Ben Cunnington (born 30 June 1991) is a former

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er who played for the

North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos also ...

in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...

(AFL). Cunnington was drafted to North Melbourne with the 5th selection in the 2009 AFL draft. Cunnington played predominantly as an inside midfielder, who sometimes played in the forward line to accommodate the midfield rotations.

Junior career

Cunnington made his senior debut for Cobden at the age of 15. In his first game against Camperdown he kicked ten goals after coming on the ground just before half time. Cunnington's other junior football highlights included earning NAB AFL U18 Championships All-Australian honours and finishing runner up in the TAC Cup

Morrish Medal The Morrish Medal is an Australian rules football award. Formerly awarded to the best and fairest player in the VFL Under-19 competition (known as the Thirds prior to 1959), since 1992 the award has been given to the best player in the Victori ...

where he averaged 23 disposals (11 contested) and six marks. Cunnington missed the 2009 AFL Draft Camp through minor injuries. Geelong Falcons regional manager Michael Turner described Cunnington as ''the most professional player I have seen in 15 years of TAC Cup.''

AFL career

Cunnington was drafted by

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...

with the 5th overall selection of the 2009 AFL draft from the Geelong Falcons. He made his debut in Tasmania against

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

in Round 5 of the 2010 season where he gathered 12 disposals helping North Melbourne to a 12-point win and their second victory of the season. Often considered one of the toughest players in the AFL, Cunnington won North’s best and fairest award, the

Syd Barker Medal The Syd Barker Medal is awarded to the North Melbourne Football Club player who has been judged the best and fairest of the footy season. The award has been given out continuously since 1937. Before then it was known as the Syd Barker Memorial Tr ...

in 2014 and 2019 and was runner up in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2021. He was also an All-Australian nominee in 2019. As of the end of 2022, Cunnington has tallied a career total of 71

Brownlow Medal The Charles Brownlow Trophy, better known as the Brownlow Medal (and informally as "Charlie"), is awarded to the " best and fairest" player in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the home-and-away season, as determined by votes cast by ...

votes. In August 2022, Cunnington signed a two-year contract extension at North, taking him to the end of the 2024 season. However, on 8 August 2023, Cunnington announced that he would retire in four days, following North Melbourne's Round 22 fixture against

Essendon Essendon may refer to: Australia *Electoral district of Essendon *Electoral district of Essendon and Flemington *Essendon, Victoria **Essendon railway station **Essendon Airport *Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League United King ...

, after 14 seasons and 238 games at North Melbourne. Cunnington was one of the best players on the ground in his final game, with 24 disposals, ten clearances and two goals.

Personal life

Cunnington grew up on a dairy farm in regional Victoria and is a keen farmer and fisherman. He founded the Shinboner Cattle Company in 2016. Cunnington twice recovered from cancer to earn his place again in North Melbourne’s top side.https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/breaking-news/afl-2022-north-melbourne-cancer-survivor-ben-cunnington-gets-a-twoyear-contract-extension/news-story/95161acbf0770cf725eb976bcd7ef605?amp&nk=d712562ee150c67663a998854db6ca2d-1661242025 He is married with three children.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cunnington, Ben 1991 births Living people North Melbourne Football Club players Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Geelong Falcons players Cobden Football Club players Syd Barker Medal winners North Ballarat Football Club players