David Swallow

Swallow was born in Perth, Western Australia to a Dutch mother and an English father.{{Cite web|title=Lesson 8: Many Players, One Team |url=http://aflcommunity.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/YCKG/YCKGv3/AFL_YCKG_Rookies_Worksheet_8-1_01.pdf |publisher=You Can Kick Goals Too |access-date=2 April 2021 }} His older brother, Andrew, is a former captain of the North Melbourne Football Club and a dual Syd Barker Medallist.[http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/gold-coast-snaps-up-david-swallow/story-e6frg7mf-1225789349568 Gold Coast snaps up David Swallow] He attended Shelley Primary School and Rossmoyne Senior High School, and played his junior football at Rossmoyne Junior Football Club. Swallow was named on the half-back line of the 2009 Under-18 All Australian team as a 16-year-old, and was awarded the Larke Medal as the Under-18 competition's best player.[http://www.wafootball.com.au/talent/152-talent/1300-wa-dominates-all-australian-side WA dominates All-Australian side] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205015508/http://wafootball.com.au/talent/152-talent/1300-wa-dominates-all-australian-side |date=5 December 2010 }}[https://web.archive.org/web/20090704124224/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/79811/default.aspx Swallow, Hooper 2009 Larke Medallists]

In 2010, despite not yet being drafted by an AFL team, Swallow was permitted to play in {{AFL GC}}'s Victorian Football League (VFL) team prior to the club's inaugural season in 2011. This meant that if Gold Coast wanted to draft Swallow, the club had to select him with one of the first three picks in the 2010 AFL draft.[http://goldcoastfc.com.au/news-and-media/news/west-australian-swallow-joins-gold-coast-football-club/page-2/ West Australian Swallow joins Gold Coast Football Club] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706104510/http://goldcoastfc.com.au/news-and-media/news/west-australian-swallow-joins-gold-coast-football-club/page-2/ |date=6 July 2011 }} However, it was widely assumed that Swallow would be taken with the first pick in the draft,[http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/how-the-coasters-enticed-a-swallow-to-take-flight-20100417-slm7.html How the Coasters enticed a Swallow to take flight] which was confirmed on 19 November.{{Cite web|title=Gold Coast SUNS outstanding results at the 2010 NAB Draft |date=18 November 2010 |url=http://www.goldcoastfc.com.au/news-and-media/news/gold-coast-suns-outstanding-results-at-the-2010-nab-draft/ |publisher=Gold Coast FC |access-date=18 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129091217/http://goldcoastfc.com.au/news-and-media/news/gold-coast-suns-outstanding-results-at-the-2010-nab-draft/ |archive-date=29 November 2010 }}

Swallow was part of the inaugural Gold Coast Suns team which played against {{AFL Car}} in round 2 of the 2011 AFL season. He was also part of the club's first victory against {{AFL PA}} in round 5. After a 21-possession, two-goal performance against the {{AFL WB}} in round 14, Swallow was nominated for the 2011 AFL Rising Star award.

In 2014, Swallow won the Gold Coast Suns Club Champion award, becoming the second player after Gary Ablett Jr. to win the award.{{Cite news|title=Ablett dethroned: Young Sun a club champ|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-09-05/Ablett-dethroned-Young-Sun-a-club-champ|access-date=5 September 2014|publisher=AustralianFootball.com|date=5 September 2014}}

In November 2018, Swallow signed a five-year contract extension with the Suns, tying him to the club until the end of 2024.{{cite news|last=Bowen|first=Nick|title=Gun Suns midfielder signs on until end of 2024|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-11-07/gun-suns-midfielder-swallow-signs-on-until-end-of-2024|work=afl.com.au|date=7 November 2018|access-date=7 November 2018}}

In February 2019, Swallow was named as Gold Coast co-captain, alongside Jarrod Witts.{{cite news|last=Whiting|first=Michael|title=Suns shock: Former Pie co-captain, ex-Cat a leader|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-02-25/suns-appoint-cocaptains-and-eightman-leadership-group|work=afl.com.au|date=25 February 2019|access-date=25 February 2019}}

Swallow was suspended for one match for striking {{AFL PA}}'s Justin Westhoff following Gold Coast's loss to the Power in round 1 of the 2020 season.{{cite news|last=Beveridge|first=Riley|title=Suns skipper cops ban, four players hit with fines|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/389979/suns-skipper-cops-ban-four-players-hit-with-fines|work=afl.com.au|date=23 March 2020|access-date=24 March 2020}}

In February 2022, Swallow stepped down from the Suns' co-captaincy, with Touk Miller named in his place.{{cite news|last=Whiting|first=Michael|title='Childhood dream' for new Suns skipper, foundation star steps down|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/707620/-childhood-dream-for-new-suns-skipper-foundation-star-steps-down|work=afl.com.au|date=21 February 2022|access-date=21 February 2022}}

Having thus far played exclusively for Gold Coast during its unsuccessful first fifteen years in the competition, Swallow has as of the end of the 2024 season not played a finals match in his 240 match career – more matches than any retired or other active player who has played no career finals.{{cite web|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/alltime/misc_players.html#19|title=Miscellaneous Player Records|accessdate=28 December 2024|publisher=AFL Tables}} Additionally, Swallow is the first and, as of 2024, only player to play premiership matches at 22 different VFL/AFL venues, owing largely to the number of low-crowd Gold Coast away matches which opposing teams schedule for their home-away-from-home country venues.{{cite web | url=https://afltables.com/afl/venues/overall.html#04 | title=AFL Tables - All Venues }}

:Statistics are correct to the end of 2024{{cite web|title=David Swallow|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/D/David_Swallow.html|work=AFL Tables|access-date=21 March 2021}}

{{Australian rules football statistics legend}}

{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}

|-

| 2011 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 21 || 11 || 14 || 208 || 205 || 413 || 62 || 84 || 0.5 || 0.7 || 9.9 || 9.8 || 19.7 || 3.0 || 4.0 || 2

|-

| 2012 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 12 || 8 || 2 || 130 || 96 || 226 || 31 || 43 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 10.8 || 8.0 || 18.8 || 2.6 || 3.6 || 1

|-

| 2013 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 18 || 3 || 2 || 195 || 152 || 347 || 47 || 61 || 0.2 || 0.1 || 10.8 || 8.4 || 19.3 || 2.6 || 3.4 || 1

|-

| 2014 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 22 || 15 || 20 || 287 || 226 || 513 || 67 || 118 || 0.7 || 0.9 || 13.0 || 10.2 || 23.3 || 3.0 || 5.4 || 5

|-

| 2015 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 6 || 2 || 2 || 70 || 46 || 116 || 16 || 35 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 11.7 || 7.7 || 19.3 || 2.7 || 5.8 || 0

|-

| 2016 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 0 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || 0

|-

| 2017 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 18 || 11 || 8 || 213 || 177 || 390 || 49 || 91 || 0.6 || 0.4 || 11.8 || 9.8 || 21.7 || 2.7 || 5.1 || 0

|-

| 2018 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 20 || 11 || 11 || 243 || 198 || 441 || 73 || 91 || 0.6 || 0.6 || 12.2 || 9.9 || 22.1 || 3.7 || 4.6 || 2

|-

| 2019 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 22 || 13 || 7 || 282 || 227 || 509 || 87 || 84 || 0.6 || 0.3 || 12.8 || 10.3 || 23.1 || 4.0 || 3.8 || 7

|-

| 2020{{efn|The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.}} || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 15 || 4 || 10 || 154 || 116 || 270 || 54 || 59 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 10.3 || 7.7 || 18.0 || 3.6 || 3.9 || 2

|-

| 2021 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 21 || 6 || 7 || 258 || 202 || 460 || 106 || 99 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 12.3 || 9.6 || 21.9 || 5.0 || 4.7 || 0

|-

| 2022 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 22 || 8 || 7 || 273 || 170 || 443 || 95 || 77 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 12.4 || 7.7 || 20.1 || 4.3 || 3.5 || 5

|-

| 2023 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 23 || 14 || 11 || 222 || 160 || 382 || 78 || 101 || 0.6 || 0.5 || 9.7 || 7.0 || 16.6 || 3.4 || 4.4 || 0

|-

| 2024 || {{AFL GC}} || 24

| 20 || 9 || 2 || 107 || 95 || 202 || 50 || 34 || 0.5 || 0.1 || 5.4 || 4.8 || 10.1 || 2.5 || 1.7 ||

|- class=sortbottom

! colspan=3 | Career

! 240 !! 109 !! 96 !! 2642 !! 2070 !! 4712 !! 815 !! 977 !! 0.5 !! 0.4 !! 11.0 !! 8.6 !! 19.6 !! 3.4 !! 4.1 !! 25

|}

Notes

{{notelist}}

Individual

• Gold Coast co-captain: 2019–2021
• Gold Coast Suns Club Champion: 2014
• 22under22 team: 2014
• AFL Rising Star nominee: 2011

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{GCplayer}}
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{{Gold Coast player squad}}

{{Gold Coast Suns captains}}

{{Gold Coast Suns Club Champion winners}}

{{Inaugural Gold Coast Football Club team}}

{{VFL/AFL club games record holders}}

{{2011 AFL Rising Star nominees}}

{{AFL number one draft picks}}

{{2010 AFL national draft}}

{{Larke Medal}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swallow, David}}

Category:1992 births

Category:Living people

Category:East Fremantle Football Club players

Category:Australian people of Dutch descent

Category:Australian people of English descent

Category:Gold Coast Football Club players

Category:Australian rules footballers from Western Australia

Category:Gold Coast Suns Club Champion winners