Craig Bolton

Craig Bolton
Bolton with Sydney in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Craig Bolton
Date of birth	(1980-05-31) 31 May 1980 (age 43)
Original team(s)	TAC Cup )
Draft	No. 33, 2003 Pre-Season Draft, Sydney
Height	190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight	87 kg (192 lb)
Position(s)	Defender
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2000–2002	Brisbane Lions	29 (10)
2003–2010	Sydney	170 (15)
Total		199 (25)
Representative team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
2008	Dream Team	1 (0)
International team honours
2004	Australia	2
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2011.
Career highlights
AFL premiership player: 2005 Sydney captain 2008–2010 All-Australian: 2006, 2009
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Craig Bolton (born 31 May 1980) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Brisbane Lions and the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He often plays at full back or on the half back flank. He is unrelated to former Swans teammate Jude Bolton.

Playing career

Having played for the

Bolton was selected by Sydney in the 2003 pre-season draft and was immediately given a starting role in the team. Quickly cementing his place in the side's backline, Bolton missed only one game in his first seven years with the Swans. His first three years with Sydney mirrored his time at Brisbane, with the Swans' making the preliminary finals in 2003, semi-finals in 2004 and the grand final in 2005. As opposed to his emergency listing for the 2001 and 2002 Grand Finals for the Lions, Bolton was now a regular member of the team for Sydney, and as such played a part in the Grand Final victory over West Coast, earning his first premiership medal, as well as finishing third in the club's Best and Fairest Award.

Gradually establishing himself as one of the AFL's standout defenders, Bolton was awarded a place in the 2006 All-Australian team on the half-back flank position, and again in the 2009 team at his preferred position of centre-half back. He also finished third in the Swans' 2007 Best and Fairest Award.

At the beginning of the 2008 season, Bolton was named Swans' co-captain, alongside

The latter half of his season in 2008 was somewhat restricted by a groin injury. After the Swans exited the finals, he travelled to Germany with teammate Adam Goodes for surgery.

In 2010, Bolton sustained a bad Achilles tendon injury against West Coast at the SCG in Round 5, ruling him out for the year.

On 24 March 2011, Bolton announced his immediate retirement after an ankle injury which would rule him out of the upcoming 2011 AFL season.

Media career

Following his playing career, Bolton commenced a media career as an Australian Rules Football commentator on ABC Local Radio and also a guest commentator of the sport on the Seven Network.

Career achievements

• International Rules Australian representative 2004
• Premiership player 2005
• 3rd best and fairest 2005, 2007
• 2006
  All Australian
• 2008 – present Co-Captain
• 2009
  All Australian

Statistics

^[1]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Craig Bolton.

• Sydney Swans site player profile
• "Omens all good as ex-Lion at last gets a start". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 September 2005.