Joel Hamling

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Joel Hamling

| image =

| fullname = Joel Hamling

| nickname = Hammer

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|4|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Denmark, Western Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = Claremont (WAFL)
Cable Beach (WKFA)

| draftpick = No. 32, 2011 national draft

| height = 194 cm

| weight = 92 kg

| position = Key defender

| currentclub = {{AFL Syd}}

| guernsey = 29

| years1 = 2012–2014

| club1 = {{AFL Gee}}

| games_goals1 = {{0}}0 (0)

| years2 = 2015–2016

| club2 = {{AFL WB}}

| games_goals2 = 23 (0)

| club3 = {{AFL Fre}}

| games_goals3 = 68 (0)

| years3 = 2017–2023

| years4 = 2024–

| games_goals4 = 10 (3)

| club4 = {{AFL Syd}}

| games_goalstotal = 101 (3)

| statsend = round 8, 2025

| sooyears1 = 2025

| sooteam1 = Indigenous All-Stars

| soogames_goals1 = 1 (0)

| careerhighlights = *AFL premiership player (2016)

}}

Joel Hamling (born 9 April 1993) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). Hamling previously played for the {{AFL WB}} from 2015 to 2016 and {{AFL Fre}} between 2017 and 2023, after initially being drafted to {{AFL Gee}} in the 2011 AFL draft.

Early life and junior football

Of Yorta Yorta indigenous descent,[https://www.aflplayers.com.au/resources/indigenous-map-2022 AFL Players Indigenous Map 2023] Hamling was born in Denmark, Western Australia, but was brought up in Broome.{{Cite web | url=https://thewest.com.au/news/great-southern/denmark-born-hamling-key-part-of-historic-bulldogs-premiership-ng-ya-119763 | title=Hamling comes of age| date=4 October 2016}}{{Cite web | url=http://www.claremontfc.com.au/news/11472/hamling-revives-fond-memories | title=Hamling revives fond memories}} Hamling played colts (Under 18) for Claremont in the WAFL.

AFL

Hamling was recruited by the Geelong Football Club with pick 32 in the 2011 national draft. After three years with Geelong without playing a senior match, he joined the Western Bulldogs as a delisted free agent at the end of the 2014 season.{{cite web|title=Joel Hamling signs with Western Bulldogs as delisted free agent|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/joel-hamling-signs-with-western-bulldogs-as-delisted-free-agent/story-fni5fazt-1227109944365|last=Waterworth|first=Ben|date=2 November 2014|work=Herald Sun|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=2 November 2014}} Hamling made his debut in round 9, 2015, against {{AFL GWS}} at Etihad Stadium.{{cite web|title=Long Time Coming|url=http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2015-06-01/long-time-coming|author=Bulldogs, Western|date=1 June 2015|publisher=WB|access-date=1 June 2015}} Hamling was a part of the Western Bulldogs premiership team in 2016. Following the 2016 AFL season he returned home to Western Australia when he was traded to the Fremantle Football Club.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-18/dogs-premiership-hero-joel-hamling-becomes-a-docker|title=Dogs premiership hero Joel Hamling becomes a Docker|last=Ryan|first=Peter|date=18 October 2016|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=18 October 2016}}

Hamling missed the entire 2020 season due to an ankle injury. Hamling only played one game during the 2021 season after he re-injured the same ankle in round one against Melbourne and had to undergo ankle surgery in July 2021. Hamling made his return in round 2 of the 2022 AFL season during Fremantle's clash against St Kilda.{{cite news|title=Hamling back in purple after 372 days|url=https://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/1085653/hamling-back-in-purple-after-372-days|access-date=26 July 2022|language=en}}

Following the 2023 AFL season, Hamling signed with the Sydney Swans as an unrestricted free agent.{{citetweet|user=AFLHouse|number=1710905448705179948|date=9 October 2023|title=The AFL has received and approved paperwork for Unrestricted Free Agent Joel Hamling to sign with the Sydney Swans.}}

Statistics

: Statistics are correct to the end of 2024{{cite web|url=https://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/J/Joel_Hamling.html|title=Joel Hamling|publisher=AFL Tables|access-date=25 May 2022}}

| 2015 || {{AFL WB}} || 30

| 11 || 0 || 0 || 64 || 47 || 111 || 53 || 15 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 5.8 || 4.3 || 10.1 || 4.8 || 1.4 || 0

| scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | 2016^# || {{AFL WB}} || 30

| 12 || 0 || 0 || 67 || 59 || 126 || 43 || 16 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 5.6 || 4.9 || 10.5 || 3.6 || 1.3 || 0

| 2017 || {{AFL Fre}} || 21

| 22 || 0 || 0 || 126 || 142 || 268 || 110 || 42 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 5.7 || 6.5 || 12.2 || 5.0 || 1.9 || 0

| 2018 || {{AFL Fre}} || 21

| 18 || 0 || 0 || 129 || 114 || 243 || 106 || 21 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 7.2 || 6.3 || 13.5 || 5.9 || 1.2 || 2

| 2019 || {{AFL Fre}} || 21

| 22 || 0 || 0 || 137 || 97 || 234 || 111 || 25 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 6.2 || 4.4 || 10.6 || 5.0 || 1.1 || 0

| 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 Fre}} || 21

| 0 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –

| 2021 || {{AFL Fre}} || 21

| 1 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 7 || 10 || 0 || 1 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 3.0 || 7.0 || 10.0 || 0.0 || 1.0 || 0

| 2022 || {{AFL Fre}} || 21

| 1 || 0 || 0 || 6 || 4 || 10 || 4 || 0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 6.0 || 4.0 || 10.0 || 4.0 || 0.0 || 0

| 2023 || {{AFL Fre}} || 21

| 4 || 0 || 0 || 18 || 27 || 45 || 17 || 4 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.5 || 6.8 || 11.3 || 4.3 || 1.0 || 0

| 2024|| {{AFL Syd}} || 29

| 0 || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || – || –

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career

! 91 !! 0 !! 0 !! 550 !! 497 !! 1047 !! 444 !! 124 !! 0.0 !! 0.0 !! 6.0 !! 5.5 !! 11.5 !! 4.9 !! 1.4 !! 2