Introduction A veteran of more than ten years, Notting has proven capable of playing vital roles in almost every position on the field. The dual premiership player’s experience, versatility and damaging right boot makes him a difficult match-up for any opposition. Background • A stand-out junior in Navarre (country Victoria), Notting developed with the North Ballarat Rebels in the U18 TAC Cup competition. • A string of impressive performances in 1996 paved the way for his call-up to the Richmond Reserves side for three matches. • He somewhat ironically played for the Tigers Reserves side in an MCG curtain-raiser to Fitzroy’s last ever match in Melbourne. • The athletic utility was then recruited by the Lions with Pick No. 26 in the 1996 National Draft – partly on the advice of ex-Richmond Reserves Coach Rod O’Riley, who had just moved to Brisbane to undertake a role as Lions Development Coach. • It was a terrific result for a player who didn’t boast the customary long junior representative career that most AFL players have behind them. 1997 • Notting was one of only a handful of players selected in the 2006 Draft to join a collection of former Bears and Fitzroy players in the newly merged Brisbane Lions. • He proved a standout playing for local AFLQ side Mt Gravatt (where he was allocated by the Club to play) but couldn’t quite crack it for a senior berth in his debut season. 1998 • Notting made his senior AFL debut against Essendon at the MCG in Round 8 and went on to play five senior matches in the Lions’ victory starved wooden-spoon season. 1999 • Notting continued to make great strides to becoming a regular senior player with a further senior 12 matches. • He earned an AFL Rising Star Nomination when he kicked a career-high six goals against Melbourne in Round 21. 2000 • Notting added a further 11 senior matches to take his career tally to 28 games in four seasons with the Club. • He averaged 11.8 disposals per game, but found it difficult to cement his place in the team after being trialled in a range of roles up forward, in defence and in the centre. 2001 • It probably wasn’t until 2001 that Notting’s career really took off. After missing out on selection for the Lions’ Round 1 opener against Port Adelaide, he went on to play the next 24 games straight – including the breakthrough Grand Final triumph. • He kicked 25 goals for the season and averaged 17 possessions and five marks per game while lining up primarily on a wing. • The country Victorian had the honour of being described as Leigh Matthews’ ‘designated shock weapon’ throughout the season and was considered a vital ingredient in the premiership success. • On Grand Final day, Notting spent most of the first half on the bench before his fresh legs enabled him to collect an equal quarter-high seven disposals in a game-busting third quarter. • He scorched his opponents in one effort on the wing that created a third term goal and then swooped on a Darryl White handpass to post the critical opening goal of the final term. • He finished in the Club Champion top ten for the first time with an impressive seventh placing. • Had it not been for the emergence of Jonathan Brown in 2001– Notting would have been a likely candidate for the Club’s Most Improved Player award. 2002 • Notting established himself as a regular senior player with a further 22 matches and 12 goals in 2002. • Despite suffering from painful tendonitis in his knee, he was able to take part in the Club’s back-to-back premiership win against Collingwood at the MCG. • A true utility capable of playing in almost any position on the field, Notting was once again used as a spark off the bench in the premiership decider to great effect. 2003 • On a limited preparation due to off-season surgery, Notting played the first six rounds of the season before being omitted from the side. • He dislocated his elbow in his first outing with the Lions Reserves which kept him out for a further six matches. • He worked his way back into the senior team in time for the finals, only to be reported in the Qualifying Final against Collingwood and receive a one-match suspension. • He returned two weeks later as a late inclusion into the victorious Preliminary Final side against Sydney at Telstra Stadium. • He was left out of the Grand Final to make way for Marcus Ashcroft who was returning from injury to play what became the final match of his career. • After being a part of the Club’s first two premierships, Notting was forced to watch from the sidelines as his team won an historic three-peat. 2004 • Fortunately better luck was in store for Notting in 2004. He played in all 25 matches, notched up his 100th AFL game against Essendon in Round 12 and finished equal 11th in the Club Champion award. • The utility’s contributions in front of the big sticks are also worthy of mention. He booted a career-high 30 goals bettering his effort of 25 goals from 2001. • He was also among the Lions’ best players in the eventual Grand Final loss to Port Adelaide, picking up 19 possessions – second-most behind Nigel Lappin – and kicking three goals. 2005 • Notting began the season in fine form with 21 possessions in the season opener against St Kilda at the Gabba which pretty much set the tone for the remainder of his campaign. • He twice collected a season-high 27 disposals – against Richmond in Round 9 and Carlton in Round 12 – and he topped the 20-possession mark on another four occasions. • The utility provided plenty of run – predominantly off the wing – and helped his side to a five-game winning streak which put them back in the finals hunt. • While the Lions fell short of September for the first time since 1998, Notting’s consistency was rewarded with ninth place in the Club Champion award – his first top ten finish since 2001. 2006 • Notting’s role changed significantly from the outset of the 2006 season. The hard-running wingman/half-forward was moved into the backline by Senior Coach Leigh Matthews as another versatile option in defence. • He often faced tough assignments on dangerous opposition forwards, but proved more than capable of fulfilling the role. • His height and athleticism enabled him to play on opponents of all sizes, while his burst of speed and long kicking provided invaluable run from defence. • He was honoured mid-season with selection in the Lions’ Team of the Decade which acknowledged the 25 best players to have represented the Club since the 1996 merger. • He featured in all 22 matches and averaged over 15 disposals. • He finished in the Club Champion top ten (eighth) for the second consecutive season and earned Life Membership from the Club for 10 years of valuable on-field service. 2007 • The heavily underrated utility stood out from the shadows of some of his more high profile team-mates with arguably the finest season of his 11-year career. • He averaged a career-best 21 possessions and was the only Lions player to rank in the Club’s top five in goals (4th with 16), marks (3rd with 133) and disposals (3rd with 463). • Playing with greater freedom on the wing, he led the Club with 107 inside 50s – 17 more than the next best Lion. • He equalled his career-high possession tally of 31 against the West Coast Eagles in the Lions’ famous victory at Subiaco in Round 14. • He also shouldered greater responsibility following the off-season retirements of some of his former premiership team-mates. • It came as no surprise that Notting finished a career-best third in the Merrett-Murray Medal voting on Club Champion night. It was the third consecutive season that he had placed in the top ten. 2008 • Notting resumed his all-important role in the senior team from the beginning of the season and hit a purple patch between Rounds 6-11 when he averaged close to 24 disposals over those six weeks. • He hit somewhat of a form slump after the mid-season break and was eventually squeezed out of the side in Round 18. • It was the first senior match he had missed in almost three years and broke his sequence of consecutive matches which stood at 78. • He worked his way back into the senior team for Round 19 against Hawthorn in Tasmania, but was forced to spend the remainder of the year with the Lions Reserves. • Despite being omitted late in the season, Notting still averaged an impressive 17.2 disposals per game and finished 11th in the Best and Fairest voting. • Testament to his consistency and durability, Notting had finished no lower than 11th in the Club Champion award in each of his past five seasons.
Tim Notting is now the Lions’ elder statesman and hopes to make a running start to the 2009 seasonSaturday, January 24, 2009 - 11:07AM
Lion wingman Tim Notting says a heavy loss to the Bulldogs was a reality check for the clubWednesday, June 18, 2008 - 10:19AM
Lions gain ever increasing value from a unique player who has snuck into seniority Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 9:25AM
A re-tooling of his kicking technique has sparked Tim Notting's strong recent formSunday, August 05, 2007 - 3:33PM
Notting had a solid 2005 and had a career-high 27 touches on two occasions. He finished in the top-10 of the club best and fairest for the second time in his cFriday, May 19, 2006 - 12:00AM
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