Darren Jolly
Jolly playing for Sydney in 2006.
Personal information
Full name	Darren Jolly
Birth	6 November 1981 (1981-11-06) (age 28)
Recruited from	North Ballarat, VFL
Draft	2001 Rookie Draft: #21 (Melbourne) 2004 Trade Week: Traded for pick #15 (Sydney) 2009 Trade Week: Traded for picks #14 and #46 (Collingwood)
Height	200cm
Weight	104kg
Playing Career
Position(s)	Ruckman
Club	Collingwood
Number	18
Club
Years	Team	Pld	G
2001–2004	Melbourne	48	11
2005–2009	Sydney	118	59
2010–	Collingwood	0	0
	Total	166	70

Darren Jolly (born 6 November 1981) is an Australian rules footballer who has played for Melbourne and the Sydney Swans in the AFL. He has been drafted to play for the Collingwood Football Club from 2010.

[edit] Early career

After player for the North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup, Jolly spent a year playing for the North Ballarat Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL) before being drafted by the Melbourne Football Club in the 2001 Rookie Draft.^[1] He played 48 games over four seasons for Melbourne, mainly as an understudy to Jeff White.^[2]

[edit] Sydney career

Darren Jolly in action

The Demons traded Jolly to Sydney in 2004 for pick 15 in the national draft. Along with Jason Ball, in 2005 he was an integral part of Sydney's ruck division and after the retirement of Ball, assumed the number one ruck role at Sydney.

In the early hours of 29 September - one day before the Swans played in the 2006 AFL Grand Final, Jolly's wife Deanne gave birth to the couple's first child, Scarlett, which brought relief to coach Paul Roos, as Jolly had said he would not play in the Grand Final if his wife was to give birth on the day of the game.^[3]

Jolly holds the record of most hitouts in a game by a current AFL player, amassing 53 against Collingwood on June 20, 2009. He beat his previous record of 49 and overall is ranked second since statistics have been kept (1987), one hitout behind Matthew Burton.^[4]

At the end of the 2009 season, Jolly requested a trade be done so he could return to his native Victoria with his family.^[5] Many clubs expressed initial interest in securing a senior ruckman, with Collingwood satisfying Sydney's requirements, trading picks 14 and 46 in the 2009 AFL Draft.^[6]

Darren Jolly (red and white) taps the ball to Adam Goodes (37) after beating Patrick Ryder in the ruck duel

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Darren Jolly's statistics from AFL Tables