Cain Ackland

Cain Ackland
Personal information
Full name Cain Jed Ackland[1]
Date of birth (1982-03-16) 16 March 1982 (age 42)
Original team(s) Port Adelaide Magpies (SANFL)
Draft 27th overall, 1999
Port Adelaide
33rd overall, 2004
St Kilda
1st overall, 2006 PSD
Carlton
Height 196 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 100 kg (220 lb)
Position(s) Ruckman
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2000–2004 Port Adelaide 12 0(3)
2005–2006 St Kilda 41 (18)
2007–2008 Carlton 21 0(4)
Total 74 (25)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2008.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Cain Jed Ackland (born 16 March 1982) is an Australian rules football player formerly in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Originally from South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club Port Adelaide Magpies, Ackland was drafted by Port Adelaide in the second round of the 1999 AFL Draft. He made his AFL debut in 2001, playing twelve games but did not play another senior game for Port in three seasons and was delisted at the end of the 2004 AFL season.

St Kilda, who had a shortage of quality ruckman, especially following the departure of Trent Knobel, selected Ackland in the second round of the 2004 AFL Draft. He played 22 games during the 2005 AFL season and earned the Rex Hunt nickname "The Street" in his commentary, in reference to the St Kilda nightspot Acland Street.

Out of contract with St Kilda at the end of 2006, Ackland joined Carlton with the club's first pick in the 2007 pre-season Draft.[2] Ackland, who St Kilda had sought to retain, rejected St Kilda's two-year offer, accepting a three-year deal with Carlton.

In his first season with Carlton, Ackland assumed the top ruck position. While serviceable in the role, he often struggled to compete with the league's other top ruckmen and was briefly dropped on two occasions. By the start of 2008, Ackland was not considered among Carlton's top ruck selections and struggled for regular selection, playing only one game during the season. He moved to the forward-line at Carlton's VFL-affiliate, the Northern Bullants, where he kicked more than six goals in games several times during the year, but could not get back into the senior team. Ackland was delisted by Carlton at the end of the 2008 AFL season.

Ackland returned to South Australia in 2009 and joined North Adelaide in the SANFL;[3] he played there for three seasons, retiring at the end of 2011.[4] Ackland returned to amateur football in 2012, playing for Broadview in the South Australian Amateur Football League (SAAFL),[5] then moved back to Victoria and played for Newtown & Chilwell in the Geelong Football League in 2013 and 2014.[6]

  1. ^ "Ackland, Cain Jed – NAFC History Database". North Adelaide Football Club. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Herald Sun | Breaking News and Headlines from Melbourne and Victoria | Herald Sun".
  3. ^ [1] SANFL Rd 12 teams Adelaide Advertiser 10 June 2010, Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  4. ^ Homfray, Reece (28 October 2011). "Clinch reignites career at North". The Advertiser. Adelaide. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  5. ^ Adams, Kara (9 April 2012). "Tigers aim for finals football". City North Messenger. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  6. ^ Alex Oates (29 May 2013). "Ackland joins Eagles". Geelong Advertiser. Geelong. Retrieved 27 July 2013.