Alex Witherden Biography

Brisbane trade Alex Witherden to West Coast. The Eagles gave up a third-round pick (currently No.58) and a future third-round selection for the Lion and also got a fifth-round selection (currently No.86) in return.

"He is an excellent character who will fit in well with our group and his foot skills make him a valuable acquisition for us," West Coast list manager Darren Glass said.

"At just 22, Alex has plenty of growth ahead of him which is exciting. He is in the age bracket where he can grow and develop alongside some of our emerging mid-sized defenders."

West Coast signals its interest in trading for Brisbane defender Alex Witherden after the half-back was squeezed out of the Lions' finals side in 2020.

Alex Witherden blames himself after opponent Brent Daniels kicked the match-winning goal on him in Greater Western Sydney's three-point semi-final win over the Lions to close out Brisbane's 2019 season.

The passage of play saw Witherden drawn to a marking contest at half-forward, but when he couldn't impact, the speedy Daniels roved superbly and ran away to kick a memorable checkside goal.

"That week post, I felt kind of embarrassed, I felt like I let my teammates down, the supporters down," Witherden said.

"You sort of feel responsible because it's your opponent that kicks the winning goal. It was a tough week to get your head around it."

With Brisbane acquiring new recruits to strengthen the half-back line during the off-season, Witherden knows his spot is up for grabs in 2020.

"I've been lucky to play 50-odd games my first three years, we've got good competition for spots and I want to get myself in a position where you can only blame yourself if you're not getting picked," he said.

"I want to tick all the boxes, make sure I'm giving myself the absolute best opportunity to play every week. I'm confident if I can play my best footy, I'm good enough to be playing every week here."

Alex Witherden has sought out a sprint coach Sarah Cotchett to improve his running.

"I wanted to improve on a few different components of running," Witherden said.

"A lot of it being the explosive power running that's required by half-backs to get past (their man) and get handball receives.

"It's something I'll probably have to work on the rest of my career, but it was good to seek her out and try and find an extra one or two percent to help me become a better player."

Jaidyn Stephenson becomes the first Collingwood player to claim the NAB AFL Rising Star award.

Stephenson polled 52 votes to take home the Ron Evans Medal from Adelaide's Tom Doedee (42 votes) and Brisbane's Alex Witherden (32 votes).

Stephenson kicked 34 goals for the season – 11 more than the next-highest return for a player eligible for the award.

Brisbane coach Chris Fagan thinks Alex Witherden should be in contention to win the 2018 Rising Star award.

"If you look at his numbers, I think Alex averages around 24-25 possessions as a rebound defender," Fagan said.

"They’re the sort of numbers that get people selected in All Australian teams. He’s been elite over the course of two seasons."

Alex Witherden becomes the 11th player to receive a second AFL Rising Star nomination for his effort in Brisbane's drought-breaking weekend victory over Hawthorn.

Witherden gathered 24 disposals against the Hawks, which means he has recorded 20 or more in 14 of his 18 career games.

Alex Witherden signs a new two-year deal with Brisbane to remain at the club until the end of 2020.

Witherden was one of Brisbane's success stories in 2017, playing nine games, averaging 23 disposals and impressing with his good decision-making and precise kicking from half-back.

"We look forward to watching him grow with us and seeing what he, along with our emerging group of re-signings, will bring in the coming years," Brisbane general manager of football David Noble said.

"Alex is a bright young man with footy smarts well beyond his 19 years."

Alex Witherden earns the round 17 NAB AFL Rising Star nomination after tallying a team-high 28 disposals for Brisbane in their 31-point loss to Richmond at Etihad Stadium.

Witherden has already drawn regular comparisons to Brendon Goddard for his composure and willingness to take the game on.

"I've always said if I could be even half the player Brendon was then I'd be happy," Witherden said.

"I was lucky enough to come up against (Essendon) a few weeks ago at Etihad and watch him go about his business. He's a fierce competitor and a very good footballer, so I'll keep looking at a few of the things he does well and try and implement them in my game."

Alex Witherden makes his AFL debut for Brisbane at the Gabba with 20 disposals (12 kicks and 8 handballs), 7 marks and a tackle in a 60-point loss to GWS.

Brisbane select Alex Witherden with pick No.23 in the 2016 National Draft.