Drew Banfield
Australian rules footballer, born 1974 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Drew Anthony Banfield (born 27 February 1974) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL).
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Drew Banfield | |||
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![]() Banfield with West Coast in September 2006 | |||
Personal information | |||
Full name | Drew Anthony Banfield | ||
Date of birth | (1974-02-27) 27 February 1974 (age 50) | ||
Original team(s) | Subiaco (WAFL) | ||
Draft | No. 1, 1992 National Draft, West Coast | ||
Debut | Round 16, 1993, West Coast vs. Essendon, at Melbourne Cricket Ground | ||
Height | 184 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||
Weight | 88 kg (194 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Defender/Utility | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1993–2006 | West Coast | 265 (76) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2006. | |||
Career highlights | |||
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Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Selected as the number 1 pick in the 1992 AFL Draft, Banfield was recruited to West Coast, where he became one of their best clubmen and hardest-working defenders and utility players.
He won the Eagles' Club Champion Award in 1996, as well as playing in the Eagles' 1994 premiership side.
In 2006, Banfield was struggling for selection and fought his way into the side in round 9, but remained on the fringes of selection throughout the season. He missed out on the semi-final against the Western Bulldogs but was recalled for the preliminary final against Adelaide, and retained for the Grand Final against Sydney due to his experience. It was his second AFL premiership, twelve years after his first, and made him the only player to appear in both West Coast's 1994 and 2006 premiership teams. On Friday 6 October 2006, Banfield announced his retirement from AFL football at the West Coast Eagles Club Champion awards, having played 265 games.
Banfield is married to Amber Lee-Steere and has four children, three sons, Bailey (not to be confused with Bailey Banfield of the Fremantle Dockers), Charlie and Harper, and Willow.[citation needed]