#7: Jade Rawlings
The stats
Draft: Pick #94, 1994
Position: Defender
AFL games: 148
Goals: 96
Premierships: 0
Review
The Hawks 94th pick in the 1994 National Draft saw Jade Rawlings join the club from Devonport Tasmania and he developed into a handy defender and occasional forward.
Rawlings made his debut in 1996, racking up 116 games and kicking 62 goals during his time at the Hawks. He also earnt himself an AFL Rising star nomination in 1998.
He then made the move to the Western Bulldogs who were in search of a tall forward, picked up at number 1 in the 2004 AFL Pre-season Draft.
On debut for his new club, Rawlings booted 7 goals and was the club’s joint leading goal kicker that year.
Rawlings played 29 games for the Dogs before he made the move to join his brother Brady at North Melbourne in 2006.
After only managing two senior games that year, he announced his retirement after the Round 21 game against Hawthorn.
Rawlings went on to pursue a career in coaching where he was an assistant coach at Richmond for three seasons, going on to coach Richmond’s VFL affiliate Coburg.
In 2009 he was appointed caretaker coach of Richmond following the resignation of Terry Wallace.
Rawlings currently holds the position of defensive coach at Melbourne Football Club.
Top 10 Countdown:
#10: Simon Taylor
#9: Kris Barlow
#8: Shane Savage
