15 Facts About David Neitz

David Neitz was shifted to the backline to fill a need, Neitz proved he was capable of playing both ends of the ground.

David Neitz was the longest-serving captain in the history of the Melbourne Football Club and the first Melbourne player to achieve the 300-game milestone.

David Neitz is considered one of the greatest ever players to come out of the island state of Tasmania.

David Neitz was born in Ulverstone, Tasmania, he was groomed as a potential Australian Football League player from the age of 15 and targeted by the recruiters at the Melbourne Football Club, entering the AFL in 1993 as a key position player, he soon became one of Melbourne's best young prospects.

In 1994, David Neitz was named to his first Victorian State of Origin team, and he went one step further in 1995 by making the All-Australian team as well as the Victorian side.

David Neitz has led Melbourne's goalkicking seven times, and in 2002 won the prestigious Coleman Medal for leading the league in goals, making him not only the first Melbourne player to do so, but the first Melbourne player to lead the competition's goalkicking since the 1940s.

David Neitz was appointed captain of Melbourne in 2000, and on 8 April 2005 he broke the club record for most games captained.

David Neitz has been an All-Australian in 1995 and 2002, and played for Australia in the 1998 International Rules Series and 2002 International Rules Series against Ireland.

In 2002, David Neitz won his first Melbourne Best and Fairest Award, the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medal, along with the Coleman Medal, for kicking the most goals of any player in that season.

On 8 April 2005, David Neitz played his 250th career AFL game, and in 2006 signed a two-year contract extension seeing him through to the end of 2007.

David Neitz became Melbourne's all-time leading goal-kicker on 19 May 2006, surpassing Norm Smith's previous record of 546 goals.

David Neitz played his 300th AFL game for the Demons in the defeat against Collingwood on 17 August 2007.

David Neitz is one of only two players to play as many games for the Melbourne Football Club, the other being Nathan Jones.

David Neitz now sits on the AFL Tribunal jury, adjudicating on high-profile cases that arise during the regular season.

David Neitz ended his playing career with several Melbourne records that he'd broken during recent seasons, three in particular: Most games, most goals, and longest-serving captain.