Brett Kirk

Brett Kirk
Personal information
Date of birth	(1976-10-25) 25 October 1976 (age 40)
Original team(s)	North Albury (NSW)
Debut	Round 19, 1999, Sydney Swans vs. Kangaroos, at SCG
Height	184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	81 kg (179 lb)
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1999–2010	Sydney Swans	241 (96)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2010.
Career highlights
Sydney Best and Fairest 2005, 2007 All-Australian 2004 International Rules Series (Australia) 2003, 2004 Premiership Player 2005 Grand Finalist 2006 Sydney Captain 2006 - 2010 AFLPA Robert Rose Award (League's Most Courageous Player) 2006 Paul Kelly Players’ Player Award 2008 Hall of Fame Tribute Match, Dream Team 2008 AFLPA Madden Medal, Community Spirit Award 2010 AFLPA Best Captain Award 2010 AFL Ambassador Youth Mentor 2011 AFL International Cup Ambassador 2011 AFL Premiership Cup Ambassador 2011
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Brett Kirk (born 25 October 1976) is a former Australian rules football player of the Sydney Swans, and was the AFL's International Ambassador. Kirk is currently serving as an assistant coach with the Sydney Swans Football Club.

Kirk grew up in Albury, New South Wales. He was recruited to the Sydney Swans as a mature-aged rookie and was twice dropped from the team, but he found his way back on to the list. Kirk was regarded as "one of the toughest and most respected midfielders in the competition".

Kirk played 241 games for the Swans since making his debut in 1999, including the last 200 without missing a match. He was nominated All-Australian in 2004. Kirk won the best and fairest twice, in 2005, the year the club won the AFL premiership, and again in 2007. He was co-captain of the Swans from 2005-2010.

He surpassed Jared Crouch's Swans record of 194 consecutive AFL matches in the game against Geelong in round 18, 2010. He had a total of 1278 tackles in his career, which is the fourth most of any AFL player (2014). Kirk played his final and 200th consecutive game (having not missed a match since Round 14, 2002) when he faced the Western Bulldogs in the second round of the AFL finals on Saturday 11 September 2010. It is the fifth longest such streak, and is one of two by Sydney Swans players (the other being Adam Goodes) in the top 5.

He retired at the end of 2010. Prior to that, he worked at the Gold Coast Football Club in a role designed to help implement a winning culture at the club.

In 2008, Kirk was given the honour of meeting with the Dalai Lama during his Australian tour in which he presented the Dalai Lama with a signed Swans jersey. Kirk is known as a practicing Buddhist and has a tattoo of a Buddhist symbol on his back. When the young Swan Dan Hannebery seemed anxious, Kirk recommended that he do some meditation and read The Power of Now and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.