Jared Brennan (born 28 July 1984) is a former 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 last represented the

Gold Coast Football Club The Gold Coast Suns is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland's Gold Coast in the suburb of Carrara. The club has been playing in the AFL since th ...

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). He also previously represented the

Brisbane Lions The Brisbane Lions is a professional Australian rules football club based in Brisbane, Queensland, that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club was formed in late 1996 via a merger of the Melbourne-based 1883 foundation VFL c ...

Early life

Brennan was born and raised in Darwin in the Northern Territory, where he played

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

and Australian football at junior levels. Brennan grew up a passionate rugby league supporter, but also supported the

Essendon Football Club The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers, is a professional Australian rules football club. The club plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the game's premier competition. The club was formed by the McCracken family in their A ...

in the AFL. Brennan was first identified as a potential AFL talent during his All-Australian performance at the

AFL Under 18 Championships The AFL Under-19 Championships (for sponsorship reasons, the NAB AFL Under-19 Championships) is an annual Australian national underage representative championship in Australian rules football tournament. It is seen as one of the main pathways ...

and was co-captain of the Northern Territory side. Brennan's unique ball skills and agility displayed his indigenous heritage with a liking to Daryl White. He played senior football with Southern Districts where he was drafted to the AFL as the third draft pick in the 2002 AFL Draft.

AFL career

Brisbane Lions career (2003–2010)

Brennan made his debut for the

in Round 4, 2003 against Collingwood. Inconsistent form in his early career led to speculation that Brennan would be traded to another club. Coach Leigh Matthews, switched him to the forward line in mid-2007, and against

West Coast Eagles The West Coast Eagles are a professional Australian rules football club based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 as one of two expansion teams in the Australian Football League (AFL), then known as the Victorian Football ...

in Round 14, Brennan appeared to come of age, leading the charge with four goals. He followed it up with a personal record of 7 goals against the

Collingwood Football Club The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed the Magpies or colloquially the Pies, is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The club w ...

in round 17. Season 2008 was arguably Brennan's most consistent to date. Used predominantly as an impact player in the midfield, Brennan proved himself to be a capable clearance winner and played a decisive hand in several close victories. Brennan capped off his 2008 season with a top 5 placing in the 2008 Brisbane Lions club championship and selection in the Australian

International Rules International rules football ( ga, Peil na rialacha idirnáisiunta; also known as international rules in Australia and compromise rules or Aussie rules in Ireland) is a team sport consisting of a hybrid of football codes, which was developed ...

squad. Brennan is well known for his flashy, unorthodox playing style and his tendency to carry the ball in one hand. He is often compared to former Brisbane premiership player

Darryl White Darryl White (born 12 June 1973) is an Australian rules footballer whose career with the Brisbane Bears and Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL) lasted from 1992 to 2005. An Indigenous Australian, in 2005 he was named at fullback in t ...

due to a similar playing style and the ability to play different positions.

Gold Coast career (2011–2013)

On 7 October 2010, a complicated three-way deal between the

Gold Coast Suns The Gold Coast Suns is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL). The club is based on Queensland's Gold Coast in the suburb of Carrara. The club has been playing in the AFL since th ...

, the Brisbane Lions and Collingwood saw Brennan traded to the Suns.Suns' deal for Brennan
/ref> At the end of the 2013 season Brennan retired from the game.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brennan, Jared 1984 births Living people Australian rules footballers from the Northern Territory Brisbane Lions players Southern Districts Football Club players Sportspeople from Darwin, Northern Territory Australian people of Dutch descent Gold Coast Football Club players Northern Territory Football Club players Southport Australian Football Club players Australia international rules football team players