Errol Gulden

Errol Gulden
Personal information
Full name Errol Gulden
Date of birth (2002-07-18) 18 July 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth Sydney, New South Wales
Original team(s) UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs (AFL Sydney)
Draft No. 32, 2020 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2021, Sydney vs. Brisbane Lions, at the Gabba
Height 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 77 kg (170 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Sydney
Number 21
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2021– Sydney 90 (69)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 24, 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Errol Gulden (born 18 July 2002) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). Gulden is a dual All-Australian and won the Bob Skilton Medal in 2023. He also won the AFLPA best first-year player award in 2021 and was nominated for the 2021 AFL Rising Star award.

Early life

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Gulden was born in Sydney[1] to a Turkish-born father and an Australian mother.[2] He grew up in the suburb of Malabar and supported Carlton.[3] He began playing junior Australian rules football for the Maroubra Saints Junior Football Club in Maroubra as at the age of 4.[4][5] However his main passion was soccer, he was considered quite a talented player and desired to continue toward playing it professionally.[6] Gulden was identified by Sydney Swans talent scouts and was signed to the Sydney Swans academy at 11 years of age.[7]

In 2017, while attending Marcellin College Gulden was named in the NSW independent schools team to New Zealand to play against the New Zealand national team.[8] In 2018 Gulden was named as an Under 16s All-Australian after his stellar season with the Under-16 NSW/ACT Rams, and was also named as the team's most valuable player.[9] He played in the 2019 NAB All Stars Futures Match alongside future teammates Braeden Campbell and Logan McDonald.[10] Gulden also played for the UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs in three seasons from 2018 to 2020 for a total of 33 games[11] and was named as best on ground in their 2019 premiership win over Sydney University.[12][13]

AFL career

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Gulden was recruited by Sydney with the 32nd draft pick in the 2020 AFL draft.[14][15]

Gulden debuted in the opening round of the 2021 AFL season, starring for Sydney in their shock win over Brisbane Lions.[16][17][18] In his first game, he kicked 3 goals and collected 19 disposals and earned himself a Rising Star nomination for the round.[19][20][21][22][23] In addition, Gulden polled two votes in the 2021 Brownlow Medal, becoming the fifth Swan to poll votes on debut. He backed up his groundbreaking round one performance with a 22 disposal, 1 goal performance the next week in the team's 33 point win over Adelaide.[24] After this performance, Champion Data statistics described him as having two of the best games recorded by a debutant ever.[25] Gulden played the first eight games of the 2021 season, before being sidelined for an extended period of time due to stress reactions in his foot. He returned in Round 15 against Port Adelaide and remained in the side for the rest of the year. Gulden became a key part of Sydney's best 22, helping the team qualify for finals after a 16th-placed finish the year before. He played 15 games and kicked 12 goals, and was recognised by his peers when he won the AFLPA Best First Year Player award. He also polled in the top 5 for the Rising Star, and was the highest-polling first-year player.

In 2023, Gulden polled 27 votes in the Brownlow Medal, finishing in equal fourth place, just four votes behind winner Lachie Neale. This was the most votes by a Swan in a season since 1940.[26] He also received selection to the All-Australian team for the first time.[27] He also won the Bob Skilton Medal, awarded to the best Swans player for the year.

Gulden extended his time at the Swans, signing a 4-year contract.[28]

Statistics

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Updated to the end of round 24, 2024.[29]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2021 Sydney 21 18 14 11 195 87 282 82 52 0.8 0.6 10.8 4.8 15.7 4.6 2.9 2
2022 Sydney 21 25 18 8 338 142 480 112 89 0.7 0.3 13.5 5.7 19.2 4.5 3.6 3
2023 Sydney 21 24 22 20 464 179 643 126 119 0.9 0.8 19.3 7.5 26.8 5.3 5.0 27
2024 Sydney 21 26 15 16 514 191 705 146 92 0.6 0.6 19.8 7.4 27.1 5.6 3.5 25
Career 93 69 55 1511 599 2110 466 352 0.7 0.6 16.3 6.4 22.7 5.0 3.8 57

Honours and achievements

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Team

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Individual

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References

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  1. ^ "'I was not allowed to play': Bronwyn Gulden is making up for lost time in footy". The Age. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. ^ "Young Sydney star Errol Gulden warns Swans' best is yet to come ahead of Anzac Day date with Hawthorn". news.com.au. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  3. ^ "AFL 2023: Sydney Swans' All-Australian Errol Gulden 'can't wait' to face childhood heroes Carlton". amp.theage.com.au. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  4. ^ "Talented teen learning art of being a Sydney Swans gun". Daily Telegraph. 29 December 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ^ "10 things to know about our draftees". Sydney Swans Media. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  6. ^ “I definitely wouldn’t have been playing AFL”: Swans star pays thanks to club’s Academy program by Mitch Keating for Zero Hanger. 29 September 2023
  7. ^ "AFL Draft: Pick 32, Errol Gulden". Sydney Swans Media. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  8. ^ Independent Schools tour New Zealand by Caitlin Arnold 21 April 2017
  9. ^ Arnold, Caitlin (19 July 2018). "Campbell and Gulden gain All Australian honours". AFL NSW/ACT. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  10. ^ Arnold, Caitlin (30 August 2019). "Three locals to play on AFL's grandest stage". AFL NWS/ACT. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Errol Gulden Player Stats - UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs". SporsTG. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  12. ^ Naghten, Tom (10 December 2020). "AFL Draft 2020: Sydney Swans land two more gems in Braeden Campbell and Errol Gulden". ssportingnews.com.au. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  13. ^ "UNSW/ES AFL Clubs Men's premier Championships". Arc UNSW. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  14. ^ Laughton, Max; Waterworth, Ben; Balmer, Matt (10 December 2020). "AFL Draft wrap: Buddy clone goes at Pick 1; Trades galore amid Pies' golden night". Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  15. ^ Black, Sarah (9 December 2020). "NAB AFL Draft recap: Every pick as it happened". AFL Media. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  16. ^ McArdle, Jordan (16 March 2021). "Perth product Logan McDonald one of three Sydney Swans debutants against Brisbane Lions in AFL round one". PerthNow. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  17. ^ Forsaith, Rob (17 March 2021). "'Horse' backs the kids: Three Swans draftees to debut". AFL Media. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  18. ^ Lalor, Peter (16 March 2021). "Sydney Swans unveil a trio of potential stars". The Australian. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Good as Gulden: Swans young gun nabs R1 Rising Star nomination". Australian Football League. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  20. ^ Whiting, Michael (20 March 2021). "First-game Swans sizzle in Brisbane boilover". AFL Media.
  21. ^ McNurtry, Andrew (20 March 2021). "Brisbane Lions slammed for 's*** attitude' as Sydney Swans cause upset". news.com.au. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  22. ^ Wu, Andrew (20 March 2021). "No Buddy, no worries as slick Swans stun Lions with emphatic win". The Age. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Young Swans stun Lions in AFL boilover". ESPN. 20 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  24. ^ Pegan, Martin (27 March 2021). "Buddy's return sparks Swans to fly high over wasteful Crows". AFL Media. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  25. ^ Waterworth, Ben (31 March 2021). "Inside the 'dramatic' revolution of the Swans that few saw coming: Champion Index". Fox Sports. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  26. ^ "By the numbers: Gulden enters the record books in Brownlow count". Sydney Swans. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  27. ^ Schmook, Nathan (30 August 2023). "All-Australian team: Toby captain, 12 new faces named". Australian Football League. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  28. ^ "Good as Gulden: Swans confirm new deal for young star". AFL. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Errol Gulden". AFL Tables. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
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