Ian Downsborough (born 19 January 1972) 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 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 ...

Early life

Downsborough grew up in Burracoppin, Western Australia on a sheep and wheat farm. He went to primary school in Burracoppin and high school in nearby Merredin, graduating in 1989 Ian then worked on the family farm and played for Burracoppin Cats in the

Eastern Districts Football League The Eastern Districts Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the eastern Wheatbelt (Western Australia), Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The league stretches from Southern Cross, Western Australia, Southern Cross ...

until 1993 when he went to play for West Perth Football Club.

Career

After two seasons with West Perth he was drafted by

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

at pick 54 in the 1994 AFL draft. He played one game for the Eagles in 1995 but won the

WAFL Grand Final The West Australian Football League The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season u ...

with West Perth.

West Coast

1996 was a successful season for Downsborough, he played as an undersized ruckman replacing

Ryan Turnbull Ryan Turnbull may refer to: *Ryan Turnbull (footballer) Ryan Edwin Turnbull (born 23 September 1971) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). Turnbull was a membe ...

. He played 19 games including the Eagles qualifying final vs

Carlton Carlton may refer to: People * Carlton (name), a list of those with the given name or surname * Carlton (singer), English soul singer Carlton McCarthy * Carlton, a pen name used by Joseph Caldwell (1773–1835), American educator, Presbyterian ...

but he was dropped for the semi final. At the end of 1996 Downsborough was signed by the incoming

Port Adelaide Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...

as a free agent. West Coast also traded

Shane Bond Shane Edward Bond (born 7 June 1975) is a New Zealand cricket coach and former cricketer and present bowling coach of Mumbai Indians, described as "New Zealand's best fast bowler since Sir Richard Hadlee". He represented New Zealand in Test, O ...

and Brayden Lyle to the Power to ensure the Eagles could get the #1 pick in the 1996 AFL draft as compensation for losing Downsborough. West Coast received #1 ( Michael Gardiner) and #24 (

Josh Wooden Josh Wooden (born 14 November 1978) is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He was recruited as the number 24 draft pick in the 1996 AFL Draft from Lockhart. Wooden made his debut for the West Coast Eagles ...

Port Adelaide

Illness virtually wiped out his 1997 season, only playing 7 games for the Power, after this Port Adelaide traded him to the

Adelaide Football Club The Adelaide Crows (officially the Adelaide Football Club) are a professional Australian rules football team based in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1990. The Crows has fielded a men's team in the Australian Football League (AFL) since ...

for

Brett Chalmers Brett Chalmers (born 23 April 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League. A highly rated player from Port Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League, Chalmers was first drafted to ...

Adelaide

Downsborough remained a backup option for the Crows in 1998 missing out on playing in their Grand Final win. In 1999 he mostly played with Norwood once again and was delisted. He played 30 games and kicked 21 goals from 1997 to 1999 for Norwood. Ian went back to Western Australia and played 2000 with West Perth only managing 6 games. He then returned to Burracoppin, playing and coaching for the Cats.

References

External links

* * West Coast Eagles players Port Adelaide Football Club players Port Adelaide Football Club players (all competitions) Adelaide Football Club players West Perth Football Club players 1972 births Living people Australian rules footballers from Western Australia {{AFL-bio-1970s-stub