Jimmy Bartel

Jimmy Bartel

James 'Jimmy' Bartel (born 4 December 1983) is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A midfielder at 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄₂ in) and 86 kilograms (190 lb), Bartel is a Brownlow Medallist, two-time All-Australian, and was part of the Cats' AFL premiership-winning teams in 2007, 2009 and 2011, being named the Norm Smith medalist in 2011. He has also been selected to the Victorian state team, and has achieved premiership success at every playing level in his career to date.

Although he showed considerable promise as a junior cricketer, Bartel turned his focus toward football and debuted in the TAC Cup as a bottom-aged player. There, he became a standout performer in the junior league, winning a National Championship, TAC Cup premiership medallion, a state Most Valuable Player award, and twice gaining selection in both the All-Australian and TAC Cup Team of the Year sides. After entering his name into the 2001 AFL Draft, Bartel was drafted by Geelong with the eighth overall pick. Since making his AFL debut in 2001, Bartel has played in a VFL premiership, two NAB Cup-winning sides, and Geelong's 2007, 2009 and 2011 AFL premiership-winning teams.