Jeff Farmer (footballer)

Jeff Farmer (born 24 June 1977) is a former Australian rules footballer of Aboriginal descent. He was the first indigenous player to kick 400 goals in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Jeff Farmer
Jeff Farmer while playing his final year of football for Fremantle in 2008
Personal information
Full name Jeffrey Farmer
Nickname(s) The Wizard
Date of birth (1977-06-24) 24 June 1977
Place of birth Tambellup, Western Australia
Original team(s) Tambellup
Height 174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 80 kg (176 lb)
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1995–2001 Melbourne 118 (259)
2002–2008 Fremantle 131 (224)
Total 249 (483)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2008.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Melbourne career

Known as "The Wizard" (or "The Wiz") because of his uncanny ability to create goals from nothing, Farmer began his professional football career with the Melbourne Football Club in 1995. Farmer has always been one of the AFL's most exciting players.[1]

His career best goalkicking performance came against Collingwood at the MCG in 2000 when he kicked 9 goals in the second half after barely being able to get a touch in the first two quarters. He was taken from the field for the third quarter and was on the interchange bench before Ben Beams suffered a broken wrist and was unable to continue. He finished the 2000 season with a career best 76 goals and was named in the All-Australian team.

After 118 games and 259 goals for Melbourne, he was traded to Fremantle at the end of 2001.

Fremantle career

Farmer's first two seasons with Fremantle were disappointing, with less than 30 goals in each year, but in 2004, his consistency improved and he was the Dockers' 2nd most productive forward for each of the 2004,[2] 2005[3] and 2006[4] seasons.

During the 2006 home and away season, Farmer had his most productive season since 2000, kicking 55 goals from just 19 games, with a 31 goals in 7 games effort towards the end of the season. Due to this run of good form, he was thought by many to be a good chance of making All-Australian selection in the forward pocket. He was not, however, selected.[5]

At the end of the 2008 AFL season Farmer announced his retirement from AFL football, leaving him stranded on 249 games.[6] His 483 career goals, including three in his final game, is the 49th most in VFL/AFL history and his 224 goals for Fremantle is second behind Matthew Pavlich.

Statistics
[7]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
1995 Melbourne 337453114451030.60.74.42.06.41.40.4
1996 Melbourne 331937241309122138251.91.36.84.811.62.01.3
1997 Melbourne 331730171156317840161.81.06.83.710.52.40.9
1998 Melbourne 331947331495520445182.51.77.82.910.72.40.9
1999 Melbourne 8 & 331932271295118035201.71.46.82.79.51.81.1
2000 Melbourne 332376361968428084363.31.68.53.712.23.71.6
2001 Melbourne 331433161325919144192.41.19.44.213.63.11.4
2002 Fremantle 72029271878927677381.51.49.44.513.83.91.9
2003 Fremantle 332027161266018636281.40.86.33.09.31.81.4
2004 Fremantle 332236241536321666511.61.17.02.99.83.02.3
2005 Fremantle 331935161626022258381.80.88.53.211.73.12.0
2006 Fremantle 332255211926225470572.51.08.72.811.53.22.6
2007 Fremantle 3381910803511540162.41.310.04.414.45.02.0
2008 Fremantle 3320231320610230885341.20.710.35.115.44.31.7
Career 249 483 285 1988 888 2876 728 399 1.9 1.1 8.0 3.6 11.6 2.9 1.6

Controversial incidents

In November 2004, Farmer pleaded guilty to assaulting his long-time girlfriend and was fined $2,000.[8]

In December 2006 he was alleged to have been involved in a nightclub fight in which a Subiaco Football Club player, Greg Broughton, suffered a broken eye socket.[8] No charges were laid.

Farmer was arrested in April 2007 and charged with assault for knocking out a security guard at a Perth nightclub after being refused entry. The Fremantle Football Club fined him $5,100 and suspended him for a further 6 weeks on top of his existing AFL enforced suspension for eye gouging another player during a pre-season game, which was his 10th suspension and his 14th appearance before the tribunal. In court, Farmer pleaded guilty to assault and was fined $3,000.[9][10][11]

After serving his full suspension, Farmer returned to the Fremantle side on 30 June in the round 13 game against Carlton at Subiaco Oval. Farmer together with Des Headland, who was himself implicated in another nightclub fight during the week,[12] were amongst the best players on the field and led the way to a 77-point thrashing. This was Fremantle's second highest ever score and their greatest winning margin ever against Carlton.[13][14] Headland kicked 5 goals and Farmer kicked 4 goals and each set up many more for their teammates.[15]

In July 2007, police charged Farmer with criminal damage after he smashed a car's side mirror in a rage after being ejected from Burswood Casino.[16] In court he pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $750 (with $400 compensation and $58 costs).[17] Despite the previous conviction which was considered his last chance at the club,[18] Fremantle did not suspend him, but fined him $10,000 (the maximum allowed under the AFL Players Association rules) and requested he donate $20,000 to charity.[19] He was recalled to play for Fremantle the following week against league leaders Geelong.[20]

On 18 August 2007, in the third quarter of a match against St Kilda at Telstra Dome, Farmer received facial injuries from a behind the play incident and was assisted from the playing area, bleeding and suffering a concussion. The incident was not witnessed by umpires, nor by any of the TV broadcast cameras.[21] Network Ten commentator Michael Voss stated soon afterwards that he saw what happened and added that St Kilda tagger Steven Baker would be hoping it had not been captured by TV cameras.[22] Farmer took no further part in the match, which St Kilda won by 30 points. Baker was later handed a 7-game suspension by the AFL tribunal, after being charged with rough conduct on Farmer. St Kilda appealed the decision, and included a letter from Farmer to the AFL pleading for leniency on Baker, describing Baker as one of his most respected opponents. The letter could not be accepted in the appeal, because it was new evidence. The appeal was rejected and the suspension remained.[23]

On 25 June 2008 it was announced that Farmer was suspended for a week by the Fremantle Football Club for not attending a compulsory recovery session after the weekend's loss to St Kilda in Melbourne.[24]

Farmer retired at the conclusion of the 2008 AFL season.[25]

South Fremantle career

Jeff Farmer decided to come out of retirement to play for South Fremantle Football Club in WAFL for 2009 season.

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References
  1. "Pride & Prejudice'". The Age. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
  2. 2004 Fremantle Player Stats
  3. 2005 Fremantle Player Stats
  4. 2006 Fremantle Player Stats
  5. All Australian News
  6. AAP; Jeff Farmer retires from AFL; Realfooty; 2 September 2008
  7. "Jeff Farmer". AFL Tables. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  8. Nightclub punch puts Farmer out for months Archived 10 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Farmer arrested and charged with assault". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. 29 April 2007.
  10. Stevens, Michael (6 March 2007). "Six matches for Farmer". The Advertiser.
  11. "Farmer fined over nightclub assault". The Age. 19 May 2007. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
  12. AAP; Headland latest Docker involved in off-field bother Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine; 27 June 2007;Retrieved on 1 July 2007
  13. Fremantle's Highest Ever Scores Archived 28 September 2007 at Archive.today; Retrieved on 1 July 2007
  14. Fremantle's Greatest Winning Margins Archived 28 September 2007 at Archive.today; Retrieved on 1 July 2007
  15. Duffield,M;Wiz spells bad news for Blues; 1 July 2007;Retrieved on 1 July 2007
  16. Jeff Farmer charged by police
  17. Farmer fined $750
  18. Dockers hint at softer touch with Farmer
  19. Farmer Fined Over Incident Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  20. Grant no good for West Coast clash
  21. Sheehan, Mike; Baker victim of poor vision; Fox Sports; 22 August 2007
  22. Smith, Patrick; On-field hit-and-miss surveillance;The Australian; 21 August 2007
  23. AAP;Panel rejects Farmer letter; 23 August 2007
  24. Farmer dropped; 25 June 2008
  25. Jeff Farmer retires from AFL from Perthnow.com.au
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