David Wirrpanda

Who is David Wirrpanda?

David Selwyn Burralung Merringwuy Galarrwuy Wyal Wirrpanda is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his career with the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League. Born in Melbourne, Wirrpanda was raised in Shepparton, Victoria, and later attended Worawa Aboriginal College in Healesville, which had been established by his mother's family. He began his football career with a local team, and subsequently progressed to the Eastern Ranges team in the under-18 TAC Cup. Selected by West Coast during the 1995 draft period, Wirrpanda made his debut for the club during the following season. Having played his first game for West Coast at the age of 16 years and 268 days, he remains the youngest player to have played a senior game for the club.

Limited by injuries in his first few seasons, Wirrpanda did not establish himself as a regular player until the early 2000s, usually playing out of a back pocket or across a half-back flank. Outstanding form in these positions led to his selection in the 2005 All-Australian team, and the following season he was a member of the West Coast premiership side that defeated Sydney in the 2006 grand final. Often playing as a small forward towards the end of his career, Wirrpanda retired at the end of the 2009 season, finishing with 227 games for the club. Since the conclusion of his playing career, he has involved himself in charity work, including the establishment of the David Wirrpanda Foundation, an organisation supporting Indigenous Australians. Wirrpanda has also expressed a desire to enter politics, and unsucessfully contested 2013 federal election as the National Party's candidate for the Senate in Western Australia.