Mark West (footballer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mark West |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Mark West | ||
| Date of birth | 3 April 1973 | ||
| Original team | South Adelaide | ||
| Draft | 43rd, 1995 AFL draft | ||
Mark West was born on 3 April 1973. He is a former Australian rules football player. Mark played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL) during the 1990s.
Contents
Mark West's Football Journey
Mark is an Indigenous Australian from the Northern Territory. He started his football journey playing for the Darwin team. His path in football took him to play in three different states.
Early Club Days
In 1991, Mark joined the Brisbane Bears. He played in their reserves team for two seasons. After that, he moved to South Australia. There, he continued his career with the South Adelaide team.
Joining the AFL
Mark was picked from South Adelaide to play in the AFL. The Footscray team, now known as the Western Bulldogs, chose him. This happened during the 1995 AFL draft as the 43rd pick. Mark was 23 years old when he played his first senior AFL game in 1996. In his first season, he played in four games.
Key Moments in the AFL
Big Games and Challenges
In 1997, Mark worked hard to make a big impact. He played especially well during the finals series. In a preliminary final game against the Adelaide team, he had a career-best performance. He got 24 disposals (times he touched the ball) and kicked two goals.
During that game, with less than three minutes left, Mark had a chance to score a goal. If he had kicked it, the Bulldogs would have been eight points ahead. However, his shot missed to the left. The Bulldogs ended up losing that preliminary final.
Injury and Return
Mark missed most of the 1998 AFL season because of a shoulder injury. But he recovered in time to play in another preliminary final. Sadly, his team was again defeated by Adelaide.
Life After Football
After his football career, Mark West explored other interests. In 2004, he took part in the 2004 Australian federal election. He was a candidate for the Family First Party in the area called Solomon. A candidate is someone who tries to get elected for a political job. He received 2.1% of the votes in that election.
