Leigh Adams (footballer)

Leigh Adams (born 6 April 1988) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Leigh Adams
Personal information
Full name Leigh Adams
Date of birth (1988-04-06) 6 April 1988
Original team(s) Eastern Ranges (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 3, 2007 Rookie draft, Kangaroos
Height 176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 78 kg (172 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2007–2015 North Melbourne 104 (72)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
2022 North Melbourne 5 (1–4–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2015.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2022.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Playing career

A small midfielder who was selected in the 2007 Rookie draft from Eastern Ranges in the TAC Cup, he captained the Victorian Metro team in the 2006 AFL Under 18 Championships and won the team's Most Valuable Player award. He was hampered at the AFL draft camp after he suffered a hip injury requiring surgery.[1]

North Melbourne

He was elevated from the rookie list in 2007, replacing Leigh Harding.[1] after playing well for Tasmanian Devils Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). Despite playing only 13 games for Tasmania, he won their best and fairest award in 2007.[2] He has struggled with injury since then, missing the entire 2008 season due to an Anterior cruciate ligament tear whilst playing for Werribee Football Club in the VFL.[3]

Adams returned to the North Melbourne side in Round 15, 2009, over two years after his last game.[2] He was one of North's best players in their loss to the West Coast Eagles in Round 20, kicking three goals.[4]

Adams retired on 1 August 2015 due to ongoing issues with concussion.[5]

Adams played for North Melbourne from 2007 until 2014 for a total of 104 games and kicked 72 goals. [6]

Coaching career

Since retiring, Adams went straight into coaching with South Croydon in the Eastern Football League. After a lackluster 2016 season only managing six wins, the 2017 season saw Adams lead them to twelve wins & third place on the ladder in Division One. After suffering a 76-point loss to Vermont in the second semi-final, the two sides would meet again in the Grand Final, for South Croydon to cause a massive 18-point upset win over Vermont, who had only suffered one loss all season. Adams was also named the competitions Coach of the Year.

Less than a week after the Grand Final Victory, Adams was named as the newly appointed Coach of Coburg Football Club in the Victorian Football League, replacing a former North Melbourne past player in Peter German. Adams' first season was a tough one with the club only winning one game (along with one draw), however was credited with the teams improvement in 2019, and while they only won two games, Coburg looked a whole lot more competitive. He resigned on 25 July with four games left remaining in the season.

North Melbourne

In September 2019, it was announced Adams would return to North Melbourne as an assistant coach in the role of Development Coach for the 2020 season.[7] and additionally was given the role of VFL team coach for the 2021 season.[8]

In July 2022, Adams was appointed caretaker senior coach of North Melbourne for the rest of the 2022 season, after the club and senior coach David Noble parted ways, when Noble was sacked as senior coach.[9][10][11][12] At the end of the 2022 season, Adams was not retained as senior coach of North Melbourne and was replaced by Alastair Clarkson.[13] Adams however remained at the North Melbourne Football Club as assistant coach.[14]

Statistics
[15]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2007 Kangaroos 402005813270.00.02.54.06.51.03.5
2008 North Melbourne 130——————————————
2009 North Melbourne 13661534910223261.00.28.88.217.03.84.3
2010 North Melbourne 1315111516613329959560.71.011.18.919.93.93.7
2011 North Melbourne 1321161719821941794870.80.89.410.419.94.54.1
2012 North Melbourne 1318171518016434450590.90.810.09.119.12.83.3
2013 North Melbourne 132013817318836173660.70.48.79.418.13.73.3
2014 North Melbourne 132291115418333773630.40.57.08.315.33.32.9
2015 North Melbourne 130——————————————
Career 104 72 67 929 944 1873 374 364 0.7 0.6 8.9 9.1 18.0 3.6 3.5

References
  1. "Midfield key against Cats". Herald Sun. AAP. 26 April 2007. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
  2. "North to Patch things up". 9 July 2009. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
  3. Siragusa, Leonard (16 April 2008). "Adams out for the season". AAP. Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
  4. "Eagles blow away Roos at Subiaco". The Age. AAP. 15 August 2009.
  5. Schmook, Nathan (1 August 2015). "Kangaroo Leigh Adams calls time after latest concussion". AFL.com. Bigpond. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  6. "LEIGH ADAMS". Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  7. "Leigh Adams re-joins the family". 13 September 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  8. "Leigh Adams". Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  9. Kate O'Halloran & Andrew McGarry (12 July 2022). "Coach David Noble and North Melbourne Kangaroos 'mutually agree to part ways'". ABC News.
  10. "AFL: North Melbourne caretaker coach Leigh Adams wants players to express themselves". 15 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  11. "AFL: North Melbourne caretaker coach Leigh Adams wants players to express themselves". 15 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  12. "Five things you might not know about Leigh Adams". 15 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  13. "Outgoing Kangaroos coach hoping Alastair Clarkson helps club retain off contract stars". 20 August 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  14. "Leigh Adams". Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  15. "Leigh Adams statistics". AFL Tables. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
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