Aaron Naughton | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Nickname(s) | Astronaught, Naughty | ||
Date of birth | 30 November 1999 | ||
Place of birth | Frankston, Victoria | ||
Original team(s) | Peel Thunder (WAFL) | ||
Draft | No. 9, 2017 national draft | ||
Debut | Round 1, 2018, Greater Western Sydney vs. Western Bulldogs, at UNSW Canberra Oval | ||
Height | 195 cm (6 ft 5 in) | ||
Weight | 93 kg (205 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Key Forward | ||
Club information | |||
Current club | Western Bulldogs | ||
Number | 33 | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2018– | Western Bulldogs | 128 (197) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 5, 2024. | |||
Career highlights | |||
| |||
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Aaron Naughton (born 30 November 1999) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). Standing at 195 cm, Naughton is considered a key-position player who is renowned for his strong marking skills and can play both in defence and attack.
He is known by his Western Bulldogs fans as the AstroNaught due to his surname and for his large leaps to grasp outstanding high-flying marks. [1] [2]
Naughton was born in the outer Melbourne suburb of Frankston and played junior football with the Frankston YCW Junior Football Club from Auskick through to under-9s. [3] He later grew up in Rockingham, Western Australia, [4] and attended Kolbe Catholic College. [5]
He was drafted by the Western Bulldogs with their first selection and ninth overall in the 2017 national draft. [6]
He made his debut in the 82-point loss to Greater Western Sydney at UNSW Canberra Oval in the opening round of the 2018 season. [7] Naughton went on to play 18 games in his debut season, finishing fourth in the club best-and-fairest count and winning the Chris Grant Best First Year Player Award. He also earned a Rising Star nomination for his performance against Richmond in Round 23. [8] Naughton moved into the forward line at the beginning of 2019. This move proved to be a success and Naughton kicked 32 goals in his second year. Naughton led the AFL for contested marks at the conclusion of the 2019 season, with a total of 53. His contested marking was best on display in Round 7 against Richmond, claiming 9 contested marks, he was only 1 shy of the AFL record. [9] Naughton kicked a career-high six goals in the 12th round of the 2020 AFL season against the Adelaide Crows.
Naughton had a career-best start to the 2021 AFL season, kicking multiple goals in every single game up to Round 9. He was named as one of the Bulldogs' best players in their close win over West Coast, after kicking 3 goals, including the one that put them back in front in the final quarter. [10] [11] He then had his best game for the season in Round 9, where he kicked 4 goals and helped secure the team a win against Port Adelaide. [12] [13]
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
2018 | Western Bulldogs | 33 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 130 | 78 | 208 | 77 | 38 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 7.2 | 4.3 | 11.6 | 4.3 | 2.1 |
2019 | Western Bulldogs | 33 | 23 | 32 | 27 | 170 | 80 | 250 | 132 | 42 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 7.4 | 3.5 | 10.9 | 5.7 | 1.8 |
2020 [lower-alpha 1] | Western Bulldogs | 33 | 12 | 15 | 6 | 46 | 38 | 84 | 42 | 9 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 7.0 | 3.5 | 0.8 |
2021 | Western Bulldogs | 33 | 9 | 22 | 16 | 90 | 26 | 116 | 64 | 14 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 10.0 | 2.9 | 12.9 | 7.1 | 1.6 |
Career | 62 | 71 | 50 | 436 | 222 | 658 | 315 | 103 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 7.0 | 3.6 | 10.6 | 5.1 | 1.7 |
Notes
Christopher Lee Grant is a former Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League, a legend of the Western Bulldogs and a member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame. He was born in Daylesford, Victoria, Australia.
Robert "Bob" Murphy is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). Renowned for his silky skills and leadership qualities, Murphy also proved a versatile player, equally capable of playing in attack or in defence depending on the situation. He was appointed as the Bulldogs' captain for 2015 following the departure of predecessor Ryan Griffen. Murphy now works at the Fremantle Dockers.
Easton Phillip Wood is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He grew up in Camperdown, Victoria while attending Geelong Grammar School. He was drafted with the 43rd selection in the 2007 AFL draft. He made his AFL debut in the 2009 AFL season, playing 2 games. Since then, Wood has been an AFL Premiership player and a AFL premiership captain, an All-Australian, a two-time Australian International Rules Series representative, and a Charles Sutton Medallist. He served as the team's captain for the majority of the 2016 season, as well as between the 2018-2019 seasons, and served as the team's vice captain in 2017.
Thomas Francis Liberatore is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). At 1.84 m (6.0 ft) and 85 kg (187 lb), he plays as a contested ball-winning midfielder who applies high amounts of pressure. He is the eldest son of former Bulldogs player Tony Liberatore. He was born and raised in Melbourne, Victoria while attending St Kevin's College, and played top-level junior football with the Calder Cannons in the NAB League.
Tory Dickson is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played mainly as a medium-sized forward.
Brett Goodes is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is the younger brother of Sydney Swans dual Brownlow Medalist Adam Goodes.
Jackson Macrae is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). At 191 cm tall and 85 kg (187 lb), he plays as a ball-winning midfielder who can play on the inside or as a running outside midfielder. He grew up in Kew, Victoria while attending Carey Baptist Grammar School, where he won the best and fairest award while playing for their top team. He played top-level junior football with the Oakleigh Chargers in the NAB League and Vic Metro in the AFL Under 18 Championships.
Lachlan Hunter is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), having previously played for the Western Bulldogs. Hunter plays predominantly as an outside midfielder or wingman, but can also play as a half-forward. He played top-level junior football with the Western Jets in the TAC Cup, as well as with the Vic Metro representative team in the 2012 AFL Under 18 Championships.
Sam Lloyd is a former Australian rules footballer. He played for the Western Bulldogs and the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Lloyd played as a midfielder and small forward and was renowned for his goal-sense and ability to win forward line one-on-one contests. He was recruited from state-league football as a mature-age player in 2013. While senior listed at Richmond in 2017, he won the Norm Goss Memorial Medal as best on ground during the club's reserves grand final in the VFL.
Marcus Bontempelli is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He has served as Western Bulldogs captain since the 2020 season, and was previously the vice-captain from 2018 to 2019.
Bailey Dale is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). At 187 cm tall and 83 kg, he plays as a running half-back who can move up forward or play as a wingman. He grew up in Chelsea Heights, Victoria. He played top-level junior football with the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup, and placed third in the team's best and fairest.
Ellie Blackburn is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She served as Western Bulldogs co-captain in 2019, and has served as the sole captain since the 2020 season. Blackburn is the Western Bulldogs games record holder with 68 games.
Nic Newman is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the Sydney Swans with their second selection and thirty-fifth overall in the 2015 rookie draft. He made his debut in the twenty-three point loss against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium in round 2, 2017. At the conclusion of the 2018 season, Newman was traded to Carlton. He made his debut for Carlton in the Round 1 match against Richmond at the MCG. Newman impressed, gathering 26 disposals and kicking a classy goal in the 33 point loss. In his second game against his former club, Newman collected 32 disposals in a best on ground performance. His efforts were a pivotal part in Carlton’s fourth win of the 2019 season.
Isabel Huntington is an Australian rules footballer playing for Greater Western Sydney in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted to the Western Bulldogs with the first pick in the 2017 AFL Women's draft.
Bailey Smith is a professional Australian rules football player for the Western Bulldogs. Smith was recruited by the Western Bulldogs with the 7th draft pick in the 2018 AFL draft, making his debut in the 2019 AFL season. He received a nomination for the 2019 AFL Rising Star award in round 9 of the 2019 season, placing fourth in the overall count at the conclusion of the season. Since then, he has been a dual member of the 22 Under 22 team, and a recipient of the Chris Grant Best First Year Player Award.
Ben Cavarra is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He spent a decorated junior career as a midfielder at the Eastern Ranges in the TAC Cup. Overlooked by AFL clubs because of his height, he spent four seasons in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with Frankston and Williamstown, where he took on his present role as a small forward. He was selected by the Western Bulldogs in the 2018 national draft, the sixth time he had nominated.
Cody Weightman is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Western Bulldogs with the 15th draft pick in the 2019 AFL draft.
Jess Fitzgerald is an Australian rules footballer playing for Western Bulldogs in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was drafted with the second selection in the 2020 AFL Women's draft by the Western Bulldogs.
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football team based in Melbourne, Victoria. Their 2021 season is their 96th season in the Australian Football League (AFL), their seventh season under premiership coach Luke Beveridge, and their second season with Marcus Bontempelli as captain. By the end of the home-and-away season, they finished fifth with 15 wins and 7 losses despite topping the ladder for eight weeks. Nevertheless, they were able to make the 2021 Grand Final against Melbourne, where they lost by 74 points to finish the year as runner-up.
The 2021 season was the Western Bulldogs's fifth season in the AFL Women's (AFLW) competition. Nathan Burke was the team's coach for the second consecutive season, and Ellie Blackburn was the team's captain for the third consecutive season. The Western Bulldogs finished the home-and-away season eighth on the ladder and with a win–loss record of 5–4, meaning they missed out on qualifying for finals.