View source for Brett Backwell

{{short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Brett Backwell
| fullname = Brett William Backwell
| image = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|5|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = 
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = [[Zillmere Eagles Australian Football Club|Northern Eagles]] ([[QAFL]])
| debutdate = [[1999 AFL season#Round 1|Round 1]], 25 March 1999
| debutteam = {{AFL Car}}
| debutopponent = {{AFL Ess}}
| debutstadium = the [[MCG]]
| height = 176 cm
| weight = 74 kg
| position = 
| club1 = {{AFL Car}} ([[Australian Football League|AFL]])
| years1 = 1999–2001
| games_goals1 = 18 (12)
| club2 = [[West Adelaide Football Club|West Adelaide]] ([[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]])
| years2 = 2002
| games_goals2 = 
| club3 = [[Glenelg Football Club|Glenelg]] ([[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]])
| years3 = 2003–2009
| games_goals3 = 112 (97)
| club4 = [[Waratah Football Club|Waratah]] ([[Northern Territory Football League|NTFL]])
| years4 = 2009/10
| games_goals4 = 
| club5 = [[North Adelaide Football Club|North Adelaide]] ([[South Australian National Football League|SANFL]])
| years5 = 2011–2012
| games_goals5 = 20 (10)
| statsend = 2012
| careerhighlights =
*[[J. J. Liston Trophy]]: 2001
*[[Magarey Medal]]: 2006
*[[AFL Rising Star]] nominee: [[1999 AFL Rising Star|1999]]
}}

'''Brett William Backwell''' (born 18 May 1980) is a former [[Australian rules football]] player who achieved some international notoriety in 2005 when he had a finger amputated to enable him to continue his chosen sport. Backwell played for {{AFL Car}} in the [[Australian Football League]] (AFL) from 1999 to 2001, and won the [[J. J. Liston Trophy]] in 2001 and the [[Magarey Medal]] in 2006.

==AFL career==
Backwell played his junior football in [[Queensland]]. He was drafted to the elite AFL competition at number 67 selection in the [[1998 AFL Draft]]. His father [[Owen Backwell|Owen]] was a winner of the [[QAFL]]'s [[Grogan Medal]] in 1971 and 1975.

Backwell debuted in the opening Round of the 1999 season. Played primarily as a small forward, he showed some opportunist play and in his 18 games managed a creditable 12 goals. He was nominated for the [[AFL Rising Star award]].

He spent much of 2001 playing in Carlton's [[Reserves affiliations of Australian Football League clubs|stand-alone reserves team]] in the [[Victorian Football League]] (VFL), where he won the [[J. J. Liston Trophy]] for best and fairest.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footysa.com/article.php?sid=341&mode=&order=0&thold=0 |title=Main Page - FootySA |website=www.footysa.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006083843/http://www.footysa.com/article.php?sid=341&mode=&order=0&thold=0 |archive-date=6 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He was delisted at the end of the 2001 season.

==SANFL career==
Lured to South Australia by [[West Adelaide Bloods|West Adelaide]] in an effort to rekindle his AFL career, Backwell quickly shone at this lower level of competition, finishing fourth in the [[Magarey Medal]].

In 2003 Backwell moved to [[Glenelg Tigers|Glenelg]], joining his former teammate from Carlton, [[Heath Culpitt]].  Selection in SANFL state teams followed 2003, 2005 and 2006, including the 2003 win over [[Western Australia Australian rules football team|Western Australia]], earning him the [[Fos Williams Medal]] for a best-on-ground performance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sanfl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=98288 |title=News Item |website=www.sanfl.com.au |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060826054750/http://www.sanfl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=98288 |archive-date=26 August 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2006 Backwell won the highest individual award in the league, the [[Magarey Medal]], a feat heightened after he elected to have a finger amputated twelve months earlier.  In post-award interviews he said he has not given up hope of again playing in the AFL, and hoped his Magarey win would spark interest from other clubs,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200610/s1756838.htm |title=ABC Sport - AFL - Glenelg's Backwell wins Magarey Medal |website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=9 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312062409/http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200610/s1756838.htm |archive-date=12 March 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> but this did not eventuate and he continued to play with Glenelg until 2009.

Backwell spent the 2009/10 summer playing in the [[Northern Territory Football League]] for [[Waratahs Football Club|Waratah]]; as a result of playing for Waratah instead of participating in Glenelg's preseason, Backwell was sacked by his SANFL club. After sitting out the 2010 SANFL season, he returned in 2011 for [[North Adelaide Roosters|North Adelaide]],<ref>Morgan, K., [http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/backwell-looks-north-bound/story-fn525un5-1225948295808 The Advertiser], "Backwell looks North bound", 5 November 2010, Retrieved 18 April 2011.</ref> and played there until his retirement from the SANFL in June 2012. He played out the season in the [[Southern Football League (South Australia)|Southern Football League]] for [[Morphettville Park Football Club|Morphettville Park]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/magarey-medallist-signs-for-roos/story-fn7c89je-1226408200884|title=Backwell signs for roos|first=Gordon|last=Armstrong|newspaper=The Messenger|date=25 June 2012|access-date=31 March 2013}}</ref>

Backwell served as a midfield assistant coach for [[South Adelaide Football Club|South Adelaide]] from 2013 until 2014,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/south-adelaide-season-preview/story-fn525un5-1226601633535|title=South Adelaide season preview|first2=Kym|last2=Morgan|first1=Duane|last1=Schultz|newspaper=The Messenger|date=20 March 2013|access-date=31 March 2013}}</ref> before resigning.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sanfl.com.au/news/sanfl_news/page_19/2741/|title=South Adelaide Coaching Changes|date=31 October 2014|access-date=1 July 2015|publisher=South Australian National Football League}}</ref>

He later became coach of Prince Alfred Old Collegians, taking them to the Division One minor premiership in the Adelaide Football League.

==Finger amputation==
In 2005 Backwell enjoyed a brief period of international celebrity status when he elected to have his left-ring finger amputated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200509/s1458815.htm |title=ABC Sport - AFL - Footballer to have finger cut off to aid game |website=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=16 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060314194742/http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200509/s1458815.htm |archive-date=14 March 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The finger had caused him constant pain and restricted movement since injuring it in 2002. Surgeons offered him the option of fusing the bones in his finger, but he declined this as it would not have allowed him to continue playing. After having the finger chopped off, he was flown to the United States to appear on the 22 September episode of the ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.usfooty.com/usfooty/newsitem.aspx?id=574 |title=USAFL &#124; United States Australian Rules Football League |access-date=16 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070313001946/http://www.usfooty.com/usfooty/newsitem.aspx?id=574 |archive-date=13 March 2007 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>[http://www.tv.com/late-show-with-david-letterman/show-2432/episode/511542/summary.html?tag=ep_list;ep_title;18 David Letterman episode guide], TV.com.</ref> He continued to play football without any complications from only having nine fingers.

==References==
<references/>

==External sources==
*{{AFL Tables|B/Brett_Backwell}}
*[http://www.blueseum.org/tiki-index.php?page=Brett+Backwell&highlight=backwell Brett Backwell's Blueseum profile]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060314194742/http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/200509/s1458815.htm ABC Sport] Australian Broadcasting Commission article about the finger amputation
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060826054750/http://www.sanfl.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=98288 SANFL News] article on transfer to Glenelg
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071006083843/http://www.footysa.com/article.php?sid=341&mode=&order=0&thold=0 FootySA] summary of V/AFL career

{{Magarey Medal winners}}
{{Fos Williams Medal winners}}
{{J.J. Liston Trophy}}
{{1999 AFL Rising Star nominees}}
{{1998 AFL national draft}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Backwell, Brett}}
[[Category:Glenelg Football Club players]]
[[Category:West Adelaide Football Club players]]
[[Category:Magarey Medal winners]]
[[Category:J. J. Liston Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Carlton Football Club players]]
[[Category:North Adelaide Football Club players]]
[[Category:Zillmere Eagles Australian Football Club players]]
[[Category:Waratah Football Club players]]
[[Category:Australian amputees]]
[[Category:Sportspeople with limb difference]]
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Brisbane]]