Toby Thurstans

Last updated

Toby Thurstans
Personal information
Full name Toby Thurstans
Date of birth (1980-08-14) 14 August 1980 (age 42)
Original team(s) Dandenong Stingrays(TAC Cup)/Crib Point (VIC)
Height 196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 95 kg (209 lb)
Position(s) Key Position Defender
Club information
Current club Port Adelaide
Number 28
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
1999–2009 Port Adelaide 110 (55)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of Round 22, 2009.
Career highlights
  • SANFL Premiership player 2002 (Sturt)
  • AFL Premiership player 2004
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Toby Thurstans (born 14 August 1980) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Contents

Career

Thurstans was drafted from the Dandenong Stingrays at selection 39 in the 1998 National AFL Draft. He could not get a game and played in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) for Sturt until his AFL debut for Port Adelaide in Round 1, 2003 versus West Coast Eagles at Subiaco. Thurstans won Port's best first year player award for season 2003. [1] The following season he played all 25 games, kicked 28 goals, played in the 2004 AFL Grand Final and was one of three players to kick three or more goals in Port's 40 point Grand Final win over the Brisbane Lions. [2]

In 2005 and 2006, Thurstans struggled to find the form he had in 2004 and was used as trade bait at the end of the 2006 season but remained with Port Adelaide.

Thurstans played all 25 games for Port in 2007, starring in his new role as a defender, getting back to the form he displayed in 2004.

Retirement

Thurstans announced his retirement from Port Adelaide on Thursday 3 September 2009, after playing 110 games for the club since his debut in 2003. Thurstans retired as a Life Member of the Port Adelaide Football Club, citing his decision to retire had been coming for a while, despite some good form throughout the 2009 season: "The mental and physical rigours of an AFL season demand so much, and I am not the sort of person who is going to go on unless I think I can contribute 100 percent." [3]

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams says Toby's career highlights to young players how persistence can pay off. "Toby retires with an AFL premiership medal after waiting four years to play his first game," Williams said. "And he didn’t just play in that Grand Final – he played really well." [3]

Playing statistics

[4]

Legend
  G  
Goals
  K  
Kicks
  D  
Disposals  
  T  
Tackles
  B  
Behinds  
  H  
Handballs  
  M  
Marks
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game)
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
2003 Port Adelaide 28104249247331130.40.24.92.47.33.11.3
2004 Port Adelaide 2825241312510322899391.00.55.04.19.14.01.6
2005 Port Adelaide 28107156349049160.70.15.63.49.04.91.6
2006 Port Adelaide 2813158735713067301.20.65.64.410.05.22.3
2007 Port Adelaide 282501145162307124560.00.05.86.512.35.02.2
2008 Port Adelaide 28165010713123883320.30.06.78.214.95.22.0
2009 Port Adelaide 2811058710319061260.00.57.99.417.35.52.4
Career110553064261412565142120.50.35.85.611.44.71.9

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Adelaide Football Club</span> Australian rules football club

Port Adelaide Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia. The club's senior men's team plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), where they are nicknamed the Power, while its reserves men's team competes in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), where they are nicknamed the Magpies. Since its founding, the club has won an unequalled 36 SANFL premierships and 4 Championship of Australia titles, in addition to an AFL Premiership in 2004. It has also fielded a women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW) league since 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Ebert</span> Australian rules footballer (1949–2021)

Russell Frank Ebert was an Australian rules footballer and coach. He is considered one of the greatest players in the history of Australian rules football in South Australia. Ebert is the only player to have won four Magarey Medals, which are awarded to the best and fairest player in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). He is one of four Australian rules footballers to have a statue at Adelaide Oval, the others being Ken Farmer, Malcolm Blight and Barrie Robran. Football historian John Devaney described Ebert as coming "as close as any player in history to exhibiting complete mastery over all the essential skills of the game," and he is widely regarded as the Port Adelaide Football Club's greatest-ever player. Aside from his 392 games at Port Adelaide, Ebert played 25 games for North Melbourne in the 1979 VFL season and collected over 500 possessions as a midfielder for the club, which reached the preliminary final. Ebert was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996, and he was posthumously elevated to Legend status in June 2022, the highest honour that can be bestowed onto an Australian footballer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showdown (AFL)</span> Derby matches between the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power in the Australian Football League

The Showdown is an Australian rules football game played by the two Australian Football League (AFL) teams from South Australia, the Adelaide and Port Adelaide football clubs. The first AFL premiership fixture between the two clubs took place on 20 April 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Cornes</span> Australian rules footballer, born 1979

Chad Studley Cornes is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club and Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was a member of the Port Adelaide side which won the premiership in 2004. On 3 July 2013, he retired from AFL football due to a troublesome knee. Cornes is currently serving as a forward line coach for the Port Adelaide Football Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matthew Primus</span> Australian rules footballer, born 1975

Matthew Richard Primus is a former coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club and Australian rules footballer, captain and All-Australian ruckman. He was also previously an assistant coach at the Gold Coast Football Club.

Gregory Anderson is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) and the Essendon Football Club and Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Adam Thomson is an Australian rules footballer who played for Port Adelaide and Richmond in the Australian Football League (AFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Hinkley</span> AFL coach for Port Adelaide

Ken Hinkley is the senior coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and a former player with the Geelong Football Club and Fitzroy Football Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 AFL Grand Final</span> Grand final of the 2004 Australian Football League season

The 2004 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Port Adelaide Football Club and the Brisbane Lions, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 25 September 2004. It was the 108th annual grand final of the Australian Football League, staged to determine the premiers for the 2004 AFL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Schulz</span> Australian rules footballer

Jay Schulz is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League from 2010 to 2016. A high marking forward, he previously played for Richmond from 2003 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsay Thomas (footballer, born 1988)</span> Australian rules footballer

Lindsay Thomas is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for North Melbourne and Port Adelaide in the Australian Football League (AFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacob Surjan</span> Australian rules footballer and coach

Jacob Adam Surjan is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He currently serves as the senior coach at the North Adelaide Football Club.

Thomas Logan is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Lions and Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Wingard</span> Australian rules footballer

Chad Jordan Wingard is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted to Port Adelaide with the sixth selection in the 2011 AFL Draft from the Sturt Football Club in the South Australian Football League (SANFL).

Billy Frampton is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Collingwood Football Club.

The history of Port Adelaide Football Club dates back to its founding on 12 May 1870. Since the club's first game on 24 May 1870, it has won 36 SANFL premierships, including six in a row. The club also won the Champions of Australia competition on a record four occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Milera</span> Australian rules footballer

Wayne Milera is a professional Australian rules football player who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by Adelaide with pick 11 in the 2015 national draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Burton</span> Australian rules footballer

Ryan Donald Burton is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Jarrod Lienert is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He made his debut in round 18 of the 2018 season against Greater Western Sydney at Adelaide Oval. Jarrod is the son of Brett Lienert who played 134 games for Sturt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connor Rozee</span> Australian rules footballer

Connor Rozee is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by Port Adelaide with the 5th draft pick in the 2018 AFL Draft.

References

  1. "Port Adelaide Power Senior player list - Official AFL website of the Port Adelaide football club". Portadelaidefc.com.au. 4 January 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  2. "AFL Grand Final: Port v Bris". Austadiums. 25 September 2004. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Toby Thurstans retires - Official AFL Website of the Port Adelaide Football Club". Portadelaidefc.com.au. 3 September 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  4. Toby Thurstans' player profile at AFL Tables