Brian Lake

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Brian Lake

| image = Brian Lake 18.02.17 (cropped).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Lake working as a boundary commentator for Fox Footy in February 2017

| fullname = Brian Lake

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|2|27}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL)

| draftpick = No. 71, 2001 national draft

| debutdate = Round 21, 2002

| debutteam = {{AFL WB}}

| debutopponent = {{AFL Car}}

| debutstadium = Colonial Stadium

| height = 195 cm{{cite web|title=Brian Lake|url=http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/player-profile/brian-lake|website=Hawthorn FC|access-date=1 October 2015}}

| weight = 98 kg

| position = Full-back

| statsend = 2015

| years1 = 2002–2012

| club1 = {{AFL WB}}

| games_goals1 = 197 (32)

| years2 = 2013–2015

| club2 = {{AFL Haw}}

| games_goals2 = {{0}}54 {{0}}(2)

| games_goalstotal = 251 (34)

| careerhighlights =

}}

Brian Lake (né Harris; 27 February 1982) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He now{{Clarify|date=September 2023}} plays for his local club Caroline Springs in the Western Region Football League, who won their first premiership in 2016.

Early career

Picked late in the 2001 AFL Draft at pick 71 from Woodville-West Torrens due to a sleep apnea condition that resulted in him falling asleep in club interviews; the Bulldogs discovered this and realised they could get him as late as they wished.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-recruiters-reveal-their-favourite-picks-ahead-of-thursdays-national-draft/story-fnp04d70-1227132161963?sv=c473245ca1b766fa75999fac2b94082a|title=AFL recruiters reveal their favourite picks ahead of Thursday's National draft|newspaper=Herald Sun|last1=Anderson|first1=Jon|date=22 November 2014}} Lake was a relatively late developer.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} Making his AFL debut late in the 2002 season, he was seen as a raw full-back who was some way from fully developing.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}}

AFL career

=Western Bulldogs=

File:Brian Lake SCG.jpg

By the 2005 season, Lake's role in blanketing some of the best full-forwards in the game was seen as outstanding.{{who|date=October 2014}} He had come of age and shown significant improvement, much like many other of his Western Bulldogs teammates (such as Daniel Giansiracusa, Robert Murphy and Dale Morris), who led the team to within half a game of a finals' berth.

In round three, 2006, Lake was responsible for the hamstring injury that ended the season of {{AFL Ess}}'s Matthew Lloyd, when he landed on him midway through the third quarter of the teams' clash at Marvel Stadium.{{cite web |url=http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=4662 |title=Lloyd Injury Shock |publisher=Essendon Football Club |date=2006-04-22 |access-date=2012-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070816043530/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=4662 |archive-date=16 August 2007 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/04/23/1621921.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801120547/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/04/23/1621921.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 August 2012 |title=Lloyd Shattered By Hamstring Injury |newspaper=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=2006-04-23 |access-date=2012-09-25|last1=Images |first1=Getty }}

In 2007 he developed into one of the leading full-backs in the competition and is remembered for the match against St Kilda in which he held Fraser Gehrig, a dual-Coleman Medal winner, to no possessions for the entire match.{{cite web |url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2007/071520070803.html |title=Western Bulldogs v St Kilda - Fri, 3-Aug-2007 7:40 PM |publisher=AFL Tables}} That year he won the Charles Sutton Medal as the Bulldogs' best and fairest player.

Lake earned a place in the 2009 AFL All-Australian team in the back pocket as his first All-Australian honour.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} In season 2010, he was again named in the 2010 AFL All-Australian at full back.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} Lake has often been referred by many commentators as a "defensive monster" due to his ability to out strength his opponent and take the mark in contested situations.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}}

=Hawthorn=

File:Brianlake.jpg

Lake, along with pick 27, were traded to the Hawthorn Football Club at the end of the 2012 season during the trade period, in return for picks 21 and 41.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} The trade on the first day of trade week had caught many sport commentators by surprise that a deal was done so quickly.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} While the rest of the Hawthorn playing group were away on holidays, Lake trained at Waverley and lost 5 kilos before the team returned for pre-season training.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} A corked thigh caused him to delay his debut for his new club until round 5 against {{AFL NM}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2013-04-26/i-feel-like-im-18-again-lake |title=I feel like I'm 18 again: Lake|website=Hawthorn Football Club|last1=Salemme|first1=Kate|date=26 April 2013|access-date=2013-04-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512051739/http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2013-04-26/i-feel-like-im-18-again-lake |archive-date=12 May 2013}}

Lake's move to Hawthorn culminated in his first AFL premiership, with Hawthorn defeating {{AFL Fre}} and Lake winning the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/2013-09-28/lake-tops-it-off-with-norm-smith|title = Lake tops it off with Norm Smith| date=28 September 2013 }} Lake played 21 games in his first season as a Hawk, his two goals were kicked against {{AFL Syd}} in consecutive weeks.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} In 2014 Lake was involved in an on field incident with North Melbourne's Drew Petrie during their teams' Round 16 match. Lake was seen holding Petrie in a strangle-like position on the ground for an extended period of a time before Petrie's teammates dragged Lake away.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} Lake was charged with misconduct by the AFL Match Review Panel and referred straight to the AFL Tribunal for determination.{{cite news|title=Brian Lake sent to AFL tribunal for choke hold on Drew Petrie|date=7 July 2014 |first=Jesse |last=Hogan|website=The Age|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/brian-lake-sent-to-afl-tribunal-for-choke-hold-on-drew-petrie-20140707-zsz07.html#ixzz36muaR7br}} Lake went on to win 2 more AFL premierships with Hawthorn in 2014 and 2015, playing a pivotal role in Hawthorn's success.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} This era is the first time Hawthorn have ever won 3 successive premierships in its history.{{Citation needed|date=April 2016}} Lake announced his retirement on 6 October 2015 after playing his last game for Hawthorn in the 2015 AFL Grand Final and winning his 3rd AFL premiership.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-10-06/hawthorn-pair-lake-and-hale-retire-with-threeflag-haul|title=Veteran Hawthorn pair Lake and Hale retire with three-flag haul|last=Phelan|first=Jennifer|date=6 October 2015|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=6 October 2015}}

Criminal history

In January 2013, Lake and his then wife were locked up for four hours after a drunken altercation following the Portsea Polo.{{cite news|url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/footy-star-brian-lake-and-wife-locked-up-for-four-hours-after-drunken-verbal-stoush/news-story/d18e9a25628fd1d7a54ee89317686afb?nk=a965e94b4b02107cdea770dd7088c6d4-1554420260|title=Footy star Brian Lake and wife locked up for four hours after drunken verbal stoush|website=The Advertiser|last1=Landsberger|first1=Sam|last2=Devic|first2=Aleks|date=14 January 2013}} In July 2018, Lake spent five nights in a Japanese prison after being arrested after a drunken bar fight in Osaka.{{cite web|url=https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2018/07/14/brian-lake-out-of-japanese-jail/|title=AFL great Brian Lake heading home after five nights in Japanese jail|website=The New Daily|date=14 July 2018|via=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} On 4 April 2019, Lake was arrested and charged with a series of offences including theft, criminal damage, stalking and entering a place likely to cause a breach of peace.{{Cite news|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/former-afl-star-brian-lake-arrested/news-story/1efcde15aa38135e53a9b3ce7afacc15|title = Former AFL star arrested again|newspaper = News.com.au|date = 4 April 2019}}

Personal life

At Christmas 2007 he legally changed his name from "Brian Harris" to "Brian Lake" in order to continue his father's family name.AAP, [http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/bulldog-harris-changes-surname-to-lake-20080110-1l7j.html Bulldog Harris changes surname to Lake] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100801010506/http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/bulldog-harris-changes-surname-to-lake-20080110-1l7j.html |date=1 August 2010 }}, Brisbane Times, 10 January 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2010. Lake currently resides in Caroline Springs, a suburb in Melbourne's west. He was a contestant on Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders, ultimately coming in third place.

Statistics

| 2002 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 1 || 0 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 1 || 0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 || 1.0 || 2.0 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0

| 2003 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 13 || 6 || 7 || 44 || 31 || 75 || 23 || 19 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 3.4 || 2.4 || 5.8 || 1.8 || 1.5 || 0

| 2004 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 17 || 0 || 0 || 72 || 40 || 112 || 47 || 18 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.2 || 2.4 || 6.6 || 2.8 || 1.1 || 0

| 2005 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 22 || 2 || 1 || 150 || 81 || 231 || 85 || 26 || 0.1 || 0.0 || 6.8 || 3.7 || 10.5 || 3.9 || 1.2 || 0

| 2006 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 24 || 1 || 0 || 177 || 127 || 304 || 123 || 49 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 7.4 || 5.3 || 12.7 || 5.1 || 2.0 || 0

| 2007 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 20 || 0 || 1 || 237 || 106 || 343 || 182 || 35 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 11.9 || 5.3 || 17.2 || 9.1 || 1 || 2

| 2008 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 25 || 4 || 2 || 272 || 171 || 443 || 175 || 50 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 10.9 || 6.8 || 17.7 || 7.0 || 2.0 || 2

| 2009 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 25 || 2 || 6 || 290 || 183 || 473 || 208 || 34 || 0.1 || 0.2 || 11.6 || 7.3 || 18.9 || 8.3 || 1.4 || 7

| 2010 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 25 || 10 || 6 || 344 || 177 || 521 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 240^† || 58 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 13.8 || 7.1 || 20.8 || bgcolor=CAE1FF | 9.6^† || 2.3 || 8

| 2011 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 5 || 3 || 0 || 41 || 17 || 58 || 20 || 8 || 0.6 || 0.0 || 8.2 || 3.4 || 11.6 || 4.0 || 1.6 || 0

| 2012 || {{AFL WB}} || 36

| 20 || 4 || 7 || 261 || 82 || 343 || 160 || 30 || 0.2 || 0.4 || 13.1 || 4.1 || 17.2 || 8.0 || 1.5 || 7

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 2013^# || {{AFL Haw}} || 17

| 21 || 2 || 1 || 199 || 129 || 328 || 158 || 39 || 0.1 || 0.0 || 9.5 || 6.1 || 15.6 || 7.5 || 1.9 || 0

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 2014^# || {{AFL Haw}} || 17

| 11 || 0 || 1 || 80 || 73 || 153 || 61 || 12 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 7.3 || 6.6 || 13.9 || 5.5 || 1.1 || 0

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 2015^# || {{AFL Haw}} || 17

| 22 || 0 || 0 || 192 || 120 || 312 || 147 || 34 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 8.7 || 5.5 || 14.2 || 6.7 || 1.5 || 0

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/B/Brian_Lake.html|title=Brian Lake's player profile at AFL Tables|website=AFL Tables}}

! 251 !! 34 !! 32 !! 2360 !! 1338 !! 3698 !! 1630 !! 412 !! 0.1 !! 0.1 !! 9.4 !! 5.3 !! 14.7 !! 6.5 !! 1.6 !! 26