Dyson Heppell | |||
---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||
Full name | Dyson Heppell | ||
Date of birth | 14 May 1992 | ||
Place of birth | Leongatha, Victoria | ||
Original team(s) | Gippsland Power (TAC Cup) | ||
Draft | No. 8, 2010 national draft | ||
Debut | Round 1, 2011, Essendon vs. Western Bulldogs, at Etihad Stadium | ||
Height | 189 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Weight | 87 kg (192 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder / defender | ||
Club information | |||
Current club | Essendon | ||
Number | 21 | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2011–2024 | Essendon | 252 (68) | |
International team honours | |||
Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
2015 | Australia | 1 (0) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of Round 20, 2024. 2 State and international statistics correct as of 2015. | |||
Career highlights | |||
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Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Dyson Heppell (born 14 May 1992) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Heppell won the AFL Rising Star award in his first season in 2011, and won a Crichton Medal and All-Australian selection in 2014. He served as Essendon captain from the 2017 season, and relinquished the captaincy before 2023 season proper having led the side 107 times.
Heppell participated in the Auskick program at Leongatha. [1] He began playing football with Leongatha Football Club, [2] and played for Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. [3] Named as Gippsland's captain for the 2010 season, [4] Heppell also played for the Victorian Country side at the 2010 AFL Under 18 Championships, where he was named in the All-Australian team. [5] At 189 cm, [3] he played as a "line-breaking defender" [4] for the first half of the 2010 season, before moving into the midfield for the second half of the season. [4]
Heppell finished strongly in the Morrish Medal count, which is awarded to the best and fairest player in the TAC Cup regular season, eventually tying for the award with Jackson Sketcher of the Sandringham Dragons, after achieving the maximum votes possible from rounds 13 to 17. [6] Despite finishing the regular season in sixth place on the ladder, both Gippsland and Heppell had a good finals series. He accumulated 36 disposals in an elimination final victory and was named best on ground in the preliminary final win to qualify for the TAC Cup Grand Final. [7] In a stark contrast to the rest of his season, Heppell had a relatively poor game in the grand final, gathering only 20 touches, as the Power were outclassed by the Calder Cannons by 56 points. [8]
Despite his performance in the grand final, Heppell was an impressive performer at the AFL draft camp, [9] and was touted by many as being a potential top five draft pick in the 2010 national draft, [10] with some even claiming he could go as high as top three. [7] Most speculation suggested that the Brisbane Lions would select Heppell with pick five, [10] who with his "silky" [5] skills and raking left foot, modelled his style on the Lions' own Josh Drummond. [3]
In the week before the draft, however, a rumour, which Heppell denied, began circulating that he was suffering from groin problems. [10] Due to this, Essendon, which had the eighth selection, became interested that he might fall to their pick, and Heppell spoke to newly appointed coach, James Hird, days before the draft. [5] Hird, who said he had been interested in Heppell for months, believed that Heppell would be selected well before Essendon had the chance to draft him, but when Heppell did slide back due to the groin concerns, Essendon selected him ahead of midfielders Dion Prestia and Shaun Atley. Heppell, who supported the Bombers as a child and had "idolised" Hird while growing up, said that getting drafted by Essendon was "like a dream". [5]
Heppell received the first Rising Star nomination for 2011 after recording 20 possessions in his debut AFL match, against the Western Bulldogs in round 1. [11] In his first season, he played every match of the home and away season and was described as a major contributor in helping Essendon make the finals. Throughout the year, and leading into the vote count, Heppell was widely considered to be the favourite for the Ron Evans Medal, awarded to the rising star of each season. [12] He won the medal, polling 44 of a possible 45 votes and became the first Essendon player to win the award. Heppell described winning the award as "a dream come true". [13]
He continued his ascent as an emerging star by finishing third in the clubs best and fairest award count, Essendon's best and fairest award; his second consecutive top-three placing. Having played his first two seasons largely off half-back, Heppell moved into a ball-winning role in the midfield in 2013, averaging 24 disposals for the season. He polled three Brownlow Medal votes for his 36-possession and two-goal effort against Melbourne in round 2 and was in the best players for the comeback win over Carlton in round 11.
Heppell continued his upward climb throughout the 2014 season, winning his maiden Crichton Medal, [14] receiving his first selection in the All-Australian team, [15] and polled 14 votes in the 2014 Brownlow Medal.
Heppell, along with 33 other Essendon players, whilst not returning a positive test was found guilty of using a banned performance-enhancing substance, thymosin beta-4, as part of Essendon's sports supplements program during the 2012 season. He and his team-mates were initially found not guilty in March 2015 by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal, [16] but a guilty verdict was returned in January 2016 after an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was suspended for two years which, with backdating, ended in November 2016; as a result, he served approximately fourteen months of his suspension and missed the entire 2016 AFL season. [17]
In February 2017, Heppell was announced as Essendon's new captain, taking over from Brendon Goddard. [18] In December 2019, he signed a two-year contract extension with Essendon, keeping him at the club until 2022. [19] He re-signed for 2023 [20] but stepped down as captain after six seasons in the role. [21]
On 13 August 2024, Heppell announced that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2024 AFL season. [22]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks |
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
2011 | Essendon | 21 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 262 | 231 | 493 | 132 | 63 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 11.4 | 10.0 | 21.4 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 4 |
2012 | Essendon | 21 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 250 | 180 | 430 | 113 | 59 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 12.5 | 9.0 | 21.5 | 5.6 | 3.0 | 3 |
2013 | Essendon | 21 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 269 | 192 | 461 | 88 | 74 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 14.2 | 10.1 | 24.3 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 10 |
2014 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 332 | 294 | 626 | 116 | 99 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 15.1 | 13.4 | 28.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 14 |
2015 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 304 | 262 | 566 | 87 | 105 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 13.8 | 11.9 | 25.7 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 10 |
2016 | Essendon | 21 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
2017 | Essendon | 21 | 23 | 12 | 8 | 314 | 292 | 606 | 118 | 96 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 13.7 | 12.7 | 26.3 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 14 |
2018 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 327 | 263 | 590 | 122 | 87 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 14.9 | 12.0 | 26.8 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 13 |
2019 | Essendon | 21 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 230 | 243 | 473 | 98 | 52 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 12.8 | 13.5 | 26.3 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 3 |
2020 [lower-alpha 1] | Essendon | 21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 5.0 | 8.3 | 13.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0 |
2021 | Essendon | 21 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 276 | 194 | 470 | 132 | 47 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 14.5 | 10.2 | 24.7 | 7.0 | 2.5 | 0 |
2022 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 259 | 224 | 483 | 145 | 41 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 11.8 | 10.2 | 22.0 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 0 |
2023 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 253 | 190 | 443 | 156 | 50 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.5 | 8.6 | 20.1 | 7.1 | 2.3 | |
Career | 235 | 67 | 53 | 3091 | 2590 | 5681 | 1311 | 776 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 13.2 | 11.0 | 24.2 | 5.6 | 3.3 | 71 |
Notes
Individual
James Albert Hird is a former professional Australian rules football player and past senior coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Mark "Bomber" Thompson is a retired Australian rules footballer and former senior coach. He played 202 games for the Essendon Football Club from 1983 to 1996, captaining the side from 1992 until 1995.
The Crichton Medal is the name given to the best and fairest award for the Australian rules football team the Essendon Football Club. Since 1959 or 1960, it has been known officially as the W. S. Crichton Medal. The naming of the award is in honour of Wally Crichton, a former administrator for Essendon. The voting system as of the 2017 AFL season consists of five coaches, giving each player a ranking from zero to five after each match. Players can receive a maximum of 25 votes for a game.
Jobe Watson is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Watson, the son of three-time Essendon premiership champion Tim Watson, was drafted by Essendon under the father–son rule in the 2002 national draft, and went on to become one of the best midfielders of the modern era. A dual All-Australian and three-time Crichton Medallist, he captained Essendon from 2010 to early 2016, and was the face of the Essendon playing group during the most turbulent period in the club's history.
Matthew Knights is an Australian rules football coach and former player who is currently serving as an assistant coach with the West Coast Eagles. Knights played in the midfield for the Richmond Football Club from 1988 to 2002, before going on to forge a coaching career, most notably as head coach of the Essendon Football Club from 2008 to 2010. He later became the head coach of the Geelong VFL Football Club from 2012 to 2014, guiding the Cats to the 2012 VFL Premiership and the 2013 VFL Grand Final.
Scott Pendlebury is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He served as Collingwood captain from 2014 to 2022. Pendlebury is a dual premiership player, also winning the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground in the 2010 grand final replay, and was the AFLCA champion player of the year in 2013. He is a six-time All-Australian and five-time Copeland Trophy winner, and is the Collingwood games record holder with 401 games. Pendlebury is the league record holder for disposals, handballs and tackles, and also has the most Brownlow Medal votes of any player who has not won the award.
Brent Stanton is a retired professional Australian rules footballer who played his entire career for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Heath Hocking is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
David Zaharakis is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played 13 seasons for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Luke Shuey is a former Australian rules footballer and former captain of the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). He retired at the conclusion of the 2023 AFL season.
Jake Melksham is a professional Australian rules footballer who has played for Melbourne Football Club and the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A midfielder, 1.86 metres tall and weighing 83 kilograms (183 lb), Melksham also has the ability to play as a defender, primarily as a half-back flanker. Growing up in Glenroy, Victoria, he played top-level football early when he joined the Calder Cannons' under 18 side in the TAC Cup at the age of sixteen. He spent three years playing for the Calder Cannons, winning a premiership in his final junior year. His achievements as a junior include state representation and the TAC Medal as the best player on the ground in the TAC Cup Grand Final.
The 2011 AFL season was the 115th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989.
Michael George Hibberd is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club and Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A defender, 1.87 metres tall and weighing 94 kilograms (207 lb), Hibberd plays primarily on the half-back flank. After spending the 2008 season with the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup, he missed out on selection in the 2008 AFL draft, which saw him spend two seasons in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with the Frankston Football Club. After winning Frankston's best and fairest and the Fothergill-Round Medal as the VFL's most promising young player in 2010, he was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with the fourth selection in the 2011 pre-season draft.
Michael Ross is an Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Joe Daniher is an Australian rules footballer with the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Essendon Football Club from 2013 to 2020, having been recruited to the club under the father–son rule. Daniher won a Crichton Medal and All-Australian selection in 2017, as well as the 2017 AFL Mark of the Year and Anzac Medal for that season. He is a four-time Essendon leading goalkicker and a one-time Brisbane Lions leading goalkicker.
Zachary Merrett is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Merrett is a three-time All-Australian and four-time Crichton Medallist; he also won the Yiooken Award in 2023 and the Anzac Medal in 2024. Merrett has served as Essendon captain since 2023.
Anthony William Watson McDonald-Tipungwuti is a former professional Australian rules football player for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Essendon with their second selection in the 2015 rookie draft.
The 2013 season marked the 106th season in which the Richmond Football Club participated in the AFL/VFL.
Andrew McGrath is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with the first overall selection in the 2016 national draft.
The 2023 Essendon Football Club season was the club's 125th season playing in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club also fielded an AFLW side that competed in the AFLW's 8th Season. Essendon also fielded reserve teams for the AFL and AFLW in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and the VFLW. This was the club's 14th season in the VFL.