Aaron Davey

Aaron Davey (born 10 June 1983) is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who represented the Melbourne Football Club between 2004 and 2013.

Davey was a runner-up in the AFL Rising Star award in 2004 and represented Australia in the International Rules Series against Ireland in 2005 and 2006.

Early years Davey, who is of Indigenous Australian ancestry with roots in the Kokatha people of South Australia, was raised in Darwin, Northern Territory. He is one of five siblings, including his brother Alwyn, who played for Essendon.

Davey began playing football in the Northern Territory Football League for the Palmerston Football Club. He later moved to Melbourne to pursue an AFL career and trialed with the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League.

In 2003, Davey was selected by the Melbourne Football Club with Pick No. 3 in the rookie draft. He began his AFL career in 2004.

AFL career

Debut Season: 2004

Davey made his AFL debut for Melbourne in the 2004 season. In his first match, he scored a goal and 13 possessions. He earned an AFL Rising Star nomination, but a hamstring injury sidelined him for four games before returning for the finals.

At the end of the season, he won the AFLPA best first year player.

Season 2005

In 2005, Davey played 22 games and represented Australia in the International Rules Series. He finished third in Melbourne's Best and Fairest award and won the AFLPA Marn Grook Award for Best Emerging Indigenous Player.

Season 2006

Davey played across multiple positions, including forward, midfield, and backline. He earned three Goal of the Year nominations, including two consecutive, soccer-style goals.

Seasons 2007-2010 In 2007, Davey was suspended for two games for striking. He was injured in 2008, and then moved into the midfield under new coach Dean Bailey in 2009. In 2009 he won Melbourne's Best and Fairest award, the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal. In 2010, Davey finished fourth in Melbourne's Best and Fairest and was Melbourne's equal leading vote-getter at the Brownlow Medal.

Retirement Davey announced his retirement on 20 August 2013 and played his final AFL game on 1 September 2013 against the Western Bulldogs.

Statistics

178 174 129 1932 717 2649 440 573 1.0 0.7 10.9 4.0 14.9 2.5 3.2 22

Honours and achievements

Individual Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal: 2009 AFL Rising Star Runner-up: 2004 AFL Rising Star Nominee: 2004 (Round 1) Australian Representative Honours in International Rules Football: 2005, 2006, 2013 Harold Ball Memorial Trophy: 2004 AFLPA Marn Grook Award: 2005 Indigenous All-Stars Representative Honours: 2007, 2009, 2013

Media appearances

Davey made an appearance on the AFL Players Revue of the Grand Final edition of The AFL Footy Show doing a Michael Jackson impersonation.

Davey is a frequent panelist on The Marngrook Footy Show.

Personal life and family Davey is the older brother of Alwyn Davey, who played for Essendon, and is related to Brownlow Medallist, Gavin Wanganeen, and NBA player Patrick Mills.

His sister, Bronwyn, was part of the first AFL Women's Draft, playing for the Melbourne Football Club's women's team recruited from Greenacres, South Australia.

Charitable work In 2005, Davey became an ambassador for The Fred Hollows Foundation. In 2013, he participated in Coastrek, running 50km to raise funds for the foundation and to raise awareness about the health issues affecting Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander communities.