Full name Dayne Zorko Height 1.75 m Height/Weight 175 cm / 77 kg Weight 76 kg | Position(s) Forward / Midfielder Career start 2012 Name Dayne Zorko | |
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Date of birth (1989-02-09) 9 February 1989 (age 32) Role Australian rules football player Similar Harris Andrews, Lachie Neale, Lincoln McCarthy Profiles | ||
Dayne zorko 2012 highlights
Dayne Zorko (born 9 February 1989) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). Zorko is a three-time Merrett-Murray Medallist and was selected in the 2017 All-Australian team.
Contents
- Dayne zorko 2012 highlights
- Round 10 afl dayne zorko makes something out of nothing
- Early life
- AFL career
- Statistics
- Honours and achievements
- References
Round 10 afl dayne zorko makes something out of nothing
Early life
Zorko was born and raised on the Gold Coast. His Slovenian father immigrated from Yugoslavia to Melbourne before settling on the Gold Coast. His brother Beau is the former senior coach of the Surfers Paradise Demons. He attended Benowa State High School through his teenage years.
Zorko began playing his junior football for the Surfers Paradise Demons at the age of four but later switched to the Broadbeach Cats. He captained Queensland during the 2007 AFL Under 18 Championships but was overlooked in the 2007 AFL draft. Zorko remained at Broadbeach and picked up his first best-and-fairest award in 2008 but was again overlooked in the AFL draft.
By the end of the 2010 season, Zorko had picked up three consecutive best-and-fairest awards at Broadbeach but still failed to capture the interest of any AFL clubs. He found himself at a crossroad when being offered contracts to play in higher standard leagues outside of Queensland but eventually decided to stay at Broadbeach. Broadbeach coach Matt Angus knew Zorko had the skills to make it in the AFL but described his professionalism as "nowhere near that" required of an AFL player.
In 2011, after winning the NEAFL's Syd Guildford Trophy as the league best-and-fairest, along with a fourth consecutive club best-and-fairest, he was put back on AFL recruiters' radars.
AFL career
Zorko was recruited by Gold Coast as a Queensland zone selection, before being on-traded to the Brisbane Lions. Zorko made his debut in against Collingwood at the Gabba in round 7, 2012, and quickly made a name for himself as a small half-forward flank who could kick freakish goals, leading to the nickname "The Magician".
In 2015, he was named as the joint winner of the Merrett–Murray Medal as Brisbane's best-and-fairest, alongside Dayne Beams, Stefan Martin and Mitch Robinson. He went on to win the award in the following two seasons, as well as lead the Lions' goalkicking during those seasons, and was also selected in the 2017 All-Australian team as a forward pocket.