Andrew Swallow is an Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er currently playing for the North Melbourne Football Club

North Melbourne Football Club

The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...

.

Recruitment

He was North Melbourne's second round draft selection in the 2005 AFL Draft

2005 AFL Draft

The 2005 AFL Draft was the 2005 instance of the AFL Draft, the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.The 2005 Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period...

, number 43 overall, from the East Fremantle Football Club

East Fremantle Football Club

The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...

 in the WAFL

West Australian Football League

The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...

.

2006: Debut

He received a nomination for the NAB Rising Star for his performance against Geelong in Round 17, 2006 when he managed 25 possessions and a goal.

2007

Swallow's form improved during the 2007 season, consistently gaining high numbers of disposals each week. This culminated in the spectacular 1-point win over Melbourne in Round 9 in which he scored the winning goal.

2008

Swallow took a step backwards in 2008 though, playing most of the season in the VFL with question marks over his disposal and awareness.

2009: Syd Barker Medallist

But he was back to his best in 2009 returning to the side to be one of North's finest throughout the season. His disposal has notably improved, and he has worked on all aspects of his game to play every game, and is now recognised as one of the best tacklers and clearance players in the North Melbourne side, and the AFL. On October 2, 2009, Swallow was awarded the Syd Barker Medal

Syd Barker Medal

The Syd Barker Medal is awarded to the North Melbourne Football Club player who has been judged the best and fairest of the footy season. The award has been given out continuously since 1937. Before then it was known as the Syd Barker Memorial Trophy....

 by North Melbourne for being the club's best and fairest player for the year.

Personal life

Swallow is the older brother of Gold Coast recruit, David Swallow

David Swallow

David Swallow is an Australian rules footballer for the Gold Coast Football Club. He was the number one draft pick in the 2010 AFL Draft....

, who was taken at pick #1 in the 2010 AFL Draft

2010 AFL Draft

The 2010 AFL Draft consists of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2010/11 Australian Football League off-season. These are the Trade Week; held between , the National Draft; held on the , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft .This is the first national draft to feature the...

. Swallow was born and raised in Western Australia attending Rehoboth Christian College.

External links

• Andrew Swallow Twitter