Farren Ray

#22 - Farren Ray - St Kilda FC
Personal information
Birth	23 March 1986 (1986-03-23) (age 23)
Recruited from	Peel Thunder
Height and weight	187cm / 84kg
Playing career¹
Debut	Round 7, 7 May 2004, Western Bulldogs vs. Essendon, at Docklands, Melbourne
Team(s)	St Kilda Saints 2009 - 25 games, 5 goals Western Bulldogs 2004 - 2008 78 games, 32 goals
¹ Statistics to end of 2009 season
Career highlights
* St Kilda Minor Premiership Side 2009

Farren Ray (born 23 March 1986) is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

[edit] AFL career

[edit] Western Bulldogs: 2004 - 2008

Ray was recruited from Peel Thunder with the fourth pick in the 2003 AFL Draft.

He debuted in 2004, playing seven games. He then played 14 games in the 2005 season followed by 21 in the 2006 season. At the end of 2006 he played his first two finals matches, in the first he gathered his highest possession count for the season with 27 touches.

Ray at training prior to the 2009 AFL Grand Final

Ray quit the Western Bulldogs at the end of the 2008 season to look for opportunities elsewhere. He feared there could be limited opportunities at the club again next year and was disappointed to be dropped after the qualifying final loss to Hawthorn. He has said that he had to move to give himself the opportunity to become a regular senior footballer. There were question marks on his decision making and willingness to strongly contest the ball. During the 2008 trade week he was traded along with the Round 3 draft pick, number 48 overall, to St Kilda for their Round 2 pick, number 31 overall.

[edit] St Kilda: 2009

After being traded to the Saints for selection 31 (Jordan Roughead), most expected Ray to be a fringe player who could add some handy depth to the side. But he exceeded all expectations, playing in all of the Saints' 22 home and away games plus all finals in his first season at the club. He was only one of two players at the Saints to do so, the other being defender Jason Blake.

Ray was a valuable contributor for the Saints throughout 2009. His first match against his previous club was successful, gaining 31 disposals and 11 marks and probably only shaded for best on ground honours by teammate Brendon Goddard in the Saints' 28 point win.^[1]

Ray played in 22 of 22 matches in the 2009 AFL Premiership Season Home & Away Rounds where the St Kilda Football Club qualified in first position for the 2009 AFL Finals Series, winning the club’s 3rd Minor Premiership.^[2]

St Kilda won direct qualification through to the 2009 AFL Grand Final after Qualifying & Preliminary Final wins. Ray played in the 2009 AFL Grand Final where St Kilda was defeated by 12 points.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: St Kilda Football Club

• Farren Ray profile on the Official AFL Website of the Western Bulldogs Football Club
• Farren Ray's statistics from AFL Tables
• Footy Wire biography

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