The scouting reports on Jarrad Jansen before he joined the Brisbane Lions said he was a ‘bull’ when it comes to contested ball. And they were right.
The 21-year-old midfielder, who was two years on the senior list at Geelong without playing a senior game before joining the Lions via a trade last November, had 13 contested possessions in his AFL debut against Carlton last Saturday.
This is the most ever by an AFL debutant in Brisbane colours since statistics were first kept in 1999.
Only four players have recorded more contested possessions in their first Lions outing – Ben Hudson in 2012 (15), Brent Moloney in 2013 (13), Dayne Beams in 2015 (19) and Tom Bell in round 1 this year (13). And each of those players had played previously at other clubs.
Jansen’s game total of 21 possessions in an eye-catching start to his AFL career also featured prominently in Brisbane Football Club history, with only five players among 177 who came before him having had more on AFL debut for the club.
Bradd Dalziell heads this list with his 32 possessions in his first AFL game in 2008, followed by Danny Noonan’s 31 possessions on debut in 1991.
Darren Carlson has 26 possessions on debut in 1987, Michael Voss likewise in 1992 and Steve McLuckie 25 possessions on debut in 1991.
Three players have previously matched Jansen’s 21 possessions – David Wearne in 1990, Shane O’Bree in 1998 and Daniel Rich in 2009.
Jansen, a West Australian originally drafted by Geelong at No.36 in the 2013 AFL National Draft, became the 295th player to play for the combined Brisbane Bears/Lions.
He’s only the sixth player to wear jumper No.16, following Rod MacPherson (7 games), Rod Lester-Smith (29), Simon Luhrs (6), Matthew Clarke (130) and the great Jonathan Brown (256).
Brown presented Jansen with his jumper prior to the game last weekend.
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