Mitch White (footballer, born 1996)
{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{For|the former West Coast and Geelong player|Mitchell White (footballer, born 1973){{!}}Mitchell White (footballer, born 1973)}}
{{for|the professional baseball player|Mitch White (baseball)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Mitch White
| image = Mitch White 2017.3.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| alt =
| caption = White in March 2017
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|04|10|df=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| originalteam = Dandenong Stingrays (TAC Cup)
| draftpick = No. 20, 2015 rookie draft
| debutdate = Round 23, 2015
| debutteam = {{AFL Mel}}
| debutopponent = {{AFL GWS}}
| debutstadium = Etihad Stadium
| height = 188 cm
| weight = 88 kg
| position = Defender
| currentclub =
| guernsey =
| years1 = 2015–2017
| club1 = {{AFL Mel}}
| games_goals1 = 4 (0)
| statsend = 2017
| careerhighlights = *VFL premiership captain: 2022
- Norm Goss Medal: 2022
}}
Mitchell White (born 10 April 1996) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A defender, {{convert|1.88|m|ftin}} tall and weighing {{convert|88|kg}}, White plays primarily as a half-back flanker. He entered top-level football early when he played as a bottom-aged player for the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup in 2013, the next season saw him win the club best and fairest. He was recruited by the Melbourne Football Club with the twentieth selection in the 2015 rookie draft and he made his AFL debut during the 2015 season. He played four matches in the AFL before he was delisted at the conclusion of the 2017 season.
Early life
White was raised in Carrum Downs, Victoria and played his junior football with the Seaford Football Club.{{cite news|url=http://heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/melbourne-takes-a-chance-on-cranbournes-mitch-white-in-afl-rookie-draft/story-fngnvoeu-1227143353820|title=Melbourne takes a chance on Cranbourne's Mitch White in AFL Rookie Draft|last=McEvoy|first=Simon|date=3 December 2014|work=Cranbourne Leader|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=11 September 2015}} He played for the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup as a bottom-aged player in 2013, playing six matches.{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsportspulse.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=196134485&client=1-3020-111722-294694-20320265&ocompID=294694|title=Player Profile—Mitchell White|work=TACcup|publisher=Fox Sports Pulse|access-date=11 November 2015}} He was selected again to play for Dandenong in 2014,{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/dandenong-stingrays-name-team-list-for-2014-tac-cup-season/story-fngnvoeu-1226854659251|title=Dandenong Stingrays name team list for 2014 TAC Cup season|last=McEvoy|first=Simon|date=3 December 2014|work=Dandenong Leader|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=11 November 2015}} playing sixteen matches and was awarded the club best and fairest.
AFL career
White was recruited by the Melbourne Football Club with their second selection and twentieth overall in the 2015 rookie draft. He made his Victorian Football League (VFL) debut for Melbourne's affiliate team, the Casey Scorpions, in round three and spent the majority of 2015 playing for Casey.{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2015-05-05/vfl-player-review-round-three|title=VFL player review: round three|last=Plapp|first=Justin|date=5 May 2015|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=11 November 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2015-09-03/white-to-debut|title=Rookie White to debut|last=Harrington|first=Anna|date=3 September 2015|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=11 September 2015}} He made his AFL debut in the twenty-six point win against {{AFL GWS}} at Etihad Stadium in the final round of the season, in which he recorded sixteen disposals and six marks.
The 2016 season saw White play predominately in the VFL before he was upgraded to the senior list in July.{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-07-07/white-elevated-from-rookie-list|title=White elevated from rookie list|last=Burgan|first=Matt|date=7 July 2016|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=8 November 2016}} He played his first AFL match of the year in the thirty-two point win against {{AFL Fre}} at TIO Stadium in round sixteen,{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-07-10/mitch-made-of-white-stuff|title=Mitch shows he's made of the White stuff|last=Burgan|first=Matt|date=10 July 2016|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=8 November 2016}} in which he recorded twenty disposals and received praise from then-Melbourne coach, Paul Roos.{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-07-15/roos-praises-grimes-white|title=Roos praises Grimes, White|last=Burgan|first=Matt|date=15 July 2016|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=8 November 2016}} He retained his spot the next week in the thirty-six point loss against {{AFL StK}} at Etihad Stadium,{{cite news|url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-07-15/eagles-recruit-chopped-for-the-third-time-this-year|title=TEAMS: Eagles recruit axed again, gun Demon mid back|last=Guthrie|first=Ben|date=15 July 2016|work=AFL.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=8 November 2016}} before being omitted for the round eighteen match against {{AFL WC}} at Domain Stadium.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/footy-form/afl-teams-full-round-18-squads-and-the-best-supercoach-advice/news-story/114eb9571bb69b4e5db1e01921cecf70|title=AFL Teams: Full Round 18 squads and the best SuperCoach advice|date=22 July 2016|work=Herald Sun|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=8 November 2016}} He returned to the VFL and helped Casey claim the minor premiership and reach their first grand final since 1999,{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/vfl/vfl-grand-final-2016-casey-scorpions-and-footscray-set-for-their-biggest-battle-20160924-grnnmy.html|title=VFL grand final 2016: Casey Scorpions and Footscray set for their biggest battle|last=Diamond|first=Brent|date=24 September 2016|work=The Age|publisher=Fairfax Media|access-date=8 November 2016}} in which the club ultimately lost to {{VFL Foo}} by thirty-one points.{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-09-22/casey-scorpions-gf-team|title=Casey Scorpions Grand Final team|date=22 September 2016|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=8 November 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/localfooty/vfl/casey-v-footscray-vfl-grand-final-marred-by-allin-brawl/news-story/a77ff26d656fffc731c15fa19e9c825b|title=Casey v Footscray VFL Grand Final marred by all-in brawl|date=25 September 2016|work=Herald Sun|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=8 November 2016}}
An ankle injury forced White to miss the entire 2017 JLT Community Series and VFL practice matches, before playing his first match of the year in the round two VFL match against {{VFL NBR}}.{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-06-29/white-to-play-first-game-of-season|title=White to play first game of season|last=Burgan|first=Matt|date=29 June 2017|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=2 November 2017}} After "terrific VFL form" according to senior coach, Simon Goodwin, he played in his first AFL match for the season in the round fifteen match against {{AFL Syd}} at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/melbourne/four-demons-banned-from-selection-after-drinking-session-following-vfl-game/news-story/b862d3ea7e66558986d160ab7c2d0fd2|title=Four Demons banned from selection after drinking session following VFL game|last=Landsberger|first=Sam|date=2 July 2017|work=Herald Sun|publisher=News Corp Australia|access-date=2 November 2017}}
It was ultimately his only AFL match for the season and after four matches in three seasons with Melbourne, he was delisted in September.{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-09-12/trengove-spencer-among-four-list-changes|title=Trengove, Spencer among four list changes|last=Burgan|first=Matt|date=12 September 2017|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=12 September 2017}} He subsequently signed with the {{VFL CasD}} for the 2018 VFL season.{{cite news|url=http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-12-27/mitch-to-make-most-of-new-opportunity|title=Mitch to make most of new opportunity|last=Burgan|first=Matt|date=12 September 2017|work=MelbourneFC.com.au|publisher=Bigpond|access-date=28 December 2017}}
Statistics
: Statistics are correct to the end of the 2017 season{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/M/Mitch_White.html|title=Mitch White|work=AFL Tables|access-date=11 September 2015}}
{{AFL player statistics legend}}
{{AFL player statistics start}}
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2015
|{{AFL Mel}}
| 41 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 9 || 7 || 16 || 6 || 1 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 9.0 || 7.0 || 16.0 || 6.0 || 1.0
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2016
|{{AFL Mel}}
| 41 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 9 || 19 || 28 || 7 || 6 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.5 || 9.5 || 14.0 || 3.5 || 3.0
|- style="background-color: #EAEAEA"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2017
|{{AFL Mel}}
| 41 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 6 || 11 || 4 || 1 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 5.0 || 6.0 || 11.0 || 4.0 || 1.0
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3| Career
! 4
! 0
! 0
! 23
! 32
! 55
! 17
! 8
! 0.0
! 0.0
! 5.8
! 8.0
! 13.8
! 4.3
! 2.0
|}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Melbplayer| link = mitchell-white}}
- {{AFL Tables|ref=M/Mitch_White.html}}
- {{Twitter|id=MitchWhite41}}
- [http://demonwiki.org/tiki-index.php?page=Mitchell+White Mitch White's profile] from Demonwiki
{{2015 AFL rookie draft}}
{{Norm Goss Memorial Medal}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Mitch}}
Category:Melbourne Football Club players
Category:Dandenong Stingrays players
Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)