Jonathan Simpkin

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Jonathan Simpkin

| image = Jonathan Simpkin 2014.jpg

| caption = Simpkin in July 2014

| image_size = 200px

| fullname = Jonathan Simpkin

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|10|28|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = Geelong Falcons

| draftpick = No. 16, 2006 rookie draft

| debutdate = Round 9, 2012

| debutteam = {{AFL Gee}}

| debutopponent = {{AFL WB}}

| debutstadium = Etihad Stadium

| height = 181 cm | weight = 82 kg

| position = Midfielder

| statsend = 2016

| years1 = 2012

| club1 = {{AFL Gee}}

| games_goals1 = {{0}}4 {{0}}(1)

| years2 = 2013–2015

| club2 = {{AFL Haw}}

| games_goals2 = 33 (15)

| years3 = 2016

| club3 = {{AFL Ess}}

| games_goals3 = {{0}}4 {{0}}(1)

| games_goalstotal = 41 (17)

| careerhighlights =

AFL premiership player: 2013
2× AFL Canberra premiership player: 2006,2007
2× VFL premiership player: 2012, 2013
Norm Goss Memorial Medal: 2013
2× Geelong (VFL) best and fairest: 2011, 2012
Col Austen Trophy: 2015

}}

Jonathan Simpkin (born 28 October 1987) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club, Hawthorn Football Club and Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Nicknamed "Joffa", his younger brother, Tom Simpkin was also a professional Australian rules footballer who played for {{AFL StK}}.

AFL career

=Sydney=

Originally from Colac, Victoria, Simpkin was first rookie listed by the Sydney Swans with the 16th selection in the 2006 AFL Rookie Draft after playing junior football for the Geelong Falcons in the TAC Cup. Simpkin spend the 2006 and 2007 season playing for the Sydney Swans reserves team that won the 2006 and 2007 AFL Canberra premierships. Despite being elevated to their senior list for the 2007 season,{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/afl/changes-leave-four-spots-on-swans-list/2006/10/25/1161749189494.html |title=Changes leave four spots on Swans list|date=26 October 2006|first=Richard|last=Hinds|access-date=25 May 2012}} he was delisted by the Swans at the end of the 2007 season without having played in the AFL. He trained for a period late in 2007 with {{AFL Mel}} but was not drafted to their squad.{{cite news|url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2007/11/09/8766_geelong_sports.html |title=Colac footballer hopes to impress the Dees|first=Daniel |last=Breen|date=9 November 2007|work=Geelong Advertiser|access-date=25 May 2012}}

=Geelong=

He returned to play for the Colac Tigers in the Geelong Football League.{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/simpkin-brothers-jonathan-and-tom-show-resilience-to-keep-their-afl-dreams-alive/story-e6frf9jf-1226012351513|title=Simpkin brothers Jonathan and Tom show resilience to keep their AFL dreams alive|first=Scott|last=Gullan|work=Herald Sun|date=26 February 2011|access-date=25 May 2012}}

During 2008 he also managed to play 8 games for Geelong in the Victorian Football League (VFL) on permits.{{cite news|url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/02/14/11313_news.html|title=Simpkin aims to kickstart VFL career|first=Michael |last=Auciello|date= 14 February 2008}} In 2009, he was a full-time member of the Geelong (VFL) squad and in 2010 he represented the VFL against WAFL. In December 2010 in the 2011 Rookie Draft he was then selected by Geelong.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/demons-give-ruckman-lifeline/story-e6frg7mf-1225967240801 |title=Demons give ruckman lifeline|first=Stephen|last=Rielly|work=The Australian|date=8 December 2010|access-date=25 May 2012}} He continued to play for Geelong in the VFL and despite performing well consistently throughout the season, winning the team's best and fairest award,[http://www.geelongcats.com.au/geelongnews/newsarticle/tabid/3933/newsid/123476/default.aspx Simpkin Cats VFL best] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111220100149/http://www.geelongcats.com.au/geelongnews/newsarticle/tabid/3933/newsid/123476/default.aspx |date=20 December 2011 }} he was unable to break into the AFL side.

Prior to round 9 of the 2012 AFL season, Simpkin was promoted off the rookie list as a replacement for Nathan Vardy.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/afl/the-absence-of-matthew-scarlett-was-the-difference-in-the-loss-to-collingwood/story-fnca0u4y-1226366170236 |title=The absence of Matthew Scarlett was the difference in the loss to Collingwood|first=Courtney|last=Walsh|work=The Australian| date=25 May 2012|access-date=25 May 2012}}{{

cite news|url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2012/05/25/328681_gfc.html |title=Persistence pays for Cat Joffy Simpkin|first=Nick|last=Wade|date=25 May 2012|access-date=25 May 2012}} He then made his debut against {{AFL WB}}, coming on as the substitute player at three-quarter time.[http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/16931/Default.aspx#fixtureid=7732&tab=Recap Cats Dig Deep To Defy Dogs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520224903/http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/16931/Default.aspx |date=20 May 2012 }}

Simpkin again won the Geelong (VFL) best and fairest award in 2012 and also was part of the winning Geelong (VFL) premiership side the same year. Geelong had to reduce the number of rookies from six to four because of new AFL rules, so they decided not to renew his contract and that he became eligible to be on the AFL Delisted Free Agency list.http://www.news.com.au/national/former-geelong-players-tom-gillies-and-jonathan-simpkin-find-news-homes-at-melbourne-and-hawthorn/story-e6frfkp9-1226516099513 {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}

=Hawthorn=

Hawthorn secured former {{AFL Gee}} rookie Jonathan Simpkin during the 2012 AFL Delisted Free Agency Period.{{Cite web |url=http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4742/newsid/150634/default.aspx |title=Hawks secure Simpkin - Official AFL Website of the Hawthorn Football Club |access-date=1 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120211434/http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4742/newsid/150634/default.aspx |archive-date=20 November 2012 |url-status=dead }}

He played his first game for Hawthorn against {{AFL Ade}} in Adelaide, South Australia, in round six 2013 and finished the season with 13 games. Owing to injury to Brendan Whitecross he was selected for Hawthorn's grand final team and was subbed on at three quarter time winning a premiership medal when the Hawks defeated Fremantle, in his first season at the club. He also played in Box Hill's VFL premiership team winning the Norm Goss Memorial Medal for his best on ground performance that day.

Simpkin played only one AFL game for Hawthorn in 2015 (a round 7 win over Melbourne) and he was delisted In October.{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-10-30/hawks-dump-premiership-midfielder-jonathan-simpkin|title=Hawks dump premiership midfielder Jonathan Simpkin|last=King|first=Travis|date=30 October 2015|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=30 October 2015}}

=Essendon=

In January 2016, Simpkin signed with the Essendon Football Club as a "top-up" player due to the supplements controversy.{{cite news|title=Simpkin signs|url=http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2016-01-27/simpkin-signs|date=27 January 2016|work=essendonfc.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=27 January 2016}}

Statistics

|- style=background:#EAEAEA

| 2006 || {{AFL Syd}} || 29

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

| 2007 || {{AFL Syd}} || 29

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

|- style=background:#EAEAEA

| 2011 || {{AFL Gee}} || 46

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

| 2012 || {{AFL Gee}} || 46

| 4 || 1 || 0 || 22 || 13 || 35 || 8 || 7 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 5.5 || 3.3 || 8.8 || 2.0 || 1.8 || 0

|- style=background:#EAEAEA

| bgcolor=F0E68C | 2013^# || {{AFL Haw}} || 32

| 14 || 6 || 5 || 123 || 104 || 227 || 49 || 31 || 0.4 || 0.4 || 8.8 || 7.4 || 16.2 || 3.5 || 2.2 || 0

| 2014 || {{AFL Haw}} || 32

| 18 || 9 || 5 || 152 || 139 || 291 || 66 || 39 || 0.5 || 0.3 || 8.4 || 7.7 || 16.2 || 3.7 || 2.2 || 1

|- style=background:#EAEAEA

| 2015 || {{AFL Haw}} || 32

| 1 || 0 || 0 || 3 || 4 || 7 || 2 || 2 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 3.0 || 4.0 || 7.0 || 2.0 || 2.0 || 0

| 2016 || {{AFL Ess}} || 52

| 4 || 1 || 0 || 33 || 41 || 74 || 13 || 6 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 8.3 || 10.3 || 18.5 || 3.3 || 1.5 || 0

|- class="sortbottom"

! colspan=3| Career{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/J/Jonathan_Simpkin.html|title=Jonathan Simpkin stats|work=AFL Tables|access-date=7 November 2016}}

! 41 !! 17 !! 10 !! 333 !! 301 !! 634 !! 138 !! 85 !! 0.4 !! 0.2 !! 8.1 !! 7.3 !! 15.5 !! 3.4 !! 2.1 !! 1