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Caleb Daniel

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Caleb Daniel (born 7 July 1996) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). Known for his precise short kicking from half back, Daniel has been recognised statistically as one of the most effective short kicks in the game. When he was recruited in 2014 he was listed as the shortest player at 167cm (standing now at 171 cm) in the AFL,[2] and is one of the few players who regularly wears a protective helmet, having done so since his playing days at junior level. [3]

Caleb Daniel
Daniel in August 2018
Personal information
Full name Caleb Daniel
Nickname(s) CD
Date of birth (1996-07-07) 7 July 1996 (age 28)
Original team(s) South Adelaide/Edwardstown Football Club
Draft No. 46, 2014 national draft
Height 171 cm (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight 72 kg (159 lb)
Position(s) Defender / midfielder
Club information
Current club Western Bulldogs
Number 35
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2015–2024 Western Bulldogs 175 (47)
2025– North Melbourne 0 (0)
Total 175 (47)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com
For the American basketball player, see Caleb Daniels.

Early days and career

Daniel was born in Beaudesert, Queensland where he lived until the age of six[4] before moving to Adelaide. He studied at Aberfoyle Park High School and played eleven senior games for South Adelaide in the SANFL. He credits his coach at South Adelaide, former Fitzroy and St Kilda rover Brad Gotch, for instilling confidence in him at the start of his senior career.[5]

AFL career

Selection and debut

Daniel was selected by the Bulldogs with pick 46 of the 2014 National Draft. While he was overlooked by other clubs due to his short stature, Simon Dalrymple, the Bulldogs' chief recruiter at the time, had been impressed by Daniel, commenting: "His decision-making stood out, his ball-handling... He can keep on running. And he's got fantastic agility, and when you've got that lateral movement it buys you a bit more time."[6] He made his debut in an 11-point win against Carlton as the starting substitute in round 14 of the 2015 season.[7]

Early AFL career

After the promise shown in his debut season, Daniel took his game to the next level the following season, playing all but two games due to calf injury and playing a key role in the Bulldogs' drought-breaking premiership. In Round 4 2016, he was the round nominee for the 2016 AFL Rising Star after collecting 25 disposals in a 36-point win against Carlton.[8] He would finish runner-up to Sydney's Callum Mills. Daniel was among the Bulldogs' best players in the Elimination Final win over West Coast at Subiaco Oval, amassing a then career-high 33 disposals and kicking a goal.[9][10]

In February 2017, Daniel signed a two-year contract extension with the Western Bulldogs, keeping him at the club until 2019.[11] Daniel had required a shoulder reconstruction after the Western Bulldogs 2016 Premiership, meaning he trained without contact for some time.[12] Daniel played 20 games in the 2017 AFL season, only missing out on rounds 4 and 5, which he spent in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[13][14] In the 2017 season, Daniel had 12 games where he picked up 20 or more disposals. After being recognised for having a strong season, Daniel came fifth in the Charles Sutton Medal voting for 2017.[15]

2020 season: Best and fairest success

Daniel played every game in the home and away season, having a career best season and being recognised around the league for his impressive performance. Daniel was ranked as the games best ranked general defender according to AFL Player ratings.[16] He was nominated by the Western Bulldogs for the Leigh Matthews Trophy, alongside teammates Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae.[17] He was named in the initial 40-man squad of the 2020 All-Australian team.[18][19][20] Daniel made the 22 man final squad, named on the interchange bench.[21][22]

Daniel won the Western Bulldogs best and fairest award, the Charles Sutton Medal, with a total of 205 votes over the course of the 18 games he played, beating Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli by a mere 10 votes.[23]

Later AFL career

Daniel signed a four-year contract extension with the Bulldogs in 2022.[24]

In the same year, Daniel came sixth in the club’s Best and Fairest count[25] despite missing a month of the season due to knee surgery.[26]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of 2023.[14]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2015 Western Bulldogs 35 10 6 2 55 76 131 23 22 0.6 0.2 5.5 7.6 13.1 2.3 2.2
2016# Western Bulldogs 35 24 11 9 279 239 518 89 79 0.5 0.4 11.6 11.0 21.6 3.7 3.3
2017 Western Bulldogs 35 20 5 5 210 224 434 59 57 0.3 0.3 10.5 11.2 21.7 3.0 2.9
2018 Western Bulldogs 35 20 4 7 214 206 420 84 63 0.2 0.35 10.7 10.3 21.0 4.2 3.15
2019 Western Bulldogs 35 17 1 0 294 157 451 67 56 0.1 0.0 17.3 9.2 26.5 3.9 3.1
2020[a] Western Bulldogs 35 18 3 2 225 138 363 59 42 0.2 0.1 12.5 7.7 20.2 3.3 2.3
2021 Western Bulldogs 35 25 7 1 364 267 631 100 58 0.3 0.0 14.6 10.7 25.3 4.0 2.3
2022 Western Bulldogs 35 19 0 0 297 172 469 97 36 0.0 0.0 15.6 9.1 24.7 5.1 1.9
2023 Western Bulldogs 35 23 10 6 295 242 537 100 88 0.4 0.3 12.8 10.5 23.3 4.3 3.8
Career 175 47 32 2233 1721 3954 678 498 0.3 0.2 12.8 9.8 22.6 3.9 2.8

Notes

  1. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honours and achievements

References

  1. ^ https://www.safc.com.au/blog/caleb-daniel-standing-tall-in-the-afl
  2. ^ Edwards, Nat (27 November 2014). "Bulldogs a fitting home for diminutive Caleb Daniel". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  3. ^ Cherny, Daniel (11 July 2018). "Irish helmet in vogue, but jury still out". The Age.
  4. ^ Bulldog Caleb Daniel makes short work of a big ask Peter Hanlon for The Age August 7, 2015
  5. ^ Guthrie, Ben (18 April 2016). "Tiny but mighty Dog taught to be a 'smart runner'".
  6. ^ Hanlon, Peter (7 August 2015). "Bulldog Caleb Daniel makes short work of a big ask". The Age.
  7. ^ Landsberger, Sam (4 July 2015). "Bulldogs youngster Caleb Daniel ignites Western Bulldogs on debut against Carlton". Herald Sun. News Corp. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  8. ^ Landsberger, Sam (18 April 2016). "Caleb Daniel snares Round 4 Rising Star nomination, eighth Western Bulldog since 2013". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  9. ^ "West Coast v Western Bulldogs, Thursday 8 September 2016". Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  10. ^ Reed, David (8 September 2016). "Every Bulldog rated: Million-dollar Dog's breakout game against Eagles". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  11. ^ Davidson, Ryan (14 February 2017). "Cult hero Daniel re-signs with premiers". AFL Media. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ^ Navaratnam, Dinny (15 January 2017). "Dog Daniel stays contact free after shoulder reconstruction". AFL Media. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Season Review: Caleb Daniel". Western Bulldogs FC Media. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Caleb Daniel". AFL Tables. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
  15. ^ Davidson, Ryan (5 October 2017). "Back-to-back Bont: Dog sets new club record". AFL Media. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Star trio earn All Australian honours". Western Bulldogs Media. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Bulldogs' nominations revealed for MVP Award". Western Bulldogs Media. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Three Dogs make All Australian squad". Western Bulldogs Media. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  19. ^ Waterworth, Ben (22 September 2020). "Revealed: 20yo bolter Zak Butters joins superstars in 40-man All-Australian squad". Fox Sports. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  20. ^ McKern, James (22 September 2020). "AFL All Australian 40-man squad revealed: Power and Cats lead the way". News.com.au. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  21. ^ Beveridge, Riley (24 September 2020). "All-Australian team: Danger joins greats, 12 fresh faces". AFL Media. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  22. ^ Gleeson, Michael (24 September 2020). "Dangerfield leads All-Australian team, but Tigers snubbed". The Age. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  23. ^ "King Caleb: Daniel crowned top Dog". Western Bulldogs Media. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  24. ^ https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/1149571/daniel-inks-four-year-deal
  25. ^ https://www.afl.com.au/news/852388/wantaway-mid-edges-clearance-gun-to-claim-maiden-dogs-bf/amp
  26. ^ https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/afl-western-bulldogs-stars-caleb-daniel-and-adam-treloar-set-to-face-geelong-as-luke-beveridge-questions-sub-rule/news-story/773480f03fb8c0c90679fe553b98fd1e?amp
 
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