Dayne Zorko can expect greater attention from opposition teams.
10:26am Feb 11, 2013
Dayne Zorko won't be taking his promising debut season for granted
8:45am Jan 24, 2013
Junior Clubs: Surfers Paradise (QLD)
Clubs: Brisbane Lions
Debut: Rd 7 2012
Recruited from: Broadbeach (QLD)
Brownlow Votes: 6
A quick and gutsy midfielder, Dayne Zorko dominated the local Queensland competition for a number of years before getting his chance at an AFL career. He has the pace, skill and determination to either run through the middle, or even provide an effective small forward option.
• Originally from Surfers Paradise, Zorko Captained Queensland's U18 side in 2007, but was overlooked at the AFL National Draft.
• He joined Broadbeach's senior QAFL side as an 18 year-old and made an immediate impact with the Cats by winning the Club's Best & Fairest award.
• He went on to win four successive Broadbeach Best & Fairest awards and Captain Queensland's U21 side - but repeatedly failed in his attempt to find his way onto an AFL list.
• But an outstanding season in the NEAFL, which culminated in him winning the 2011 Syd Guildford Trophy as the Football Record Player of the Year, put Zorko back on the AFL recruiters' radar.
• Arguably most significant was his brilliant four-goal performance in Queensland’s narrow loss to Western Australia which also netted him the Zane Taylor Medal as best afield.
• He also finished just one vote shy of securing the 2011 Grogan Medal - which incidentally, was his third top 10 finish in the competition's highest individual honour across the past four seasons.
• Zorko was eventually snapped up by the Gold Coast SUNS as a Queensland Priority Selection, before then being on-traded to the Brisbane Lions in exchange for Pick No.34 in the 2011 AFL National Draft.
• Zorko’s first ever AFL pre-season was hampered by a hip flexor injury which required the 23-year-old to travel to Perth for treatment, before pulling on the Lions colours for the first time in Round 5 for the Reserves.
• After two dominant displays in the NEAFL to build his match fitness, Zorko was rewarded with a senior berth against Collingwood in Round 7 – and the rest is history.
• After starting as the substitute against Collingwood, Zorko kicked his first goal against GWS in Round 8.
• But it was his performances in the next four weeks, where he averaged 21 possessions, laid 30 tackles and kicked five goals, that really made the AFL community sit up and take notice.
• Zorko went on to become a cult figure among fans, teammates and the media alike – with respected commentators Dennis Cometti and Brian Taylor dubbing him “Zorko the Magician” and “The Zork” within just a few games.
• Rarely has a first-year player been so influential, with coach Michael Voss describing him as “a player that lifts the rest of the team”.
• He played a total of 16 games in 2012, with an average 20 disposals, an average 6 tackles (second only to Jack Redden at the Club), and a total of 16 goals for the year.
• Zorko’s achievement was so great that when it came time to award the Rookie of the Year award at the annual Club Champion Dinner, the match committee sought board approval so that Zorko (who, under the original rules was too young to win the award at age 23), could claim the award that he so thoroughly deserved.
• He also finished the year with a remarkable 6 Brownlow Votes – the Club’s equal second with Simon Black and Jack Redden.
| Statistics | Best | Opponent | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 16 | Melbourne | Rd 5 |
| Handballs | 13 | Melbourne | Rd 5 |
| Disposals | 29 | Melbourne | Rd 5 |
| Marks | 6 | Adelaide Crows | Rd 2 |
| Hit-outs | 0 | - | - |
| Tackles | 9 | West Coast Eagles | Rd 7 |
| Goals | 3 | Essendon | Rd 8 |
| Dream Team | 120 | Melbourne | Rd 5 |
| Rd | Opponent | Result | K | H | D | M | HO | FF | FA | T | G | B | DT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Bulldogs | L 127 - 59 | 10 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 52 |
| 2 | Adelaide Crows | L 77 - 96 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 75 |
| 3 | Gold Coast Suns | W 92 - 94 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 51 |
| 4 | North Melbourne | L 125 - 62 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 88 |
| 5 | Melbourne | W 122 - 94 | 16 | 13 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 120 |
| 6 | Sydney Swans | L 115 - 55 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 62 |
| 7 | West Coast Eagles | L 82 - 108 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 80 |
| 8 | Essendon | W 86 - 96 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 103 |
| 9 | Carlton | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 10 | Collingwood | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 12 | Fremantle | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 13 | Geelong Cats | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 14 | Hawthorn | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 15 | Gold Coast Suns | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 16 | North Melbourne | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 17 | Melbourne | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 18 | Port Adelaide | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 19 | St Kilda | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 20 | Richmond | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 21 | GWS Giants | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 22 | Western Bulldogs | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 23 | Geelong Cats | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| TOTAL | W: 3 - L: 5 | 78 | 56 | 134 | 22 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 43 | 11 | 9 | 631 |
| Statistics | Best | Opponent | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kicks | 18 | Hawthorn | Rd 12, 2012 |
| Handballs | 16 | Sydney Swans | Rd 15, 2012 |
| Disposals | 31 | Sydney Swans | Rd 15, 2012 |
| Marks | 10 | Sydney Swans | Rd 15, 2012 |
| Hit-outs | 1 | West Coast Eagles | Rd 18, 2012 |
| Tackles | 9 | West Coast Eagles | Rd 7, 2013 |
| Goals | 3 | Essendon | Rd 8, 2013 |
| Dream Team | 140 | Sydney Swans | Rd 15, 2012 |
| Season | Club | K | H | D | M | HO | FF | FA | T | G | B | DT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Brisbane Lions | 78 | 56 | 134 | 22 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 43 | 11 | 9 | 631 |
| 2012 | Brisbane Lions | 168 | 146 | 314 | 74 | 2 | 18 | 15 | 103 | 16 | 14 | 1515 |
AFL Brisbane Lions: 16 games, 16 goals
Lions Rookie of the Year
2012
Queensland U18 Captain
2007
Broadbeach Best and Fairest
2008-2011
Queensland U21 Captain
2009
Queensland State Representative
2010, 2011
Broadbeach Captain
2010-2011
NEAFL Team of the Year
2011
Runner-Up Grogan Medal
2011
Zane Taylor Medal
2011
Syd Guildford Trophy
2011
Queensland Team of the Year
2012
