Damian Monkhorst

Damian Monkhorst
Monkhorst in April 2017
Personal information
Date of birth	(1969-08-21) 21 August 1969 (age 47)
Original team(s)	Woori Yallock
Height	202 cm (6 ft 8 in)
Weight	116 kg (256 lb)
Position(s)	Ruckman
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1988–1999	Collingwood	205 (45)
2000	St Kilda	010 0(0)
Total		215 (45)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2000.
Career highlights
3rd Collingwood best and fairest 1992 (equal), 1992, 1993 Collingwood premiership side 1990 Twice represented Victoria in State of Origin
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Damian Monkhorst (born 21 August 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the VFL/AFL. He is currently serving as an assistant coach with the Hawthorn Football Club. During his playing career with Collingwood, Monkhorst was known as one of the league's best and toughest ruckmen to play against.

'Monkey' came to Collingwood from Woori Yallock and made his debut in 1988. The 202 cm, 116 kg big man was classed as a no.1 ruckman as soon as he got to Victoria Park, and his early career headed him to become a premiership ruckman in 1990. Monkhorst said that he was lucky to be playing in the Grand Final after fellow big man James Manson had a brilliant finals campaign, but Monkhorst dominated experienced performer Simon Madden after spending most of the first quarter on the bench.

Monkhorst developed well, and performed at his peak in years 1992–1994, where he finished third in the best and fairest in each of the seasons. Monkhorst proved as a tough man, but in 1994 he was involved in a controversial incident which then introduced the melee rule, as he had started a melee after running through Essendon's huddle at the start of a match.

In 1995 during the drawn Anzac Day match at the MCG in front of 95,000 spectators, Monkhorst was involved in an incident that would bring enduring social change to the AFL when he was accused of racially vilifying Essendon's aboriginal wingman Michael Long. Monkhorst was required to attend a mediation session with Long and although Long was not happy with the outcome at the time, the handshake at the end of the session has since paved the way for very few racial taunts on the field, with less than half-a-dozen reported since.