Quick Facts
Biography
Daniel Menzel (born 13 September 1991) is a professional Australian rules footballer, currently playing for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
AFL career
Originally from Golden Grove, South Australia, Menzel attended King's Baptist Grammar School and played for the Central District Football Club in the SANFL, as well as representing South Australia in the 2009 AFL National Under 18 Championships, prior to being drafted by the Geelong Football Club with their first selection, and the 17th overall draft pick, in the 2009 AFL Draft.
Playing for Geelong's VFL team for the majority of 2010, Menzel was awarded the Damien Drum Medal for a best-on-ground performance against Werribee. His AFL-level debut came in Round 20 of the 2010 AFL season in Geelong's 101-point win against the Western Bulldogs, with Menzel scoring a goal. In his follow-up match in the next round, Menzel scored three goals from three kicks, with Geelong defeating Carlton.
As a result of a four-goal performance against St Kilda in round 13 of the 2011 AFL season, Menzel received that round's nomination for the 2011 AFL Rising Star award. After performing well during the 2011 season, Menzel quickly become a crowd favourite with the Geelong supporters, drawing comparisons with star forward Steve Johnson.
In the first round of finals in 2011, Menzel ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He had a knee reconstruction, and returned to VFL football in June 2012, but ruptured the ACL in his left knee in his return game, ruling him out for the rest of the season. He re-injured the knee in offseason training in December 2012, and opted to undergo LARS reconstruction surgery, in which the natural ligament is augmented with a synthetic ligament. He returned to VFL football in April 2013, but re-injured the LARS-reconstructed ligament in his second match, requiring another reconstruction which will rule him out of playing for the rest of 2013. Menzel is believed to be the first AFL footballer to undergo four knee reconstructions in his career. After 3 seasons lost to knee reconstructions, Menzel returned late in 2015 season and scored 4 goals against Collingwood.
Menzel's younger brother Troy is also an Australian rules footballer, who plays for the Adelaide Football Club.
Statistics
- Statistics are correct to Round 23, 2016 season.
| Legend | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Goals | B | Behinds | K | Kicks | H | Handballs | D | Disposals | M | Marks | T | Tackles |
| Season | Team | # | Games | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | Geelong | 10 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 11 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 5.7 | 3.7 | 9.3 | 3.3 | 1.3 |
| 2011 | Geelong | 10 | 18 | 28 | 15 | 153 | 68 | 221 | 82 | 31 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 8.5 | 3.8 | 12.3 | 4.6 | 1.7 |
| 2012 | Geelong | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2013 | Geelong | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | Geelong | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2015 | Geelong | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 6.5 | 6.0 | 12.5 | 3.0 | 1.0 |
| 2016 | Geelong | 10 | 17 | 32 | 24 | 152 | 105 | 257 | 86 | 34 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 8.9 | 6.2 | 15.1 | 5.1 | 2.0 |
| Career | 40 | 68 | 42 | 335 | 196 | 531 | 184 | 71 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 8.4 | 4.9 | 13.3 | 4.6 | 1.8 | ||