Kyal Horsley

Kyal Horsley (born 2 September 1987) is an Australian rules footballer who formerly played for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Originally from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, he previously also played with the Kalgoorlie City Football Club in the Goldfields Football League (GFL) and the Subiaco Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), where he finished runner-up in the 2011 Sandover Medal to Luke Blackwell. Horsley was drafted by Gold Coast with the second pick in the 2012 Rookie Draft, and made his debut for the club in round five of the 2012 season. He was delisted by the club at the end of the 2013 season, after 14 games. Horsley returned to the Subiaco Football Club in 2014 to captain the WAFL side for the 2014 season. Horsley had a powerful return to the WAFL finishing third in the Sandover Medal count after leading the Lions to their 12th premiership.

Kyal Horsley
Horsley (42) in May 2012
Personal information
Full name Kyal Horsley
Date of birth (1987-09-02) 2 September 1987
Place of birth Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Original team(s) Kalgoorlie City (GFL)
Draft 2nd pick, 2012 Rookie Draft (Gold Coast)
Height 182 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 88 kg (194 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Playing career
Years Club Games (Goals)
2007–2011 2014–present Subiaco (WAFL) 110 (59)
2012–2013 Gold Coast 14 (3)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2008–2010 Western Australia 2 (0)
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Football career

Horsley was born and raised in Kalgoorlie, in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. He excelled in a number of sports at junior level, playing A-grade field hockey and cricket, representing Western Australia at hockey at under-15 and under-16 level.[1] Horsley made his debut for the Kalgoorlie City Football Club in 2003, at the age of 16, and won the Mitchell Medal as the best player in the Goldfields Football League (GFL) in 2006.[2] Despite wishing to remain in Kalgoorlie, he was recruited to the Subiaco Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) in 2007. Horsley made his debut against East Fremantle in round 16 of the 2007 season, kicking two goals and recording 21 disposals,[3] and played a total of 10 reserves games and seven senior games during the season.[4] The following season, he played 21 games mainly as an inside midfielder, winning the Football Budget's award for the Best First Year Player, and tying with Adam Cockie for Subiaco's Rookie of the Year award.[1] Horsley made his state debut for Western Australia in 2008 against Queensland in Townsville, and also played in the interstate game in 2010.[5] In 2011, he played 23 games, including the grand final loss to Claremont, and won the Tom Outridge Medal as Subiaco's best and fairest player, as well as finishing runner-up in the Sandover Medal to Luke Blackwell as the best player in the league.[6]

Speculated as a likely selection in either the 2011 National Draft or the 2012 Rookie Draft, Horsley was eventually taken by Gold Coast with the second pick in the Rookie Draft. He had previously been invited to train with Fremantle, prior to the start of the 2008 season, but was not drafted.[7] Horsley spent the first few rounds of the season with Gold Coast's reserves team in the North East Australian Football League (NEAFL), but was elevated from the rookie list to the senior list after Jarrod Harbrow received a long-term injury.[8] He made his debut the following week against North Melbourne at Docklands Stadium, replacing the injured Gary Ablett,[9] and recorded 19 disposals and eight tackles.[10] Overall, Horsley played 13 games in his first year, and was considered one of the club's better players throughout the latter half of the season, with The Gold Coast Bulletin noting that he provided "that dash of maturity so needed in a young club".[11] At the club's Club Champion Awards held at the end of the season, Horsley received both the "Most Professional" award and the "Iron Man" award.[12] He was upgraded to Gold Coast's senior list for the 2013 season in October 2012, during the 2012–13 off-season.[13] Horsley played only senior game during the 2013 season, after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) midway through the season.[14] He was delisted by the Suns at the end of the season, and returned to Perth at the end of the season.[15]

Horsley returned to the WAFL with the Subiaco Football Club where he was announced captain in the pre-season. Horsley recovered from his anterior cruciate ligament injury for Round Four against Peel; kicking the first goal in a 17-point win over the Thunder. He amassed 499 disposals from 19 games on the season as well as leading Subiaco to their 12th WAFL premiership over the East Perth Royals.

References
  1. "Horsley Gives Short Corners The Flick". Subiaco Football Club. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  2. Mitchell Medal (1980–current) – Sporting Pulse. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  3. Round 16, 2007 – West Australian Football League. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  4. Kyal HORSLEY (Subiaco) – West Australian Football League. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  5. State Games 1951–2010 – West Australian Football League. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  6. "Subi Boys Do Well in Sandover Count". Subiaco Football Club. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  7. "Sun shines at last for Horsley". The West Australian. 5 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  8. Greenwood, Emma (1 May 2012). "Horsley jumps at chance to shine". goldcoast.com.au. Gold Coast Football Club. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  9. Stannard, Damien (26 April 2012). "Kyal Horsley named to fill big shoes left at Gold Coast Suns by injured Gary Ablett". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  10. Kyal Horsley – AFLTables. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  11. Wilson, Terry (29 August 2012). "Horsley's remarkable rise with Suns". The Gold Coast Bulletin. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  12. AFL: Kyal Horsley Archived 3 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine – Gold Coast Football Club. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  13. "Gold Coast re-sign promising trio". Sports News First. 18 October 2012. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  14. "Horsley to go under the knife". Gold Coast Football Club. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  15. Michael Whiting (2 September 2013). "Suns delist five, including Weller and Patrick". Australian Football League. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
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