David Rodan

David Rodan
Born	(1983-10-08) October 8, 1983 Fiji
Occupation(s)	Australian rules footballer, AFL goal umpire
Years active	2002–2013 (player), 2016–present (umpire)
Known for	Playing for Richmond Tigers, Port Adelaide Power, Melbourne Demons; AFL goal umpiring; first Fijian-born AFL player to reach 100 games

David Rodan (born 8 October 1983) is a retired professional Australian rules football player who currently serves as an AFL goal umpire. Throughout his playing career, he represented the Richmond Tigers, Port Adelaide Power, and Melbourne Demons.

Rodan, of Tongan descent and born in Fiji, holds the distinction of being the first player born in Fiji to achieve 100 games in the AFL.

Early life

Rodan was born in Fiji to Tongan parents, Amelia and David Snr, and relocated to Australia when he was three years old. While his father favored rugby union, Rodan gravitated toward Australian rules football due to the absence of local rugby clubs. His junior football journey began with Oak Park and Holy Child Football Club in Broadmeadows, Victoria, where he developed a deep enthusiasm for the game.

He demonstrated exceptional talent in junior leagues, notably securing consecutive Morrish Medals in the TAC Cup during 2000 and 2001.

Richmond (2001–2006)

At the conclusion of 2001, Rodan was drafted by Richmond with pick number 33. Making his debut in 2002, he played every match over the next two seasons, earning an AFL Rising Star nomination and scoring 17 goals, three of which were contenders for Goal of the Year.

Starting as a small crumbing forward alongside Andrew Krakouer, Rodan acquired Australian citizenship in 2002 to facilitate obtaining a passport for travel to London for an exhibition match against Essendon.

Following Matthew Knights’ retirement, Rodan transitioned into a midfield role. He missed the entire 2005 season due to a serious knee injury but made a comeback in 2006. Despite this return, he was unexpectedly delisted at the end of that season during the club’s best and fairest awards ceremony.

Port Adelaide (2007–2012)

Rodan’s career continued when Port Adelaide selected him with the final pick in the 2006 AFL draft.

He participated in every game throughout the 2007 season, including the AFL Grand Final, earned six Brownlow Medal votes, and was ranked among the top 60 players that year.

In a notable incident during a 2008 match against the Western Bulldogs, Rodan accidentally kicked a goal toward his own goalposts; this was officially recorded as a rushed behind for the opposition.

In December 2009, Rodan suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear initially expected to keep him out for all of 2010. However, following ligament augmentation and reconstruction surgery using polyester fibers, he made an impressive return by round six of that season.

Melbourne (2013)

On 25 October 2012, Rodan was traded to the Melbourne Football Club in exchange for Pick number 88 in the 2012 AFL Draft. Although Port Adelaide had initially delisted him, no formal paperwork had been filed at that time, allowing the trade to proceed. He retired after sustaining another anterior cruciate ligament rupture during Round 22 against the Adelaide Crows.

West Preston Lakeside (2015)

In 2015, Rodan signed with West Preston Lakeside Football Club, part of the Northern Football Netball League, where he played 16 games over two seasons.

VFL/AFL Goal Umpiring (2016)

Beginning in March 2016, Rodan commenced training as a VFL goal umpire with aspirations to join AFL umpiring ranks by 2017. This initiative was supported by the Scanlon Foundation to encourage indigenous and multicultural involvement in Australian rules umpiring. On 25 July 2025, he celebrated his milestone of officiating or playing in 300 games combined.

Post-AFL career

Rodan emerged as the champion of the fourteenth installment of Dancing with the Stars.