Nick Duigan

Originally from South Australia, Duigan grew up supporting the Adelaide Crows and playing junior football for Pembroke School in Adelaide and also was a junior player at the Walkerville Football Club. Throughout his junior career, he was troubled by injuries and had a hard time stringing a series of games together until after the age of twenty.

Duigan is a registered psychologist;{{cite web|last1=Windley|first1=Matt|title=AFL players often get labelled meatheads who can only kick a footy. but who is the smartest player at your club?|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/afl-players-often-get-labelled-meatheads-who-can-only-kick-a-footy-but-who-is-the-smartest-player-at-your-club/news-story/069a268e3fd26c176eea2b98d42f252a?sv=1cfcee8e9c462dbfe8452dd793f161b4|website=The Advertiser|publisher=News Corporation|access-date=15 August 2017}} throughout his early 20s, Duigan studied psychology at university, and by the end of 2010, then aged 26, Duigan had completed his master's degree in psychology.Gleeson, M., [http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/out-of-africa-and-into-carlton-20101118-17zhs.html The Age], "Out of Africa and into Carlton", 19 November 2010, Retrieved 23 March 2011. During the same period, Duigan played football semi-professionally for the Norwood Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), primarily as a defender. He appeared in a total of 87 senior games for the Redlegs during that time,Morgan, K, [http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/zzzzzz-afl/legs-pairs-dream-afl-call-up/story-e6freckc-1225955930536 The Messenger], "Legs pair's dream AFL call-up," 18 November 2010, Retrieved 23 March 2011. and was the club's vice-captain in 2010.Davis, E. [http://sanfl.com.au/news/sanfl_news/page_6/1370/ SANFL News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217082052/http://sanfl.com.au/news/sanfl_news/page_6/1370/ |date=17 February 2011 }}, "Norwood defeat Eagles", 26 September 2010, Retrieved 23 March 2011. He finished tenth in the 2010 Magarey Medal,Norwood Football Club [http://www.norwoodfc.com.au/News/LATESTNEWS/2010MagareyMedalCount.aspx 2010 Magarey Medal Count], Retrieved 23 March 2011 and kicked the game-winning goal in Norwood's come-from-behind preliminary final victory against the Eagles.

Duigan is the son of former South Australian Member of Parliament for the seat of Adelaide, Michael Duigan.

Duigan left Norwood at the end of 2010, intending to travel to Sudan for a year to do volunteer work. However, he also nominated for the AFL draft, and was drafted by the Carlton Football Club with its fifth selection (No. 70 overall). The selection surprised many, as it was very rare at the time for a player as old as Duigan (26), and without previous AFL experience, to be drafted. Duigan was given guernsey number 34.

Playing in defence, Duigan impressed for the Blues during the pre-season, and he made his senior AFL debut in the club's first round match against Richmond.Windley, M., [http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/carlton-to-play-three-debutants-against-richmond-in-season-opener/story-e6frf9jf-1226026633582 Herald Sun], "Carlton to play three debutants against Richmond in season opener", 23 March 2011, Retrieved 23 March 2011. He immediately became a regular in the Carlton backline in the 2011, and he was noted for both his ability and his courage.{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/duigan-talent-drawing-attention-20110604-1fmat.html|title=Duigan talent drawing attention|first=Jon|last=Pierik|date=5 June 2011|access-date=3 August 2011|work=The Age}} He played twenty-two games for the year and won Carlton's Best First-Year Player award.{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/124625/default.aspx|title=Murphy wins his first John Nicholls Medal|date=4 October 2011|access-date=5 October 2011|publisher=Carlton Football Club|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117172218/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/124625/default.aspx|archive-date=17 November 2011}} He played sixteen matches in 2012.

In 2013, Duigan was elevated to the club's five-man leadership group;{{cite web|url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/4311/newsid/152281/default.aspx|title=Blues name 2013 leadership group|date=10 December 2012|access-date=11 December 2012|publisher=Carlton Football Club}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} however, he struggled to retain his place in the team on form, playing only three home-and-away matches for the year. He was famously brought into Carlton's 2013 elimination final team as a late replacement after Brock McLean was injured at the very end of the warm-up, and he kicked four goals as Carlton overcame a 32-point deficit to defeat {{AFL Ric}} in front of a crowd of 94,690.{{cite news|newspaper=Herald Sun|title=Carlton kicks Richmond out of AFL finals in thrilling elimination final comeback|author=Jon Ralph|publication-place=Melbourne, VIC|date=8 September 2013|access-date=8 September 2013|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/follow-the-second-elimination-final-as-richmond-takes-on-carlton-at-the-mcg/story-fni5f22o-1226714629890}}

Duigan had intended to continue playing in 2014, but after struggling with an ongoing knee injury during the first month of the pre-season, he announced his retirement on 9 December 2013.{{cite news|newspaper=Herald Sun|title=Carlton given permission to place Nick Duigan on long-term injury list|date=9 December 2013|access-date=9 December 2013|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/carlton-given-permission-to-place-nick-duigan-on-longterm-injury-list/story-fni5f5nx-1226779105234}}

In 2014, Duigan moved Geraldton, Western Australia, to take a role with mental health services provider Youth Focus. He also took a role as coach, with ambitions to play should his knee heal sufficiently, with the Towns Football Club in the Great Northern Football League.{{cite news|newspaper=The West Australian|url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/afl/a/21628813/twist-takes-duigan-to-geraldton/|author=Dale Miller|title=Twist takes Duigan to Geraldton|date=22 February 2014|access-date=28 March 2014}}

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{{2010 AFL national draft}}

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Category:Australian rules footballers from South Australia

Category:1984 births

Category:Living people

Category:Carlton Football Club players

Category:Norwood Football Club players

Category:Northern Bullants players

Category:People educated at Pembroke School, Adelaide

Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen