout the 2011 season and beyond, after successfully guiding the club through its journey in the TAC Cup and VFL in 2009 and 2010. The Suns would play their first four "home" games of
2958-456: The men's , women's underage championships, and the Talent League . The first application for a licence by a Gold Coast team to enter the AFL was made in 1996 by the wealthy and popular Gold Coast based Southport Sharks club (formed 1961), with an excess of 20,000 members, the on-field QAFL powerhouse made a formal bid to the AFL. However, the AFL declined the license in favour of admitting
3045-408: The 2025 season, the club unveiled a new logo and guernsey, marking the first major brand change in the clubs history. Centred around the tagline "Fearless", the updated home guernsey features the new logo in deep red on a red base, and the clash kit shows off the oceanic blue logo on a sunburnt gold base. The new branding was met with backlash from fans and critics, stating that the red on red guernsey
3132-512: The Brownlow Medal. In 2000 , he was a key member of the Melbourne side that reached the Grand Final , with many pundits seeing White as the best Melbourne player on the ground in the loss to Essendon , as he had 24 hit-outs and 14 disposals. He kicked 16 goals and averaged 21 hit-outs per game for the season, and as in 1998, he recorded 11 Brownlow Medal votes. He effected
3219-487: The Carrara Stadium in a game against Collingwood that attracted an attendance of 23,302, a record was broken in round 16 of 2014 when 24,032 also attended against Collingwood. The seating capacity was temporarily upgraded to 40,000 as part of the Gold Coast's successful bid to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games . Whilst the Suns have played most of their home games at Metricon Stadium, there have been several times when
3306-549: The Dockers between 1995 and 1997 , before being traded back to his home state of Victoria to play for Melbourne. Salary-cap breaches involved in White's trade caused Melbourne to forfeit their highest selection (pick number 5) in the 1999 draft to Fremantle. Melbourne traded their two highest selections in the 1997 draft (picks 2 and 18) to Fremantle in return for White. He was a key signing in Melbourne's attempt to rebuild its squad, and in his first season at Melbourne he shared
3393-470: The Elimination Final. The 2005 season was less successful for both White and Melbourne, with the club struggling to cement a place in the top eight during the year, although they managed to finish seventh after a strong finish to the minor round, and qualify for the club's second consecutive finals series—the first time it had competed in consecutive finals series since 1991 . Melbourne again lost in
3480-469: The GC17 board, and would go on to lead the club in an off-field capacity for several years. The AFL were able to successfully negotiate with the Queensland Government to redevelop Carrara Stadium as the club's new home ground. The announcement of the redevelopment, of which a small portion was funded by the AFL, was made in May 2009. On 22 July 2010 club administrators announced that the club would be known as
3567-458: The Gabba for their first three home games of the 2011 season. The redeveloped Carrara Stadium (commercially known as Metricon Stadium) was officially opened on 22 May 2011 by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh . Six days later, the Gold Coast Suns hosted their first home match at the redeveloped Carrara Stadium against the Geelong Cats. Two months later, the Suns attracted the largest crowd ever at
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3654-484: The Gold Coast for Southport and 318 VFL/AFL games for the Brisbane Bears/Lions between 1989 and 2003. He later joined Gold Coast's coaching staff and was the first Queenslander to play 300 VFL/AFL games. Sun Touk Miller has won the medal four times, the most by any player. The trophy awarded to the winner of the game is currently known as the "QClash Trophy". The trophy is a traditional-looking silver cup with
3741-503: The Sharks contributed $ 10 million in corporate sponsorship. However the AFL officially ruled out use of the Sharks nickname (along with other nominations including the Dolphins and Pirates) for the new club, despite them being the highest polling choices of AFL supporters. The club's identity was put to a public nomination and voting process with the Marlins and Stingrays being the most popular of
3828-412: The Suns lost their opening four games and never recovered, finishing the 2015 season in 16th place with only four wins. The club started the 2016 season with three consecutive wins and defeated minor premiers Fremantle , giving the impression it was on the verge of achieving sustained on-field success. However it would only win a further three matches for the season and Ablett was again sidelined with
3915-581: The adjacent Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre . The club is one of two AFL clubs based in Queensland, the other being its main rival, the Brisbane Lions , which it competes against in the QClash . In addition to the men's team, the Suns field other teams, including an AFL Women's side, a reserves side in the Victorian Football League , and a Gold Coast Suns Academy side consisting of the club's best junior development signings. It also competes in Division 2 of
4002-400: The available options among community stakeholders. In response to the poll, however the AFL announced that it would not adopt any of the community suggested names and the team would initially remain unnamed and that the nickname would evolve. However it was later leaked that the AFL's marketing department had already chosen the Suns brand independent of the community consultation. The new club
4089-477: The club and elects seven of the nine members of its board with the two remaining being elected by the club members. Notes: *Crowd restrictions due to the COVID-19 Pandemic were in place for the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The two guernseys worn by the Suns are: The Suns' Mascot Manor representative and club mascot is "Sunny Ray". In June 2018 the Suns introduced their new mascot, "Skye". The team song
4176-519: The club has played home games away from Carrara. In 2011, the club had to find a temporary home ground as the redevelopment ran into the 2011 AFL season . The Suns elected to use the Gabba for their first three home games of the 2011 season. The Gabba was again used in 2018 AFL season as Carrara was being prepared for the 2018 Commonwealth Games . In that season, they also played a home game in Cairns at Cazaly's Stadium , Perth at Optus Stadium and played
4263-498: The country to compete in the Victorian Football League (VFL) year through the under age access rules. These players included Luke Russell ( Burnie ), Maverick Weller ( Burnie ), Taylor Hine ( Calder ), Josh Toy ( Calder ), Matt Shaw ( Dandenong ), Piers Flanagan ( Geelong ), Hayden Jolly ( Glenelg ), Alex Keath ( Murray ), Jack Hutchins ( Sandringham ), Tom Nicholls ( Sandringham ), Brandon Matera ( South Fremantle ), Trent McKenzie ( Western Jets ). The Gold Coast
4350-545: The couple's first child, son Kalani Jordan. White has stated his desire to move to the Gold Coast once his playing career in Melbourne is finished, and mooted that a role with the proposed Gold Coast AFL team is possible in either a development or coaching capacity. In September 2008, he launched a sports classified website, SponsorThem , which is a specialised networking site for athletes. White wanted to impart his knowledge of social media to other athletes, which grew into his own business, White Echo, launched in 2009. White
4437-440: The end of the 20-ONE-3 period, the Suns had a highest membership of 13,643 (achieved in 2015) and a highest ladder position of 12 (10 wins - achieved in 2014). In the 2013 AFL season Gold Coast improved, highlighted by a victory over eventual finalist Collingwood . Their improvement on the past two seasons was so stark that they were considered possibilities of securing an unlikely finals berth . The Suns finished with 8 wins for
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#17330853918274524-541: The first 12 matches of the season, but was then dropped for nine matches until the final match of the season—and of his Fremantle career. Fremantle's performances were largely consistent during White's three seasons with them, as they finished 13th in both 1995 and 1996, and 12th in 1997. White was handed the number 34 guernsey at Fremantle and he wore the number for the rest of his career. He credits Percy Johnson with guiding his ruck style in his time with Fremantle. He played 32 games and kicked 18 goals with
4611-474: The first AFL match ever played at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns . However, the Suns also suffered several more very heavy defeats during the year, including a 139-point loss to Essendon in Round 6 – in which Essendon scored a record 15.4 (94) in the first quarter – and a 150-point loss against Geelong in Round 20. The Suns went on to win the wooden spoon . Gold Coast endured a poor pre-season in 2012 which included
4698-432: The first-choice ruckman at Melbourne for an extended run of matches. Coach Dean Bailey said that 2008 was the most difficult season that White and team-mate Adem Yze had experienced at the club—the side finished bottom and won just three games. Bailey praised both White and Yze on their professionalism and attitude at the end of the season—the pair's last at Melbourne. White played 15 games in 2008—his lowest total in
4785-637: The ground had existed since 1987, the Gold Coast Football Club's establishment in late 2008 prompted the club to use the stadium as their home ground during the 2009 TAC Cup . The ground opened in 1987 and was used by the Brisbane Bears for the first six years of existence and was later used by the North Melbourne Kangaroos and several professional Rugby league teams. The insufficient and outdated facilities at Carrara Stadium led to
4872-581: The injury. GC17 The Gold Coast Suns , officially the Gold Coast Football Club , are a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland 's Gold Coast in the suburb of Carrara . The club has been playing in the AFL since the 2011 season . It plays home matches at Carrara Stadium (known for commercial purposes as People First Stadium ) and has its training and administrative facilities located at
4959-635: The latter stages of his career, he wore special thigh- and shin-pads to protect himself from injury in the ruck—his specially-designed shin-pad was required to protect a problematic shin injury which had threatened his career. During a match in 2003, he was kicked in the shin, causing his shin-pad to crack and split the skin, leaving a laceration about the size of a tablespoon . Once the wound had healed, White's surgeon told him that if it split open again, he would have to stop playing. White has said that this "reality check" helped to strengthen his focus and helped him deal with injuries more effectively. He said that
5046-419: The most by any one player since records began in 1987, with a career-high game total of 47 during a resounding round-22 win over West Coast Eagles in 2000 . Testament to his durability and consistency, he was ranked in the top five in the AFL in total number of hit-outs for nine consecutive seasons from 1999. At 195 cm, White is relatively short for a ruckman, and operated more as a ruck-rover than as
5133-439: The most hit-outs in the league in 2002 , with 561, playing in all of Melbourne's matches in a run that saw them narrowly lose to Adelaide by two goals in a semi-final. The 2003 season was disappointing for both Melbourne, and White personally. His average number of hit-outs dropped by more than six per game, he averaged fewer than eight kicks per match, and did not receive any Brownlow Medal votes. The following season saw
5220-455: The most number of hit-outs in the league for the season, with 499. White played all but one of Melbourne's matches in 2001 , and after a commanding performance against his former club in Round 21 where had 33 possessions, kicked two goals, and received three Brownlow Medal votes, then-Fremantle coach Ben Allan responded to a suggestion that White may leave Melbourne at the end of the season by saying "we'll have him back". White recorded
5307-508: The name "Gold Coast Football Club Ltd". In March 2008 the AFL won the support of the league's 16 club presidents to establish sides on the Gold Coast and in Western Sydney . Shortly thereafter the AFL invited the Sharks to become part of a consortium, and the club made a $ 150,000 donation and sought to meet the strict criteria set down for inclusion by the AFL. As part of the winning bid,
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#17330853918275394-452: The redevelopment of Carrara Stadium began in December 2009 and the Gold Coast was required to find a new home ground for the 2010 VFL season . The team shared their games among local grounds Fankhauser Reserve , H & A Oval and Cooke-Murphy Oval . The redevelopment ran into the 2011 AFL season and the Gold Coast were again required to find a temporary home ground. The Suns elected to use
5481-404: The remainder of the season. On 21 August 2023, the club announced that three-time Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick had signed on as coach of the senior team for six years. In round 10 of the 2024 AFL season the Suns recorded their highest ever total to date, with 26 goals and 8 behinds, amassing a total score of 164 in a 64-point victory over Geelong. On 15 November 2024, ahead of
5568-482: The rucking duties with Jim Stynes, the latter mentoring White in their only season together. He played in all of Melbourne's 25 matches for the season as they reached the preliminary final , where they lost to North Melbourne . He received 11 votes in the Brownlow Medal for the season. After a promising start to his career in Melbourne, 1999 was less successful. White's disposals and scoring statistics dropped significantly, and he tellingly failed to record any votes in
5655-403: The same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jeff_White&oldid=921284380 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
5742-482: The season and ended the season placed 14th on the ladder. Captain Gary Ablett won his second Brownlow Medal , the first such medalist to win the award at the club. Despite losing veterans Jared Brennan and Campbell Brown ahead of the 2014 season , some experts predicted Gold Coast to "give the top 8 (finals) a nudge", though the general consensus was that the Suns would likely finish around 13th. Though beginning
5829-479: The season promisingly and entering Round 11 with a 7–2 record following impressive wins on the road against Melbourne, North Melbourne (who had defeated minor premiers Sydney three weeks earlier), and St Kilda, the Suns would stumble severely through the second half of the season. After captain Gary Ablett was injured in a win over Collingwood in round 16, the club went on to lose the next two matches, including one in
5916-557: The second of their home games in Shanghai at Jiangwan Stadium . This was following the club hosting the first-ever AFL game outside Australia or New Zealand in 2017 in Shanghai. The club took a home game to their academy zone, Townsville at Riverway Stadium in 2019 before signing a deal with AFL NMthern Territory to play a home game in their new academy zone Darwin at TIO Stadium from 2020 to 2024. The match scheduled for Darwin in 2021
6003-506: The specially-designed shin-guard and those who designed it "saved his career". (The shin-guard can be seen on White's right-leg in the photos on this page.) In 2005, he was involved in a horrific on-field incident with Geelong 's Steven King . As King attempted to kick the ball out of mid-air, he missed and collected White's face at the height of his leg's swing, causing facial injuries that required extensive surgery, inserting five metal plates and 14 screws into White's jaw and face. It
6090-485: The third quarter, before coming back to win by three points, after Port Adelaide's Justin Westhoff missed a set shot after the siren. Michael Rischitelli was the best on ground. Gold Coast won two more matches for the season, winning the inaugural QClash against Brisbane Lions in Round 7 by eight points (which became the most-watched AFL match on pay television ever), and defeating Richmond by 15 points in Round 17 in
6177-456: Was a strange choice, and the clash guernsey "looked awful". The logo itself features the sun rising over the ocean inside a football. The football shape is cut to represent the letters 'G', 'C' and 'S' for Gold Coast Suns. The word "SUNS" appears under the logo in a custom font. The logo can be seen in the clubs 3 colours, deep red, sunburnt gold and oceanic blue. Gold Coast began playing at Carrara Stadium in their foundation year of 2009. Although
6264-447: Was also given permission (by the AFL) to play David Swallow in 2010, despite not being the correct age. The deal that was struck with the AFL stated that Swallow would still need to go through the 2010 AFL Draft to officially join the team, while the other under age recruits contracts would run through 2011. These are the results and fixture for the 2010 season, in which the club competed in
6351-468: Was announced that the new team would play in the TAC Cup in 2009 and the Victorian Football League in 2010 ahead of its entry into the AFL in 2011. Later that year the board of business-people who had been appointed to set up the club, and were known as the GC17 bid, appointed WAFL coach and former West Coast player Guy McKenna as senior coach. Essendon administrator Travis Auld was selected as head of
6438-513: Was drafted with the number 1 pick in the 1994 AFL Draft —the first Dandenong player to be drafted with the highest pick. Travis Johnstone —who was White's team-mate at Melbourne for 10 years—is the only other Dandenong player to be selected with the first pick in an AFL draft. White was one of six Dandenong players selected to play for Vic Metro at the Teal Cup —the national under 18 championships—in 1994. Following his performances for Vic Metro, he
6525-438: Was dropped for the first time in his Melbourne career, despite returning to some of his best form. His average number of disposals per match (18.5) was the highest of any season in his career. His long-time understudy Mark Jamar assumed White's position as the premier ruckman at Melbourne, allowing Paul Johnson to play the second-ruckman role. It was the first time in 20 years that anyone other than White or Jim Stynes had been
6612-569: Was formally granted the licence to compete in the AFL on 31 March 2009. AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou announced the club could debut in the Queensland State League in 2009 as it recruited players and prepared for its debut season in the AFL, which the league scheduled for 2011. Marquee AFL players such as Nick Riewoldt , Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett were speculated as potential signings for Gold Coast, though all three men ended up re-signing with their existing clubs. In June 2008 it
6699-474: Was moved however due to COVID-19 and was played as a Suns home game at the Sydney Cricket Ground . In late June, all 18 AFL clubs relocated to Victoria due to various lockdowns due to COVID-19. This resulted in many games being relocated including a Thursday night home game from Metricon Stadium to Marvel Stadium . Brisbane Lions 'hosted' a game at Metricon Stadium against St Kilda as Greater Brisbane
6786-576: Was named among the best Melbourne players in the side's come-from-behind victory against St Kilda in the Elimination Final. Melbourne lost to Fremantle the following week , ending their third consecutive finals series . During 2006, White effected fewer hit-outs than in 2005, although his total number of disposals, marks and goals were all significantly improved. He played all of Melbourne's matches that season, as he did for four seasons from 2004 —a consistent run which saw him play more than 100 consecutive matches after he missed games in 2003 due to
6873-605: Was named as an All-Australian at Under 18 level. White was drafted by the Fremantle Dockers as the number 1 pick, which Fremantle were granted by the AFL because 1995 was the club's first season in the competition. White made his debut in Round ;3 of Fremantle's inaugural season in a victory over Fitzroy . He played six matches in 1995, kicking three goals but averaging less than three hit-outs per game. The 1996 season saw him play 13 matches and kick 13 goals and greatly improve his average number of disposals. He
6960-489: Was named as one of Melbourne's 150 Legends during the club's 150th anniversary celebrations, and finished his career with the seventh-highest number of appearances for Melbourne with 236. He was made a life member of the Melbourne Football Club during 2008. White was delisted from Melbourne following the 2008 season, but has stated that he hopes to play on for one or two more seasons at another AFL club: "From
7047-459: Was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award in Round 19 in a 24-point win against Collingwood . He had 22 disposals, 11 marks, kicked a goal and received three Brownlow Medal votes for his stand-out performance for the season. In his final season at Fremantle, White took on greater responsibility of the ruck-work, and averaged 10 hit-outs per game for the season. He played
7134-670: Was not renewed in 2008 and White signed to play in 2009 with the Redland Australian Football Club in the AFL Queensland State League . White grew up in Victoria and was keen to return to Melbourne after he was drafted to the Fremantle Dockers in Western Australia. He was married to Stacy, and in Melbourne they lived at Sandringham . The pair met on the Gold Coast , and married there in October 2005. On 5 May 2007, Stacy gave birth to
7221-545: Was of particular note for a ruckman —his goal-kicking accuracy finished at slightly less than 60%. He was a consistent exponent of the spectacular mark , preferring to take chest marks high over packs. He was nominated on several occasions for the Mark of the Year , but he never won the award. His ball-skills and work around the ground remained one of his greatest strengths throughout his career. He effected 5000 hit-outs in his AFL career,
7308-446: Was punctuated by serious injuries to his shin and face, in 2003 and 2005 respectively. He cemented his reputation as one of the premier ruckmen in the AFL with consistent displays for Melbourne during his eleven years at the club. Former team-mate, fellow long-serving Melbourne ruckman, and Melbourne chairman Jim Stynes called White an "ornament to the game and particularly to the Melbourne Football Club." His contract with Melbourne
7395-405: Was still considered a red zone under Victorian COVID rules. List of AFL Stadiums Other home grounds used for the Suns include: AFL Pre Season: Fankhauser Reserve (2011, 2013, 2018), Riverway Stadium (2015, 2018), Merrimac Oval (2017), Great Barrier Reef Arena (2017, 2019) AFL Women's: Heritage Bank Stadium (2020-2021), Great Barrier Reef Arena (2020) The AFL Commission owns a majority stake in
7482-459: Was the last State-of-Origin match, although a Victoria team was selected to play against a Dream Team in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match in 2008—White was selected in the initial 40-man squad for Victoria, but once again did not make the final 22. He was Melbourne's only representative in the squad. Playing for Victoria in 1998 was his only representative appearance. White's kicking accuracy
7569-411: Was viewed as an accident by the AFL tribunal and no action was taken against King. As the incident took place in Melbourne's final match of the season—Geelong winning the match and knocking Melbourne out of the finals—White was able to recover during the off-season and did not miss a match, despite the severity of the injury. White's wedding to his fiancée Stacy was postponed until later in the year due to
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