Nick Davis (footballer)

Nick Davis
Personal information
Full name Nick Davis
Date of birth (1980-03-30) 30 March 1980
Place of birth Melbourne, Victoria
Original team(s) St George (SFL), NSW-ACT U18
Draft 19th overall, 1998
Collingwood (Father–son selection)
Height 184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 81 kg (179 lb)
Position(s) Forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1999–2002 Collingwood 71 (85)
2003–2008 Sydney Swans 97 (150)
Total 168 (235)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2008.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Nick Davis (born 30 March 1980) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

Born in Melbourne, Davis moved to Sydney at the age of four, where he played rugby league as a schoolboy before becoming involved in Australian rules football.[1]

AFL career

Collingwood

Davis was drafted by Collingwood, the club where his father Craig played 102 of his 163 VFL/AFL games, with a father–son pick in the 1998 AFL Draft.

At the end of his initial two-year contract, Davis re-signed with Collingwood and kicked 36 goals in 21 games in 2001. In 2002, he played in Collingwood's Grand Final team.

Sydney

Following the 2002 season, Davis was traded to the Sydney Swans. In the 2003 season, he kicked 32 goals in 24 appearances. In 2004, he had an injury-riddled season.

2005 season

Siren could go any second. Swans need a goal...Nick Davis! Nick Davis! I don't believe it! I see it, but I don't believe it! Class with a capital C – four goals from Nick Davis! He has singlehandedly sent them into a preliminary final!

Anthony Hudson's TV call of Davis's fourth and match-winning goal on Network Ten[2]

Final play of the season, ball at the top of the goal square – Nick Davis! Nick Davis! Davis has done it for Sydney! It's grand larceny! It's highway robbery! It's Ronnie Biggs! It's Ned Kelly! It's the greatest thieving effort you will ever see!

Clinton Grybas's radio call of Davis's match-winning goal on 3AW[3]

Despite a three-week stint on the sidelines with a hamstring strain mid-year, including missing the season-turning 43-point defeat to St Kilda after which he was recalled to the side,[4] Davis's form continually improved throughout 2005.

Davis is best remembered for his performance in the final quarter of the 2005 second semi-final between Sydney and Geelong. In a low-scoring game at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney trailed 3.12 (30) to 6.11 (47) at three-quarter time, which increased to a 23-point margin after Davis's direct opponent, David Johnson, kicked the opening goal of the final quarter. Davis then recovered to kick the last four goals of the game, delivering Sydney a three-point victory, 7.14 (56) d. 7.11 (53). His first three goals came from two difficult snaps and a set-shot, and the last came from a stoppage in the final five seconds of the game. The ball-up twenty metres from the Swans' goal was tapped to a running Davis by ruckman Jason Ball. Davis did not have time to take a clean possession, and on the wrong side of the goal for a right-footed player of his nature. Davis juggled the ball before snapping a shot with his left foot, kicking a goal to put Sydney ahead with just three seconds remaining.[5] It is considered one of the greatest individual quarters of football ever played.

The Swans went on to win the preliminary final against St Kilda and then the following week won the 2005 Grand Final against West Coast to end a 72-year club premiership drought.

2006 season

In round 14 of 2006, after the Swans had played Adelaide at the SCG, Davis was dropped from the seniors and sent to the reserves. This proved to be a major challenge. After an outcry to the media, coach Paul Roos was furious and kept him playing in the reserves for 6 weeks. However, he came back in round 21 and played all the remaining games of the season, including the 2006 Grand Final, where he was one of Sydney's best, kicking 3 goals.

2008 season

Davis played only three games for the Swans in 2008, after being dropped for a period and then being brought back in to cover during Barry Hall's seven-match suspension for striking Brent Staker. He played in the controversial draw against North Melbourne, when Sydney had an extra man on the field for 90 seconds near the end of the game,[6] before again being dropped. He did not play another game for the Swans for the year due to dislocating his kneecap and requiring surgery, and he was not offered another contract at the end of the season.

Davis flagged an interest in moving to Perth to play for the West Coast Eagles when he came out of contract at the end of the 2008 season.[7] He was delisted at the end of the year and was not selected in the 2008 AFL Draft.

Post-AFL career

He attempted to convert sports to become a punter in the NFL,[8] but was not signed by any team.

In 2012, Davis became a runner for the Sydney Swans and was also employed as a marking and kicking coach for the Cronulla Sharks.[9] He then moved to the Sydney Roosters to be their kicking coach.

In 2020, the Sydney Roosters announced they had signed him for the NRL Nines.[10] Davis's press conference announcing the signing was attended by both Roosters head coach Trent Robinson and Swans head coach John Longmire.[11]

Statistics

[12]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
1999 Collingwood 19 16 5 9 117 54 171 43 9 0.3 0.6 7.3 3.4 10.7 2.7 0.6
2000 Collingwood 19 14 13 8 142 69 211 76 10 0.9 0.6 10.1 4.9 15.1 5.4 0.7
2001 Collingwood 19 21 36 15 242 100 342 115 27 1.7 0.7 11.5 4.8 16.3 5.5 1.3
2002 Collingwood 19 20 31 22 156 39 195 84 15 1.6 1.1 7.8 2.0 9.8 4.2 0.8
2003 Sydney 2 24 32 19 211 105 316 91 35 1.3 0.8 8.8 4.4 13.2 3.8 1.5
2004 Sydney 2 12 21 7 67 37 104 34 9 1.8 0.6 5.6 3.1 8.7 2.8 0.8
2005 Sydney 2 23 38 21 210 89 299 95 29 1.7 0.9 9.1 3.9 13.0 4.1 1.3
2006 Sydney 2 17 23 18 160 74 234 92 34 1.4 1.1 9.4 4.4 13.8 5.4 2.0
2007 Sydney 2 18 33 12 139 73 212 69 23 1.8 0.7 7.7 4.1 11.8 3.8 1.3
2008 Sydney 2 3 3 4 21 12 33 15 4 1.0 1.3 7.0 4.0 11.0 5.0 1.3
Career 168 235 135 1465 652 2117 714 195 1.4 0.8 8.7 3.9 12.6 4.3 1.2

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nick Davis (footballer).
  1. ^ Cowley, Michael (3 June 2010). "Top leaguies could be stars with a Sherrin, says former Swan". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2010.
  2. ^ 2005 AFL Finals Series - Semifinal 1 - Sydney Swans vs. Geelong Cats YouTube (originally broadcast by Network Ten)
  3. ^ Nick Davis match-winning goal (2005 AFL Finals Series - Semifinal 2 - Sydney Swans vs. Geelong Cats) – 3AW Radio Call with Network Ten video YouTube (originally broadcast by 3AW and Network Ten)
  4. ^ "A new face after Roos loses faith". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 June 2005. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  5. ^ Michael Cowley (16 April 2011). "Goal-den moment". The Age. Melbourne, VIC. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  6. ^ Mark Fine (2011). The Book of Footy Lists. Slattery Media Group. pp. 107–. ISBN 978-1-921778-30-8.
  7. ^ I want to join the Eagles: Davis
  8. ^ Ex-Swan Nick Davis sets his sights on NFL berth
  9. ^ Massoud, Josh (1 January 2012). "Cronulla Sharks recruit former Sydney Swan Nick Davis". The Sunday Telegraph.
  10. ^ "Swans hero Nick Davis switches codes to represent Roosters at NRL Nines". Sydney Roosters. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  11. ^ Nick Davis Press Conference Sydney Roosters
  12. ^ Nick Davis' player profile at AFL Tables
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