Robert Shirley (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Robert Shirley is an Australian Rules
footballer who is currently clubless after being delisted by the Adelaide Crows
. He plays primarily as a tagger but is also adept as a contested possession winning midfielder. Shirley was known as one of the best taggers in the AFL.
, Shirley played 21 games in his first three seasons at the highest level before being delisted at the end of the 2002 season. Despite rumoured interest from Carlton
, Shirley was immediately redrafted by the Crows with pick 53 in the 2002 AFL Draft
and placed on the club's rookie list.
Shirley won a shock recall in round 12 of the next season after Simon Goodwin
broke his wrist, and he did well enough to play every game for the remainder of the season. This included a noteworthy shutdown of future Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd
in the Crows' Elimination Final victory over the West Coast Eagles. "It's funny how the game turns around pretty quickly," Shirley noted after the game. "A few months ago I wasn't really close to getting a game. In the second half of the season I've been lucky enough to stay in the side. It's week-by-week for me and I don't take it any further than that."
Shirley was reminded of the fickleness of form when he was dropped after the Crows' abysmal first-up loss to the Kangaroos
in Round 1, 2004. He was recalled in round 9, however, and played every game for the remainder of the season.
Season 2005 proved a watershed year for Shirley as he became the club's primary tagger following the decision by Tyson Stenglein
to return home to Perth at the end of 2004. Beginning with another personal victory over Judd
in Round 1 Shirley went from strength to strength, missing only one game in the team's unexpected rise to the Minor Premiership
and subsequent exit at the Preliminary Final stage. His good form was acknowledged with the Coaches' Award at the club's Club Champion Award ceremony.
In 2006 Shirley began to develop his ballwinning skills, averaging 16 disposals per game and leading the club in Hard Ball Gets with 75 for the year. He also continued to be a reliable tagger for the club, finishing third in the club's tackle count with 85.
By 2007 Shirley had added another dimension to his game, registering eight 20-plus disposal games including a career high 30 touches against the Brisbane Lions in Round 21. He still remained one of the club's most prolific tacklers, achieving a personal best of 10 tackles in Adelaide's Elimination Final loss to Hawthorn. and placing third in the club's tackle count. At the conclusion of Round 5 Shirley won the AFL Army Award
for the most courageous act of that week's matches, for his last ditch spoil going back with the flight of the ball deep into the last quarter of the Crows' 1-point loss to Fremantle
. At season's end Shirley's hard work was acknowledged with his second AFC Coach's Award.
From Shirley's recall to the side in 2004 to the last game of the 2008 season, he missed only five games, four of which were through injury. However, in 2009, a new-look Adelaide outfit had no place for Shirley. Dropped for the first few games of the season, Shirley did return in Round 11 but could not hold his place on a consistent basis and was in and out of the side, as quicker and more attacking players such as Michael Doughty and Nathan van Berlo
were favoured in negating roles. Shirley was the highest profile player of five delisted by the club at the end of the season.
The Gold Coast FC had also been considering selecting Adelaide tagger Robert Shirley, but the 29-year-old midfielder has decided to accept a lucrative contract with Ainslie in the ACT, rather than play with the Gold Coast, which will field a team in the VFL in 2010, before entering the AFL competition in 2011.
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...
footballer who is currently clubless after being delisted by the Adelaide Crows
Adelaide Crows
The Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Crows, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Adelaide, South Australia, playing in the Australian Football League ....
. He plays primarily as a tagger but is also adept as a contested possession winning midfielder. Shirley was known as one of the best taggers in the AFL.
AFL career
Originally drafted from Woodville-West Torrens with pick 67 in the 1999 AFL Draft1999 AFL Draft
The 1999 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and a rookie elevation. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 1999 there...
, Shirley played 21 games in his first three seasons at the highest level before being delisted at the end of the 2002 season. Despite rumoured interest from Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
, Shirley was immediately redrafted by the Crows with pick 53 in the 2002 AFL Draft
2002 AFL Draft
The 2002 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and the elevation of rookies. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 2002...
and placed on the club's rookie list.
Shirley won a shock recall in round 12 of the next season after Simon Goodwin
Simon Goodwin
Simon Goodwin is a former Australian rules footballer, who is a dual premiership player with the Adelaide Football Club and is now an assistant coach at the Essendon Football Club.-Early career :...
broke his wrist, and he did well enough to play every game for the remainder of the season. This included a noteworthy shutdown of future Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd
Chris Judd
Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
in the Crows' Elimination Final victory over the West Coast Eagles. "It's funny how the game turns around pretty quickly," Shirley noted after the game. "A few months ago I wasn't really close to getting a game. In the second half of the season I've been lucky enough to stay in the side. It's week-by-week for me and I don't take it any further than that."
Shirley was reminded of the fickleness of form when he was dropped after the Crows' abysmal first-up loss to the Kangaroos
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...
in Round 1, 2004. He was recalled in round 9, however, and played every game for the remainder of the season.
Season 2005 proved a watershed year for Shirley as he became the club's primary tagger following the decision by Tyson Stenglein
Tyson Stenglein
Tyson Stenglein is an Australian rules footballer, who played for the Adelaide Crows and the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League .- Adelaide career :...
to return home to Perth at the end of 2004. Beginning with another personal victory over Judd
Chris Judd
Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
in Round 1 Shirley went from strength to strength, missing only one game in the team's unexpected rise to the Minor Premiership
McClelland Trophy
The McClelland Trophy is an Australian rules football trophy, currently awarded to the minor premiers in the Australian Football League each year...
and subsequent exit at the Preliminary Final stage. His good form was acknowledged with the Coaches' Award at the club's Club Champion Award ceremony.
In 2006 Shirley began to develop his ballwinning skills, averaging 16 disposals per game and leading the club in Hard Ball Gets with 75 for the year. He also continued to be a reliable tagger for the club, finishing third in the club's tackle count with 85.
By 2007 Shirley had added another dimension to his game, registering eight 20-plus disposal games including a career high 30 touches against the Brisbane Lions in Round 21. He still remained one of the club's most prolific tacklers, achieving a personal best of 10 tackles in Adelaide's Elimination Final loss to Hawthorn. and placing third in the club's tackle count. At the conclusion of Round 5 Shirley won the AFL Army Award
2007 AFL Army Award
The Australian Football League celebrates the best act of selflessness or one percenter of the season through the annual AFL Army Award competition.-Winners by Round:Legend* Winner of round in BLUE* *Denotes current Round-See also:* AFL Army Award...
for the most courageous act of that week's matches, for his last ditch spoil going back with the flight of the ball deep into the last quarter of the Crows' 1-point loss to Fremantle
Fremantle Football Club
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed The Dockers, is an Australian rules football team which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in the port city of Fremantle at the mouth of the Swan River in Western Australia...
. At season's end Shirley's hard work was acknowledged with his second AFC Coach's Award.
From Shirley's recall to the side in 2004 to the last game of the 2008 season, he missed only five games, four of which were through injury. However, in 2009, a new-look Adelaide outfit had no place for Shirley. Dropped for the first few games of the season, Shirley did return in Round 11 but could not hold his place on a consistent basis and was in and out of the side, as quicker and more attacking players such as Michael Doughty and Nathan van Berlo
Nathan van Berlo
Nathan van Berlo is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League . He is the captain of the Adelaide Football Club....
were favoured in negating roles. Shirley was the highest profile player of five delisted by the club at the end of the season.
The Gold Coast FC had also been considering selecting Adelaide tagger Robert Shirley, but the 29-year-old midfielder has decided to accept a lucrative contract with Ainslie in the ACT, rather than play with the Gold Coast, which will field a team in the VFL in 2010, before entering the AFL competition in 2011.