Toby Thurstans

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).

Toby Thurstans
Personal information
Full name Toby Thurstans
Date of birth (1980-08-14) 14 August 1980
Original team(s) Dandenong Stingrays
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
Years Club Games (Goals)
1999–2009 Port Adelaide 110 (55)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of Round 22, 2009.
Career highlights
  • Premiership player 2004
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

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  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
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
Career 110 55 30 642 614 1256 514 212 0.5 0.3 5.8 5.6 11.4 4.7 1.9

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. "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
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