| Aaron Francis | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Francis in August 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Aaron Russell Francis | ||
| Date of birth | (1997-08-10)10 August 1997 (age 27) | ||
| Original team(s) | West Adelaide (SANFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 6,2015 national draft | ||
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Weight | 92 kg (203 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Key Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Sydney | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2016–2022 | Essendon | 54 (12) | |
| 2023– | Sydney | 18 (1) | |
| Total | 72 (13) | ||
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 11, 2024. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Aaron Russell Francis[1] (born 10 August 1997) is a professionalAustralian rules footballer playing for theSydney Swans in theAustralian Football League (AFL), after initially being drafted by theEssendon Football Club with their second selection and sixth overall in the2015 national draft.[2] In October 2022, he was traded to the Sydney Swans.[3]
Francis was considered to be the best utility in his draft group, showing talent forSouth Australia, dominating games from both ends of the ground. He was named atcentre half-forward in the All-Australian team during the2015 AFL Under 18 Championships, often compared to AFL playersLuke Hodge andBrendon Goddard in his junior year.[4]
Francis made his debut in the thirty-seven point loss against theBrisbane Lions in round 18, 2016 atEtihad Stadium.[5] Francis is the third of four boys, his older brother Hayden, who was a Brisbane supporter, died from cancer in 2014. After the match he said "It was a big day for the family, the way everything came together and they were very proud of me.’’[6]
Due to personal struggles, coupled with failing to find opportunity in Essendon's best 22,[7] during the 2017 AFL Trade Period, the difficult start to his AFL career culminated in Aaron requesting a trade away from the club he supported as a child,Essendon, to move back toSouth Australia. However, as little interest was shown by both the recent Grand Final Runners Up,Adelaide Football Club, or thePort Adelaide Football Club, Essendon chose not to release Aaron from his contract, which was due to expire at the conclusion of the 2019 AFL season because they still saw the untapped potential which swayed them to draft Aaron with pick 6 in the2015 national draft and fully backed him to improve.[8]
Before the commencement of the 2018 AFL season, Aaron, notified his teammates andEssendon of his decision to take some time away from Football due to his struggle with mental health - not doubt relating to his decision to request a trade a few months earlier.[9] Surprisingly, Aaron spent this time mainly inMelbourne - including a stint coaching a local junior Basketball team - all while the club and his teammates stayed in contact. Fortunately forEssendon, Aaron returned to the club shortly after to resume training, but the club chose to take a cautious approach, giving him all the time to get back to full fitness before pushing for senior selection again.[10]
After some strong performances in the VFL and toward the end of the AFL season, Aaron was selected to return to the senior team againstSydney in Round 19, with 5 games until the end of the 2018 Home and Away season and as Essendon's finals hopes faded.[11] Aaron took this opportunity with both hands and delivered some moments of brilliance in the last 5 games of the season;[12] including an eight mark effort against reigning premiers,Richmond Football Club, being named in Essendon's best, as well as soaring for aMark of the Year contender against Port Adelaide in Round 23 over formerEssendon player,Paddy Ryder.[13] which to the AFL communities surprise, did not even receive a nomination in the lead up to the 2018Brownlow Medal night, when SwanIsaac Heeney took out the award.
At the conclusion of the2022 AFL season, Francis was traded toSydney for a fresh opportunity after struggling to cement himself in Essendon's best 22.[14]
G | Goals | K | Kicks | D | Disposals | T | Tackles |
B | Behinds | H | Handballs | M | Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | ||||
| 2016 | Essendon | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 11 | 31 | 12 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 6.7 | 3.7 | 10.3 | 4.0 | 1.7 |
| 2017 | Essendon | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 11.0 | 3.5 | 1.5 |
| 2018 | Essendon | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 15 | 66 | 32 | 11 | 0.2 | 0 | 10.2 | 3 | 13.2 | 6.4 | 2.2 |
| 2019 | Essendon | 10 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 129 | 96 | 225 | 80 | 30 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 7.6 | 5.7 | 13.2 | 4.7 | 1.8 |
| 2020 | Essendon | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 35 | 79 | 27 | 14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 9.9 | 3.4 | 1.8 |
| Career | 35 | 6 | 8 | 254 | 169 | 423 | 158 | 63 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 7.3 | 4.8 | 12.1 | 4.5 | 1.8 | ||
