Wade Thompson facts for kids

Wade Thompson, born on August 28, 1988, is a former professional Australian rules football player. He played for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Wade Thompson's Football Journey

Getting Started in Football

Wade Thompson was known for being very fast and good at scoring goals. He was chosen by Port Adelaide in the 2009 AFL Rookie Draft. He was the fourth player picked! Before that, he played for the North Adelaide club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

Playing for Port Adelaide

Wade impressed everyone during the preseason games. In one game against the Sydney Swans, he scored three goals! Because he played so well, he was moved up to the main team. This happened when another player, Jackson Trengove, was injured.

In 2009, Wade made his first AFL game for Port Adelaide against the Melbourne team. He was one of six Indigenous Australians playing for Port Adelaide that day. This was a special moment, as it equaled the record for the most Indigenous players in one AFL team.

In his first game, Wade played in the forward line. He had 3 kicks, 6 handballs, and 3 marks. He also helped set up one goal. The next week, he played his first and only away game. In that game, he had 6 kicks, 7 handballs, 3 marks, and 1 tackle.

Facing Challenges

In 2010, Wade played in the first game of the NAB Cup. He got 14 disposals and kicked two goals. But a week later, he had an accident during training. A teammate accidentally elbowed him in the face, which fractured his eye socket.

Wade needed surgery, and doctors put a plate into his eye socket. This injury meant he had to miss twelve weeks of playing. At the end of 2010, Wade was delisted by the Port Adelaide team. This means he was no longer part of their player list.