1. 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.
20 Facts About David Wirrpanda
1. 2.
Limited by injuries in his first few seasons, David 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.
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David Wirrpanda has expressed a desire to enter politics, and unsuccessfully contested 2013 federal election as the National Party's candidate for the Senate in Western Australia.
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David Wirrpanda attended Parkmore Primary School in Forest Hill, where in a school football match he kicked 32 goals in one game.
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David Wirrpanda went on to attend Worawa Aboriginal College in Healesville, which had been established by his mother's family.
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David Wirrpanda began his football career with Healesville under 9's, and subsequently progressed to the Eastern Ranges team in the under-18 TAC Cup.
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David Wirrpanda starred for Eastern Ranges in the TAC Cup during 1995, and was scouted by West Coast Eagles recruiters and brought to Perth by longtime Eagles CEO Trevor Nisbett.
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David Wirrpanda made his debut with West Coast in Round 5 of the 1996 AFL Season, at the age of 16 years, 268 days, and remains the Eagles' youngest ever debutant.
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David Wirrpanda continued to do well in 2006, marking his 150th AFL game with a great performance.
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David Wirrpanda nearly missed out on the 2006 AFL Grand Final through injury, but came back to take his place in the side.
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In 2007 and 2008, David Wirrpanda has shared time between his usual backline post and pinch-hitting up forward for his team, using his excellent foot skills to both set up play and score some crucial goals for the Eagles in the process.
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In 2008, David Wirrpanda was met solidly by Geelong's Gary Ablett in a match at Skilled Stadium.
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The incident sparked some debate among the football media and fans alike, as although photographs revealed head high contact was made during the bump, David Wirrpanda had slid to the ground, assuring that Ablett had upheld his duty of care as best he could when bumping an opposition player, and therefore not resulting in a suspension for the incident.
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In September 2009, David Wirrpanda announced his retirement citing he may be standing in the way of another younger playing being fast tracked within the club.
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For most of his career, David Wirrpanda has been known as "Wirrpunda", but in 2005 it was pointed out that his actual birth name was David Wirrpanda.
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David Wirrpanda was named the 9th most influential Aboriginal Australian by The Bulletin magazine in 2007 and 2008.
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David Wirrpanda received the 2009 award for Young Western Australian of the Year.
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David Wirrpanda and model Shannon McGuire have two sons together, Marley, born in August 2009, which caused him to miss West Coast's Round 22 match against Richmond that was played the previous evening and Eli born in 2010.
19.
In 2010, David Wirrpanda participated in the tenth season of Dancing with the Stars, partnering with Liza van Pelt.
20.
In 2015 David Wirrpanda was caught drunk driving recording a reading of 0.154, more than three times the legal limit.