Dyson Heppell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dyson Heppell |
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Heppell playing for Essendon in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Dyson Heppell | ||
| Date of birth | 14 May 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Leongatha, Victoria | ||
| Original team | Gippsland Power (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 8, 2010 national draft | ||
| Debut | Round 1, 2011, Essendon v. Western Bulldogs, at Etihad Stadium |
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| Position(s) | Midfielder / defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Port Melbourne | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Dyson Heppell (born 14 May 1992) is a former professional Australian rules footballer. He played for and was captain of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Heppell won the AFL Rising Star award in his first season in 2011. He also won a Crichton Medal and was chosen for the All-Australian team in 2014. He was the captain of Essendon from 2017 until 2022.
After retiring from the AFL, Heppell now plays for the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
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Dyson Heppell's Early Football Journey
Heppell started playing football in the Auskick program in Leongatha. He then played for the Leongatha Football Club. Later, he joined Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Becoming a Leader at Gippsland Power
Heppell was named captain of Gippsland Power in 2010. He also played for the Victorian Country team. This was at the 2010 AFL Under 18 Championships. He was even named in the All-Australian team for that championship. Heppell was 189 cm tall. He played as a "line-breaking defender" at first. Then, he moved into the midfield later in the 2010 season.
Awards and Grand Final Experience
Heppell did very well in the Morrish Medal count. This award is for the best and fairest player in the TAC Cup. He tied for the award with Jackson Sketcher. Even though Gippsland finished sixth, Heppell played great in the finals. He had 36 disposals in one win. He was also named best on ground in the preliminary final. This helped his team reach the TAC Cup Grand Final. In the Grand Final, Heppell had a quieter game. His team, the Power, lost to the Calder Cannons.
Dyson Heppell's AFL Career Highlights
Even with his Grand Final game, Heppell impressed at the AFL draft camp. Many thought he would be a top five pick in the 2010 national draft. Some even thought he could be a top three pick. People thought the Brisbane Lions might pick him. Heppell's skills and left foot were compared to Josh Drummond.
Joining the Essendon Bombers
A rumor started before the draft that Heppell had groin problems. He denied this rumor. The Essendon team had the eighth pick. They became interested that he might still be available. Heppell spoke with the new coach, James Hird, before the draft. Hird thought Heppell would be picked earlier. But because of the groin concerns, Heppell was still available. Essendon chose him with their pick. Heppell supported the Bombers as a child. He said being drafted by Essendon was "like a dream."
Winning the Rising Star Award
Heppell was nominated for the first AFL Rising Star award in 2011. This was after he had 20 possessions in his first AFL game. It was against the Western Bulldogs in Round 1. In his first year, he played every game. He was a big reason Essendon made the finals. Heppell was expected to win the Ron Evans Medal. This award goes to the best rising star each season. He won the medal with 44 out of 45 possible votes. He was the first Essendon player to win this award. Heppell said winning was "a dream come true."
Becoming a Midfield Star
Heppell kept getting better. He finished third in Essendon's best and fairest award. This was his second time in the top three. For his first two seasons, Heppell played mostly as a half-back. In 2013, he moved into the midfield. He averaged 24 disposals per game that season. He received three Brownlow Medal votes for a great game against Melbourne. He had 36 possessions and kicked two goals. He was also a top player in the comeback win against Carlton.
Heppell continued to improve in the 2014 season. He won his first Crichton Medal. He was also selected for the All-Australian team for the first time. He received 14 votes in the 2014 Brownlow Medal.
A Challenging Time and Return to Play
Heppell and 33 other Essendon players faced a challenge. They were suspended from playing. This was due to an issue with Essendon's sports program in 2012. He missed the entire 2016 AFL season. His suspension ended in November 2016.
In February 2017, Heppell was named Essendon's new captain. He took over from Brendon Goddard. In December 2019, he signed a new contract. This kept him at the club until 2022. He signed again for 2023. However, he stepped down as captain after six seasons in the role.
On 13 August 2024, Heppell announced he would retire from the AFL. His last game for the Bombers was against the Brisbane Lions. This was at The Gabba.
Dyson Heppell's Career Statistics
Here are some statistics from Dyson Heppell's AFL career. These numbers show how many games he played, how many goals he kicked, and how many times he got the ball.
| G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2011 | Essendon | 21 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 262 | 231 | 493 | 132 | 63 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 11.4 | 10.0 | 21.4 | 5.7 | 2.7 | 4 |
| 2012 | Essendon | 21 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 250 | 180 | 430 | 113 | 59 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 12.5 | 9.0 | 21.5 | 5.6 | 3.0 | 3 |
| 2013 | Essendon | 21 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 269 | 192 | 461 | 88 | 74 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 14.2 | 10.1 | 24.3 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 10 |
| 2014 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 6 | 6 | 332 | 294 | 626 | 116 | 99 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 15.1 | 13.4 | 28.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 14 |
| 2015 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 13 | 8 | 304 | 262 | 566 | 87 | 105 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 13.8 | 11.9 | 25.7 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 10 |
| 2016 | Essendon | 21 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2017 | Essendon | 21 | 23 | 12 | 8 | 314 | 292 | 606 | 118 | 96 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 13.7 | 12.7 | 26.3 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 14 |
| 2018 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 327 | 263 | 590 | 122 | 87 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 14.9 | 12.0 | 26.8 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 13 |
| 2019 | Essendon | 21 | 18 | 4 | 5 | 230 | 243 | 473 | 98 | 52 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 12.8 | 13.5 | 26.3 | 5.4 | 2.9 | 3 |
| 2020 | Essendon | 21 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 4 | 3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 5.0 | 8.3 | 13.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | Essendon | 21 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 276 | 194 | 470 | 132 | 47 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 14.5 | 10.2 | 24.7 | 7.0 | 2.5 | 0 |
| 2022 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 259 | 224 | 483 | 145 | 41 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 11.8 | 10.2 | 22.0 | 6.6 | 1.9 | 0 |
| 2023 | Essendon | 21 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 253 | 190 | 443 | 156 | 50 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.5 | 8.6 | 20.1 | 7.1 | 2.3 | 0 |
| 2024 | Essendon | 21 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 195 | 188 | 383 | 102 | 29 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 10.8 | 10.4 | 21.3 | 5.7 | 1.6 | 0 |
| Career | 253 | 68 | 53 | 3286 | 2778 | 6064 | 1413 | 805 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 13.0 | 11.0 | 24.0 | 5.6 | 3.2 | 71 | ||
Dyson Heppell's Awards and Achievements
Individual Awards
- Essendon captain: 2017–2022
- All-Australian team: 2014
- Crichton Medal: 2014
- Ron Evans Medal: 2011
- Australia representative honours in international rules football: 2015
- AFLPA best first-year player: 2011
- AFLCA best young player of the year: 2012
- 3× 22under22 team: 2012, 2013 (c), 2014 (c)
