Jade Rawlings

Jade Rawlings (born 9 October 1977) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the AFL with the Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne Football Clubs. He served as the caretaker coach of the Richmond Football Club for 11 games in 2009, and has served as the backline coach of the Melbourne Football Club since September 2011.

Hawthorn

Picked up very late in the 1994 AFL Draft at pick 94 by the Hawthorn Football Club, Rawlings developed into a very handy key position defender and occasionally, forward. He racked up 116 games for the Hawks before going into a contractual dispute at the end of 2003.

Western Bulldogs

He was picked up at number 1 in the 2004 AFL Pre-season Draft by the Western Bulldogs, who needed a tall forward, even though Rawlings was probably more at home in the backline. On debut with his new club, in Round 1, 2004, Rawlings booted 7 goals. However, in what would be a sign of things to come, he missed a relatively simple shot that may have cost the Bulldogs the game.

Throughout 2004 Rawlings' kicking was woeful, sometimes kicking difficult goals along the boundary line but missing relatively simple goals (with a 50% accuracy rate). He was dropped to the VFL. In 2005 Rawlings did not fare much better, his knee troubles ruling him out for the Bulldogs after Round 14 of that year. Rawlings soon got into internal disputes at the club and was traded to his third club, the Kangaroos.

Kangaroos

Rawlings joined his brother Brady at the Kangaroos and was believed to be one of the reasons for moving to the club.

After his recruitment, coach Dean Laidley did not guarantee Rawlings a senior game in 2006, saying he had to earn his spot. Jade played most of the year in 2006 with the Tasmanian Devils Football Club in the VFL showing some good form.

After playing just two games in the 2006 season, Rawlings announced that he would retire after the Round 21 game against one of his former clubs, Hawthorn, despite an interview on Before the Game the week prior which had little no hint of retirement, although he did say his "knees weren't too flash" – a problem which hampered him during the 2005 season.

His final game was played in his home state of Tasmania (at Aurora Stadium), a match where Rawlings was visibly emotional, as he was well respected by the Hawthorn and Kangaroos sides.

For three seasons beginning in 2007 Rawlings was an assistant coach at the Richmond Football Club, as well as head coach at Richmond's VFL affiliate club, the Coburg Tigers. Part of the way through 2009 he was replaced at Coburg by former Brisbane Lions player Craig McRae, when after Round 11 he was appointed caretaker coach of Richmond following the resignation of Terry Wallace. His first game as Richmond coach was a victory against the West Coast Eagles. Rawlings has been dubbed "The Blade" because of 5 cuts he made to the lineup for his first game as coach, including veteran Joel Bowden. However, on 25 August 2009 the Richmond Football Club appointed Damien Hardwick as their new senior coach and Rawlings was not retained for the 2010 season.

Rawlings was an assistant coach at the Brisbane Lions under Michael Voss for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Rawlings became the backline coach at Melbourne Football Club from the 2012 season.

Rawlings was married to Samantha Richardson (sister of former Richmond player Matthew Richardson). They have two children called Gabriella and Andie, he also has two children with new wife Sallee called Macey and Ed

Rawlings also has a brother, Brady, who played for the North Melbourne Football Club. In the latter stages of Rawlings' career he was drafted by the Kangaroos and played alongside his brother.

Rawlings plays cricket in Melbourne for the Burnley CYMS Cricket Club, alongside his brother-in-law, Andrew, whenever his football commitments allow.