Jayden Attard (2005 - 2006)

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Pick 50 in the 2004 National Draft (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_AFL_Draft)

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/5646/jaydenattard.jpg

Merrett-Murray Results:

2005: 31st (0 votes)
2006: 34th (2.5 votes)

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Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayden_Attard)

Jayden Attard (born 27 February 1986) was an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He is of Maltese descent. He was recruited as the number 50 draft pick in the 2004 AFL Draft from Chelsea and Dandenong Stingrays. He made his debut for Brisbane in Round 4, 2005 against Hawthorn. Attard was delisted by the Lions at the end of the 2006 season.

He was then drafted as a rookie by the St Kilda Football Club in the 2006 AFL Rookie Draft and was elevated to the senior list at the start of the 2007 season and made his debut with the Saints in Round 1. After an impressive first year at the Saints, Attard ruptured his ACL in Round 21 of the 2007 season, continuing the Saints' run of injuries. He missed all the 2008 AFL Season. On 22 October 2008 the St Kilda Football Club announced they would be delisitng Attard.

Height = 187cm
Weight = 83kg

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5646/jaydenattard.jpg

Statistics:

AFL Tables (http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/J/Jayden_Attard.html)
footywire (http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pc-st-kilda-saints--jayden-attard)
final siren (http://finalsiren.com/PlayerStats.asp?PlayerID=1549)

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BigFooty threads:

April 2005 (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=163859)
December 2007 (http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=402773)

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Draft Profile (http://www.hawkheadquarters.com/article.aspx?articleid=1567)

Strengths: Attard is a hard-working small defender who provides good drive out of defence. He has very good pace and really attacks the footy hard. Works extremely hard defensively and is very disciplined when given a job.

Pretty good overhead for his size, does all the basics well and is very courageous, will put his head over the footy when he has to.

Weaknesses: Again, nothing really special about his game. Kicking is adequate but no more. Doesn’t gather a lot of the football, but that might be due to his position. Was overlooked by everyone last year.

Comment: Jayden reminds me a little of Brent Hartigan, who has been a real success for the Tigers this year. Back Pockets don't tend to get drafted that often, but Attard hasn't put a foot wrong this year and surely deserves an opportunity.

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Link (http://www.afc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4417/newsid/10994/default.aspx) ....

Making Attard’s first game a little easier was the presence of good friend , Round 6 NAB Rising Star nominee and fellow 2004 draftee Justin Sherman. “Me and Shermo have got a pretty good connection,” he said. “We’re both the same kind of people - pretty loud and like to talk. It was a really good feeling debuting with another player so the attention wasn’t all on me.”

Something that hasn’t escaped attention during Attard’s brief career to date is a historical link to coach Leigh Matthews. Both played their junior football at Chelsea in Melbourne’s outer suburbs and Attard said the connection had been discussed briefly by master and pupil. “We had a couple of words about it,” Attard said. “There’s been a couple of things around the club (Chelsea) about him (Matthews)), so it was a pretty big thing for me to meet him the first time I suppose.

Previous Club: Dandenong Stingrays
Career Highlights: All-Australian under 18 2004, AFL/AIS Academy 2004

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/5646/jaydenattard.jpg

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Link (http://www.lions.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5085/newsid/24764/default.aspx) ....

Attard's AFL debut arrived quicker than he expected when he was chosen to play against Hawthorn in round four. Unfortunately, he only managed two senior games for the year. He spent the rest of the season at the Suncoast Lions. He has been described as a pacy defender-midfield player.

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/8088/jaydenattard2.jpg

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2004 Draft Camp (http://www.topendsports.com/sport/afl/testing-draft-results-2004.htm)

Standing vertical jump:

Chad Gibson (Norwood) - 73.0 cm
Danyle Pearce (Sturt) - 70.0 cm
Tim Hill (Bendigo Pioneers) - 70.0 cm
Brett Deledio (Murray Bushrangers) - 68.0 cm
Angus Monfries (Sturt) - 68.0 cm
Matt Little (Calder Cannons) - 67.0 cm
Jordan Lewis (Geelong Falcons) - 67.0cm
Richard Tambling (Southern Districts) - 66.0cm
Jayden Attard (Dandenong Stingrays) - 66.0cm
Dean Limbach (Calder Cannons) - 65.0cm

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/5646/jaydenattard.jpg

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2004 TAC Cup Team of the Year (http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-3020-0-0-0&sID=159892&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=10962556)

B Jayden Attard Marcus Drum Ruory Kirkby
HB Ben Sharp Tom Murphy Jesse W. Smith
C Matt Rosa Jarred Moore Dean Polo
HF Brent Prismall Adam Pattinson Heath Hocking
F Brett Deledio Matt Little Jarryd Roughead
R John Meesen Ben Jolley Jordan Lewis
Int Tim Sheringham Ryan Bain Matthew Bate
Rowan Nayna

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8088/jaydenattard2.jpg

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Attard's major knee blow (http://www.saints.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/5315/newsid/49757/default.aspx)
1:53 PM Sat 25 Aug, 2007

ST KILDA'S Jayden Attard will be out for nine months to a year after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament against West Coast on Friday night at Telstra Dome.

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/8088/jaydenattard2.jpg

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Roger the Sheep (http://www.flickr.com/photos/roger-the-sheep/4905926057/)
December 7, 2005

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4098/4905926057_d0386cd8e1.jpg

Brisbane Lions players Jayden Attard and Jed Adcock share a laugh before a training run at Coorparoo.