George Blackwood
George Blackwood | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 4, 1997 Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2014–present |
| Known for | Playing as a forward for West Torrens Birkalla and various professional clubs |
George Henry Raymond Blackwood (born 4 June 1997) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a forward for West Torrens Birkalla.
Originating from Sydney, Blackwood progressed through the youth ranks at APIA Leichhardt Tigers before making his professional debut with Sydney FC in 2014.
He has also represented Australia at both under-20 and under-23 international levels.
Early development
In 2013, Blackwood spent a month training with Colchester United after receiving a scholarship opportunity in Australia.
Sydney FC
Blackwood was initially promoted to Sydney FC’s senior team for a fixture against Melbourne City in October 2014. He netted his first goal for Sydney FC with a long-range strike during a 16 March 2016 draw versus Central Coast Mariners. At the conclusion of the 2016–17 campaign, he was not offered a contract extension.
Adelaide United
Blackwood signed with Adelaide United in July 2017. His inaugural goal for the club occurred via penalty in the Round of 16 against rivals Melbourne Victory. He featured as a substitute in the 2017 FFA Cup Final on 21 November 2017 facing his former team, Sydney FC. Adelaide United released him on 26 August 2020 to allow him to explore other opportunities.
Oldham Athletic
On 6 September 2020, Blackwood secured a two-year contract with Oldham Athletic. He scored his first goal for Oldham on 3 November 2020, helping the team to a 2–1 victory. His season was curtailed due to a back fracture which limited his game time. After the end of the 2020–21 EFL League Two season, both parties agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent, leading to his return to Australia.
Return to Adelaide United
Blackwood rejoined Adelaide United on 2 August 2021, agreeing to a two-year contract. In his comeback match, he converted a penalty during the 2021 FFA Cup Round of 32 against Floreat Athena. Following a season that failed to meet expectations, he was released by Adelaide United on 4 July 2023. Unable to secure another contract within Australia, he subsequently moved abroad to Indonesia.
Bhayangkara FC
On 9 November 2023, Blackwood signed with Bhayangkara FC competing in Indonesia's Liga 1. He made his debut as a substitute that same day in a 1–1 draw against RANS Nusantara but was released shortly thereafter.
Balzan FC
After his brief period at Bhayangkara FC and lacking offers from clubs in Indonesia or Australia, Blackwood joined Maltese Premier League side Balzan FC in January 2024. His contract was terminated in July 2024 without renewal.
International career
Blackwood earned his first call-up to the Australian under-20 squad for the 2014 AFF U-19 Youth Championship held in September 2014.
In March 2015, he was selected for the Australian under-23 squad as an injury replacement for teammate Terry Antonis during the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship qualification.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Overall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | Appearances | Goals | ||
| Sydney FC | 2014–15 | A-League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2015–16 | A-League | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2016–17 | A-League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Sydney FC total | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| Adelaide United | 2017–18 | A-League | 24 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 6 |
| 2018–19 | A-League | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | |
| 2019–20 | A-League | 21 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 6 | |
| Adelaide total | 64 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 16 | ||
| Oldham Athletic | 2020–21 | League Two | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| Adelaide United | 2021–22 | A-League Men | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 6 |
| 2022–23 | A-League Men | 19 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | |
| Adelaide total | 36 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 9 | ||
| Career totals | 132 | 24 | 16 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 154 | 29 | ||
Club
International
Individual Awards
- National Youth League Player of the Year: 2014–15 A-League National Youth League season
- AFF U-19 Youth Championship Golden Boot: 2016
External links
- George Blackwood profile at SydneyFC.com
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Living people
- 1997 births
- Men's association football forwards
- Australian men's soccer players
- Australian people of English descent
- Sydney FC players
- Adelaide United FC players
- Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players
- Bhayangkara Presisi Lampung F.C. players
- A-League Men players
- English Football League players
- Liga 1 (Indonesia) players
- Australia men's under-20 international soccer players
- Soccer players from Sydney
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Indonesia
- Australian expatriate sportspeople in Indonesia
- People educated at Asquith Boys High School
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen