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Jarrod Brander
Photo: aflphotos.com
DOB
11/2/99
Height
195cm
Weight
92 kg
Junior club
Bendigo Pioneers/Wentworth JFC
Arrived
Pick 13 in the 2017 national draft
Number
Debut
Round 13 2018 vs Sydney
(242nd Eagles player)
Games
22
Goals
5
B&F Top 10
0
Best Finish
22nd (2021)
Last app.
Round 23 2021 vs Brisbane
Departed
Delisted at the end of the 2021 season
Other clubs
Bendigo Pioneers (TAC Cup) 2017
East Perth (WAFL) 2018
GWS Giants (AFL) 2022
Wentworth (Sunraysia FL) 2023

New South Wales product Jarrod Brander was West Coast's first pick in the 2017 draft, but struggled to nail down a position in four years at the club.

West Coast career[]

Originally part of the GWS Giants academy, having grown up in Wentworth in the Riverina area of New South Wales,[1] Brander was considered a potential top-five pick early in 2017 but dropped after an average season. On being drafted, Brander was described as agile, strong overhead and capable of holding down a key position at either end of the ground.

Given the number 10 guernsey, Brander impressed early with East Perth as a strong-marking forward and was rewarded with a two-year contract extension. He was picked to debut against Sydney in the absence of Jack Darling, but after a quiet game was dropped back to the Royals as the match committee looked for more experience in the forward line. He shifted to defence later in the season and generally acquitted himself well, but was unable to force his way back into the AFL side.

After a strong pre-season, Brander was in the senior side for the opening round of 2019, but was dropped after a poor loss to Brisbane. He made one more appearance at AFL level for the year, another heavy away loss, and spent the rest of the season playing as a tall wingman at WAFL level before suffering a torn hamstring. The experiment of using Brander on a wing continued into 2020, with the mobile tall playing the first four games, with moderate success. He was forced out with a hip injury and then did not return to the senior side until later in the year, adding four more games. He sought a trade at the end of 2021 but after receiving little interest, he was delisted.

GWS Giants career[]

The Giants wasted little time signing up their former academy prospect, picking up Brander as a delisted free agent once that window opened. He played just five games for GWS, and was delisted at the end of the 2022 season.

Post-AFL career[]

Brander returned to his junior club, Wentworth in the Sunraysia Football League, for 2023.[2]

Stats[]

AFL Gm G B K M H D T Cl WAFL Gm G B K M H D T
2018 1 0 1 5 3 0 5 1 0 EP 17 14 17 145 104 95 240 14
2019 2 0 2 14 8 4 18 1 0 WCE 11 9 7 113 69 74 187 16
2020 8 0 1 67 36 22 89 12 3 N/A
2021 11 5 6 108 53 60 168 11 8 WCE 5 1 1 72 34 59 131 7
Tot 22 5 10 194 100 86 280 25 11
Avg 0.2 8.8 4.5 3.9 12.7 1.1 0.5

News[]

24/11/17: Eagles go tall with early draft picks

18/5/18: Brander joins draft classmates in extending contract

13/6/18: Forward joins list of debutants

18/10/21: Eagles farewell Brander

References[]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarrod_Brander

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/J/Jarrod_Brander.html

http://www.wafl.com.au/player/jarrod-brander

  1. Callum Twomey, afl.com.au (13 April 2017), "Clubs lining up after Giants lose academy star": http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-04-13/clubs-lining-up-after-giants-lose-academy-star
  2. Matt Taylor, Sunraysia Daily (17 October 2022), "'Roos coup in Brander signing": https://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/football/6020745/brander-coup
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