Sharrod Wellingham | |||
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Personal information | |||
Full name | Sharrod Wellingham | ||
Date of birth | 7 July 1988 | ||
Place of birth | Western Australia | ||
Original team(s) | South Perth / Perth (WAFL) | ||
Draft | 10th, 2007 Rookie Draft: Coll | ||
Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Weight | 85 kg (187 lb) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder/Defender | ||
Club information | |||
Current club | West Coast | ||
Number | 12 | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
2008–2012 | Collingwood | 92 (55) | |
2013– | West Coast | 70 (18) | |
Total | 162 (73) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of rd4 2017.
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Career highlights | |||
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Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Sharrod Wellingham (born 7 July 1988 in Western Australia) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL).
A pacy wingman from Western Australia, Wellingham became the fifth Indigenous footballer on the Magpies list having been selected with the 10th pick in the 2006 AFL Rookie Draft.
Wellingham's initial season at the club was spent with Collingwood's VFL affiliate side, Williamstown. Due to VFL limits on the number of AFL-listed players eligible for selection against non AFL-affiliated clubs, Wellingham was demoted to the Williamstown reserves towards the end of 2007. Despite this Wellingham was promoted to the Collingwood senior list to replace Chris Egan. Despite being named an emergency in round 19 against Richmond, he did not make his Collingwood debut in 2007 and was subsequently demoted back to 'rookie' status. He survived the cut post-season, and remained on the Collingwood 2008 rookie list. He then switched guernsey numbers, switching from the lowly 41 to Guy Richards' old number 21.
In January 2008, Collingwood lost their sponsorship from the Transport Accident Commission after Wellingham was charged with drink-driving. Wellingham was moving a car 100 metres up the road (so he says, the other AFL players with him had been drinking) after being out on Saturday 5 January, when he was pulled over by the police. The club fined him $5000.
Before the 2008 Anzac Day Clash between Essendon and Collingwood he was promoted to the senior list again and was initially named as an emergency, but made his debut when Anthony Rocca was unable to play due to injury.
After 2008, Wellingham went on to entrench himself as a vital member of Collingwood's midfield. His pace, footskills, overhead marking and ferocity at the contest became valuable assets to the Magpies' side.
He played in the 2010 grand final-winning team.
He put himself in the spotlight with a career-best 37 possessions in the 2011 Queen's Birthday game against Melbourne, where he stood up in the absence of a number of star teammates to lead Collingwood to a dominant 88 point win.