Dougal Howard

Dougal Howard (born 25 March 1996) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Formerly playing for Port Adelaide, which recruited him with pick 56 in the 2014 national draft,[1] he was traded to St Kilda at the end of the 2019 season.

Dougal Howard
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-03-25) 25 March 1996
Place of birth Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Original team(s) Murray Bushrangers (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 56, 2014 national draft
Height 199 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Weight 95 kg (209 lb)
Position(s) Defender / forward
Club information
Current club St Kilda
Number 20
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2015–2019 Port Adelaide 45 (14)
2020– St Kilda 19 (1)
Total 64 (15)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2020.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

AFL career

Howard made his debut in the first Showdown of the 2016 AFL season at Adelaide Oval.[2] Howard played only three games until an anterior cruciate ligament injury ended his season prematurely.[3]

Howard played 20 games in the 2018 AFL season, only missing two games with a broken hand. He played some impressive shut-down jobs on the league's best forwards and lead the competition for one-percenters with 230. He signed a three-year contract extension with Port Adelaide until the end of 2022.[4] In 2019, Howard captained Port Adelaide in the club's round 9, 38-point win against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval. After the game, coach Ken Hinkley said of Howard that "we absolutely believe that Dougal's an emerging leader of our football club ... We saw an occasional mistake, we saw some really impressive stuff, we saw a willingness to take the game on – that's what you want from a young leader, that's not to let it burden him."[5]

At the conclusion of the 2019 AFL season, Howard requested a trade to St Kilda. The trade was finalised on 15 October and Howard was traded to St Kilda along with Port teammate Paddy Ryder and pick 10 and a 2020 fourth-round selection, in return for the Saints' picks 12 and 18 and a 2020 third-round selection.[6] Howard also attracted attention from North Melbourne and Essendon but ultimately chose St Kilda.[7] Before moving to the Saints, Howard was told at his exit interview that Port saw his future as a forward rather than a defender. A week after the exit interview, Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps suggested that a trade could be an option for Howard who ultimately explored his options and eventually requested a move to St Kilda.[8]

Statistics
Statistics are correct to the end of the 2020 season[9]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2016 Port Adelaide 3263430205014170.500.675.003.338.332.332.83
2017 Port Adelaide 324104312552730.25010.753.0013.756.750.75
2018 Port Adelaide 3220001586021887290.00.07.903.0010.904.351.45
2019 Port Adelaide 32151061146017467220.670.407.604.0011.604.471.47
2020 St Kilda 2018111513418574220.100.108.401.9010.301.601.20
Career 63 15 11 496 186 682 269 93 0.31 0.22 7.67 3.38 11.04 4.33 1.58

References
  1. "Dougal Howard pick 56". Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  2. Rucci, Michelangelo (1 April 2016). "Port Adelaide loses Jay Schulz and Hamish Hartlett and calls up ruckman-forward Dougal Howard". The Advertiser.
  3. Agius, Matthew (20 June 2016). "ACL confirmed for Howard, surgery successful".
  4. Gaskin, Lee (3 December 2018). "Power lock in key defender until end of 2022".
  5. "'Emerging leader' takes the captaincy reins for the Power". afl.com.au. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  6. "Saints' double delight: Power pair off to Moorabbin". afl.com.au. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  7. Ryan, Peter (9 October 2019). "Port Adelaide's Dougal Howard wants to join St Kilda". The Age. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  8. "The surprises that set Dougal Howard off on his unexpected path to St Kilda". 7NEWS.com.au. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  9. "Zak Jones stats". AFL Tables. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
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