David Wirrpanda

DOB

3/8/1979

Height

173cm

Weight

83 kg

Junior club

Eastern Ranges/Healesville JFC

Arrived

Compensation pick in the 1995 national draft

Number

44

Debut

Round 5 1996 vs Carlton
(102nd Eagles player)

Games

227

Goals

131

Honours

Premiership medal (2006)
All-Australian (2005)
Team 20 (2006)

B&F Top 10

8 (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009)

Best Finish

5th (1999)

Last app.

Round 21 2009 vs Adelaide

Departed

Retired at the end of the 2009 season

Other clubs

Eastern Ranges (TAC Cup) 1995
East Perth (WAFL) 1996-1998,
2000-2001, 2010
Claremont (WAFL) 1999
West Perth (WAFL) 2002-2009

The silky-skilled Wirrpanda played primarily as a sweeper across the backline during his 14-year Eagles career, but was also useful as a dangerous small forward.

West Coast career[]

Wirrpanda (whose name was incorrectly spelt “Wirrpunda” until 2005) was taken by West Coast as a compensation selection in 1995, after Fremantle had signed the uncontracted Tony Godden. He made his debut early in 1996, the only 16 year old to have appeared at senior level for the club. Due to injury Wirrpanda managed just 12 games in his first three seasons, and only a handful more for East Perth.

Wirra had something of a breakout season in 1999, cementing himself in the backline and playing every game. He finished fifth in the Club Champion award that year, just two votes behind winner Guy McKenna. After playing just eight games in 2000 due to injury, he bounced back in 2001 to play 21 games.

In 2002, Wirrpanda began to be swung into the forward line to great effect, kicking a bag of 5 against Hawthorn and finishing with 26 goals for the year, behind only Phil Matera and Troy Wilson.

After an indifferent 2004, during which he struggled for form and was even dropped to the WAFL on one occasion, Wirrpanda had a career-best season in 2005. Playing the role of backline sweeper with aplomb, Wirra was named in the backline in the All-Australian team. He played 20 games for the year, including the losing grand final.

Wirra was again a fixture in the backline in 2006, save for the preliminary final which he missed due to a hammy injury. He was passed fit to retake his place for the grand final, meaning someone had to receive bad news and in this case it was young defender Jaymie Graham, who had played 24 out of 25 games to that point. Wirrpanda wrote Graham’s #22 on his hand so that the unlucky player could still be on the field in some form.

In 2007 Wirrpanda, who had begun to slow a little, again spent plenty of time in the forward line where his class and goal sense proved more than handy as he kicked 25 goals for the year. Wirra played his 200th game during 2008, with the struggling Eagles turning in a winning performance against the Crows to honour the popular veteran.

The ageing Wirrpanda was clearly slowing in 2009, but was still a valuable presence in the backline. He played 18 games for the year, missing the final round due to the birth of his son, but nevertheless finished in the top 10 in the Club Champion award for the eighth time in his career.

Post-AFL career[]

After retiring from AFL footy Wirrpanda signed with East Perth, but managed only two WAFL games in 2010.

Away from the field, Wirrpanda has established the David Wirrpanda Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of indigenous youths. He has also entered politics, unsuccessfully contesting the 2013 Federal election as a National Party candidate.

Stats[]

AFL	Gm	G	B	K	M	H	D	T	Cl	WAFL	Gm	G
1996	5	4	5	23	8	18	41	9		EP	10	11
1997	6	2	2	30	11	21	51	8			6	7
1998	1	1	0	4	0	1	5	0	0		9	5
1999	24	4	4	278	91	126	404	27	25	Clar	0
2000	8	6	5	129	33	28	157	8	9	EP	0
2001	21	5	7	245	66	57	302	30	24		0
2002	21	26	22	254	70	72	326	49	35	WP	0
2003	19	10	10	251	62	57	308	26	14		0
2004	22	2	3	259	56	104	363	59	22		1	2
2005	20	2	2	297	93	111	408	34	13		0
2006	24	8	7	297	90	115	412	48	10		0
2007	21	25	12	268	109	94	362	43	10		0
2008	17	25	16	212	88	63	275	30	17		0
2009	18	11	3	257	85	94	351	37	8		0
Tot	227	131	98	2804	862	961	3765	408	187
Avg		0.6		12.4	3.8	4.2	16.6	1.8	0.9