Caleb Daniel (born 7 July 1996) is a professional
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 plays for the
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition.
Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
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). Known for his precise short kicking from half back, Daniel has been recognised statistically as one of the most effective short kicks in the game.
When he was recruited in 2014 he was listed as the shortest player (standing at 167 cm) in the AFL, and is one of the few players who regularly wears a protective helmet, having done so since his playing days at junior level.
Early days and career
Daniel was born in
Beaudesert, Queensland
Beaudesert is a rural town and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Beaudesert had a population of 6,395 people.
Beaudesert is the administrative centre for the Scenic Rim Region.
Geography
Beaudesert is south of ...
where he lived until the age of six before moving to
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
and studied at
Aberfoyle Park High School
Aberfoyle Park High School is a large state school, public secondary schools in the southern suburbs of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. Its facilities include the Community Library, Performing Arts Centre, Gymnasium, and the Informati ...
and played eleven senior games for
South Adelaide
The South Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club that competes in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Known as the ''Panthers'', their home ground is Flinders University Stadium[SANFL
The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport.
Originally formed as the ...]
. He credits his coach at South Adelaide, former
Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to:
People As a given name
*Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name:
**FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855)
** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...
and
St Kilda rover
Brad Gotch, for instilling confidence in him at the start of his senior career.
AFL career
Selection and debut
Daniel was selected by the Bulldogs with pick 46 of the
2014 National Draft. While he was overlooked by other clubs due to his short stature, Simon Dalrymple, the Bulldogs' chief recruiter at the time, had been impressed by Daniel, commenting: "His decision-making stood out, his ball-handling... He can keep on running. And he's got fantastic agility, and when you've got that lateral movement it buys you a bit more time." He made his debut in an 11-point win against as the starting substitute in round 14 of the 2015 season.
2016: A Memorable Season
After the promise shown in his debut season, Daniel took his game to the next level the following season, playing all but two games due to calf injury and playing a key role in the Bulldogs' drought-breaking premiership. In Round 4 2016, he was the round nominee for the
2016 AFL Rising Star after collecting 25 disposals in a 36-point win against . He would finish runner-up to
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
's
Callum Mills
Callum Mills (born 2 April 1997) is a professional Australian rules footballer and co-captain of the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He won the 2016 NAB AFL Rising Star Award for his outstanding breakout season.
Early ...
. Daniel was among the Bulldogs' best players in the Elimination Final win over at
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval (; nicknamed Subi) was a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia, located in the suburb of Subiaco. It was opened in 1908 and closed in 2017 after the completion of the new Perth Stadium in Burswood.
Subiaco Oval was the high ...
, amassing a then career-high 33 disposals and kicking a goal.
2017 season
In February 2017, Daniel signed a two year contract extension with the
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition.
Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
, keeping him at the club until 2019. Daniel had required a shoulder reconstruction after the Western Bulldogs
2016 Premiership, meaning he trained without contact for some time. Daniel played 20 games in the
2017 AFL season
The 2017 AFL season was the 121st season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior men's Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season feature ...
, only missing out on rounds 4 and 5, which he spent in the
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
(VFL).
In the 2017 season, Daniel had 12 games where he picked up 20 or more disposals. After being recognised for having a strong season, Daniel came fifth in the
Charles Sutton Medal
The Charles Sutton Medal is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged best and fairest for the Western Bulldogs throughout the Victorian Football League/ Australian Football League season. The medal is named a ...
voting for 2017.
2020 season: Best and fairest success
Daniel played every game in the home and away season, having a career best season and being recognised around the league for his impressive performance. Daniel was ranked as the games best ranked general defender according to AFL Player ratings. He was nominated by the Western Bulldogs for the
Leigh Matthews Trophy
The Leigh Matthews Trophy is an annual award given by the AFL Players Association to the Most Valuable Player in the Australian Football League. It is named in honour of Leigh Matthews, who won the first MVP award in 1982, when the league was st ...
, alongside fellow teammates
Marcus Bontempelli
Marcus Bontempelli (born 24 November 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He has served as Western Bulldogs captain since the 2020 season, and was previ ...
and
Jack Macrae
Jackson Macrae (born 3 August 1994) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). At 191 cm (6 ft 3in) tall and 85 kg (187 lb), he plays as a ball-wi ...
. He was named in the initial 40-man squad of the
2020 All-Australian team
The 2020 All-Australian team represents the best performed Australian Football League (AFL) players during the 2020 season. It was announced on 24 September as a complete Australian rules football team of 22 players. The team is honorary and ...
. Daniel made the 22 man final squad, named on the interchange bench. Daniel's introduction to the All Australian team was not without controversy, with many pundits arguing that a player with such a small stature is limited in their ability to defend and take contested marks.
Daniel won the
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are a professional Australian rules football team that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's premier competition.
Founded in 1877 as the Footscray Football Club, and based in West Footscray in the o ...
best and fairest award, the
Charles Sutton Medal
The Charles Sutton Medal is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged best and fairest for the Western Bulldogs throughout the Victorian Football League/ Australian Football League season. The medal is named a ...
, with a total of 205 votes over the course of the 18 games he played, beating Western Bulldogs captain
Marcus Bontempelli
Marcus Bontempelli (born 24 November 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He has served as Western Bulldogs captain since the 2020 season, and was previ ...
by a mere 10 votes.
Statistics
: ''Statistics are correct to the end of the 2021 elimination final.''
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2015
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,
, 35 , , 10 , , 6 , , 2 , , 55 , , 76 , , 131 , , 23 , , 22 , , 0.6 , , 0.2 , , 5.5 , , 7.6 , , 13.1 , , 2.3 , , 2.2
, -
, scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C ,
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
#
,
, 35 , , 24 , , 11 , , 9 , , 279 , , 239 , , 518 , , 89 , , 79 , , 0.5 , , 0.4 , , 11.6 , , 11.0 , , 21.6 , , 3.7 , , 3.3
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
,
, 35 , , 20 , , 5 , , 5 , , 210 , , 224 , , 434 , , 59 , , 57 , , 0.3 , , 0.3 , , 10.5 , , 11.2 , , 21.7 , , 3.0 , , 2.9
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
,
, 35 , , 20 , , 4 , , 7 , , 214 , , 206 , , 420 , , 84 , , 63 , , 0.2 , , 0.35 , , 10.7 , , 10.3 , , 21.0 , , 4.2 , , 3.15
, - style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
,
, 35 , , 17 , , 1 , , 0 , , 294 , , 157 , , 451 , , 67 , , 56 , , 0.1 , , 0.0 , , 17.3 , , 9.2 , , 26.5 , , 3.9 , , 3.1
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
,
, 35 , , 18 , , 3 , , 2 , , 225 , , 138 , , 363 , , 59 , , 42 , , 0.2 , , 0.1 , , 12.5 , , 7.7 , , 20.2 , , 3.3 , , 2.3
, -
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" ,
2021
File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
,
, 35 , , 22 , , 7 , , 1 , , 300 , , 241 , , 541 , , 88 , , 54 , , 0.3 , , 0.0 , , 13.6 , , 10.9 , , 24.6 , , 4.0 , , 2.4
, -
, - class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3, Career
! 131
! 37
! 26
! 1577
! 1281
! 2858
! 469
! 370
! 0.3
! 0.2
! 12.0
! 9.8
! 21.8
! 3.6
! 2.8
Notes
Honours and achievements
*Team
**
AFL premiership
This page is a complete chronological listing of VFL/AFL premiers. The Australian Football League (AFL), known as the Victorian Football League (VFL) until 1990, is the elite national competition in men's Australian rules football.
The inaugur ...
:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
*Individual
**
AFL Rising Star
The AFL Rising Star is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged the best young player in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the year. It was first presented in the 1993 season, and was won by Nathan Buc ...
nominee:
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
**
All-Australian team
The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules football in Australia, Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-perf ...
:
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
**
Charles Sutton Medal
The Charles Sutton Medal is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged best and fairest for the Western Bulldogs throughout the Victorian Football League/ Australian Football League season. The medal is named a ...
: 2020
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daniel, Caleb
1996 births
Living people
Western Bulldogs players
Western Bulldogs Premiership players
Australian rules footballers from South Australia
South Adelaide Football Club players
All-Australians (AFL)
Charles Sutton Medal winners
One-time VFL/AFL Premiership players