Robert Shirley
Adelaide
AFL career
151 games28 goals
- Debut
- R3 2000 v GEE25 Mar 2000
- Most recent
- SF 2009 v COL12 Sept 2009
Stats
2009 | ADE | 11 | 4.6 | 9.8 | 14.5 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 4.3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 55 | 55 |
2008 | ADE | 21 | 6.1 | 8.3 | 14.4 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 4.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 58 | 62 |
2007 | ADE | 20 | 8.2 | 10.0 | 18.2 | 3.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 4.1 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 71 | 81 |
2006 | ADE | 24 | 6.5 | 9.5 | 16.0 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 3.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 62 | - |
2005 | ADE | 24 | 5.4 | 9.7 | 15.0 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 58 | - |
2004 | ADE | 15 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 10.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 40 | - |
2003 | ADE | 13 | 4.6 | 7.8 | 12.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 3.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 49 | - |
2002 | ADE | 4 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 23 | - |
2001 | ADE | 17 | 5.5 | 3.8 | 9.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 36 | - |
2000 | ADE | 2 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 26 | - |
Bio
Recruited from Woodville-West Torrens with pick 67 in the 1999 National Draft, Robert Shirley carved out a respectable decade-long career at Adelaide primarily as a disciplined run-with player. While he spent his first few seasons on the fringe of selection, he solidified his standing under Neil Craig, becoming the club's first-choice tagger during their competitive mid-2000s period. A tenacious left-footer with elite endurance, Shirley was frequently tasked with nullifying the opposition's most dangerous midfielders, famously claiming the scalps of stars like Chris Judd and Ben Cousins by prioritising defensive accountability over ball-winning.
Despite his consistency and value to the team structure, Shirley's offensive limitations eventually saw him squeezed out of the side as the game evolved to demand more two-way running from midfielders. After playing 151 games and earning life membership at West Lakes, he was delisted following the 2009 season as the Crows sought to inject more speed and youth into their list. He subsequently moved to Canberra to captain-coach Ainslie in the NEAFL, leaving behind a legacy as one of Adelaide's most reliable defensive specialists.
Profile
- Born
- 09 June 1980 (age 46y 134d)
- Birthplace
- Adelaide, SA
- Height
- 185 cm
- Weight
- 85 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Woodville-West Torrens with pick 67 in the 1999 National Draft, Robert Shirley carved out a respectable decade-long career at Adelaide primarily as a disciplined run-with player. While he spent his first few seasons on the fringe of selection, he solidified his standing under Neil Craig, becoming the club's first-choice tagger during their competitive mid-2000s period. A tenacious left-footer with elite endurance, Shirley was frequently tasked with nullifying the opposition's most dangerous midfielders, famously claiming the scalps of stars like Chris Judd and Ben Cousins by prioritising defensive accountability over ball-winning.
Despite his consistency and value to the team structure, Shirley's offensive limitations eventually saw him squeezed out of the side as the game evolved to demand more two-way running from midfielders. After playing 151 games and earning life membership at West Lakes, he was delisted following the 2009 season as the Crows sought to inject more speed and youth into their list. He subsequently moved to Canberra to captain-coach Ainslie in the NEAFL, leaving behind a legacy as one of Adelaide's most reliable defensive specialists.