Nigel Lappin (born 21 June 1976) is a former professional Australian rules footballer. Lappin is currently serving as an assistant coach with the Geelong Football Club.[1]
Nigel Lappin | |||
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Personal information | |||
Full name | Nigel Lappin | ||
Date of birth | (1976-06-21) 21 June 1976 (age 46) | ||
Place of birth | Corowa, New South Wales | ||
Original team(s) | Chiltern (T&DFL) | ||
Draft | No. 2, 1993 National Draft, Brisbane Bears | ||
Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Weight | 87 kg (192 lb) | ||
Playing career1 | |||
Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
1994–1996 | Brisbane Bears | 061 0(40) | |
1997–2008 | Brisbane Lions | 218 (134) | |
Total | 279 (174) | ||
Representative team honours | |||
Years | Team | Games (Goals) | |
Victoria | |||
International team honours | |||
2001 | Australia | 2 | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2008. | |||
Career highlights | |||
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Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com |
Lappin was born in the locally based regional hospital at Corowa, New South Wales and grew up in Chiltern, Victoria. He was drafted to play for the Brisbane Bears in the Australian Football League in 1993, playing his first AFL game the following year. In 1997 he was a member of the inaugural Brisbane Lions team following the Bears merger with Fitzroy.
A long, accurate kick, capable of running as a play maker throughout the whole match, he was recognised as a member of the group of players known as the "Fab Four",[2] a group of highly skilled midfield players considered to be one of the major driving forces behind the Lions successive Australian Football League premierships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. An example of his courage was the 2003 Grand Final win, in which he played the whole match with a broken rib.
Lappin represented Australia in International Rules in 2001.
In 2004 he achieved a personal milestone in winning his first Merrett-Murray Medal. However his 2005 season ended prematurely when he broke his right ankle late in the season. Weeks into his comeback, the ankle was re-injured in a 2006 pre-season practice match, forcing him to miss the entire 2006 season.
Following the retirement of longtime captain Michael Voss at the end of 2006, Lappin was appointed co-captain of the club alongside Simon Black, Luke Power, Jonathan Brown, and Chris Johnson on 20 March 2007.
His cousin Matthew Lappin also played AFL football for Carlton and St. Kilda.
On 19 August 2008, Nigel Lappin announced his retirement from professional football. After only being able to play 4 games in the 2008 season due to an Achilles tendon problem, Nigel decided it was time to draw a close on his career. "I'm really disappointed this season hasn't worked out for me," Lappin said at a Gabba press conference. "Every footballer wants the fairytale ending. It's hard to walk away from something that's been a really big part of your life, but I've got a family that will care for me."[3] He was the last remaining member of the Brisbane Lions inaugural Round 1, 1997 team.
In October 2008, Lappin joined the Geelong Football Club as an assistant coach.[4] In 2016 he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
G |
Goals | K |
Kicks | D |
Disposals | T |
Tackles |
B |
Behinds | H |
Handballs | M |
Marks |
Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
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G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
1994 | Brisbane Bears | 44 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 115 | 82 | 197 | 37 | 11 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 6.8 | 4.8 | 11.6 | 2.2 | 0.6 |
1995 | Brisbane Bears | 44 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 179 | 80 | 259 | 56 | 14 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 9.4 | 4.2 | 13.6 | 2.9 | 0.7 |
1996 | Brisbane Bears | 44 | 25 | 15 | 15 | 376 | 126 | 502 | 118 | 16 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 15.0 | 5.0 | 20.1 | 4.7 | 0.6 |
1997 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 21 | 10 | 14 | 281 | 119 | 400 | 107 | 17 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 13.4 | 5.7 | 19.0 | 5.1 | 0.8 |
1998 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 20 | 15 | 12 | 269 | 130 | 399 | 96 | 15 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 13.5 | 6.5 | 20.0 | 4.8 | 0.8 |
1999 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 25 | 23 | 23 | 281 | 185 | 466 | 109 | 29 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 11.2 | 7.4 | 18.6 | 4.4 | 1.2 |
2000 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 24 | 16 | 12 | 337 | 179 | 516 | 107 | 33 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 14.0 | 7.5 | 21.5 | 4.5 | 1.4 |
2001 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 25 | 26 | 19 | 383 | 232 | 615 | 157 | 50 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 15.3 | 9.3 | 24.6 | 6.3 | 2.0 |
2002 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 18 | 7 | 12 | 275 | 167 | 442 | 92 | 74 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 15.3 | 9.3 | 24.6 | 5.1 | 4.1 |
2003 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 22 | 8 | 15 | 371 | 191 | 562 | 124 | 70 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 16.9 | 8.7 | 25.5 | 5.6 | 3.2 |
2004 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 25 | 17 | 17 | 379 | 251 | 630 | 115 | 121 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 15.2 | 10.0 | 25.2 | 4.6 | 4.8 |
2005 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 220 | 147 | 367 | 76 | 49 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 13.8 | 9.2 | 22.9 | 4.8 | 3.1 |
2006 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2007 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 257 | 225 | 482 | 85 | 75 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 26.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 |
2008 | Brisbane Lions | 44 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 39 | 74 | 14 | 22 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 8.8 | 9.8 | 18.5 | 3.5 | 5.5 |
Career | 279 | 174 | 173 | 3758 | 2153 | 5911 | 1293 | 596 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 13.5 | 7.7 | 21.2 | 4.6 | 2.1 |
Teal Cup
Brisbane Bears/Lions
Brisbane Lions 2001/02/03 AFL premiers | |
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2001: Brisbane Lions 15.18 (108) defeated Essendon 12.10 (82), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground 2002: Brisbane Lions 10.15 (75) defeated Collingwood 9.12 (66), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground 2003: Brisbane Lions 20.14 (134) defeated Collingwood 12.12 (84), at the Melbourne Cricket Ground | |
Coach: Matthews |
Captains of the Brisbane Lions | |
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AFL | |
AFL Women's |
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Merrett–Murray Medal · Brisbane Lions best and fairest winners | |
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Brisbane Lions · Team of the Decade 1997–2006 | |
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Inaugural Brisbane Lions AFL team | |
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2001 All-Australian team | |
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← 2000 The position of coach in the All-Australian team has been awarded to the coach of the premiership-winning team since 1999. 2002 → |
2002 All-Australian team | |
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← 2001 The position of coach in the All-Australian team has been awarded to the coach of the premiership-winning team since 1999. 2003 → |
2003 All-Australian team | |
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← 2002 The position of coach in the All-Australian team has been awarded to the coach of the premiership-winning team since 1999. 2004 → |
2004 All-Australian team | |
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← 2003 The position of coach in the All-Australian team has been awarded to the coach of the premiership-winning team since 1999. 2005 → |
Australian squad – 2001 International Rules Series | ||
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Coach: Lyon |
Victorian team – 1996 State of Origin | |
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Coach: Austin |
Victorian team – 1997 State of Origin | |
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Coach: Matthews |
Victorian team – 1999 State of Origin | |
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Coach: Walls |
1993 AFL national draft | |
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