Jarrod Cotton

 

Jarrod Cotton is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Port Adelaide
in the Australian Football League (AFL). A half forward flanker originally from South Australian National Football League (SANFL) team Central District. He was recruited by Port Adelaide as a zone selection in their inaugural league season in 1997. Jarrod made his senior AFL debut against Carlton at Football Park in round 10 1997 and kicked two goals. Jarrod transferred from Central District to fellow SANFL club Norwood in 1999. Jarrod topped Norwood's goal-kicking in 2002 with 42 goals before crossing to a third SANFL club, South Adelaide in 2003 and then to Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL) side Mt Gravatt in 2004, which he both played for and assistant coached. Following his retirement from playing, Jarrod returned to South Australia and was appointed caretaker coach of Norwood Football Club for the final seven rounds of the 2009 SANFL season. Jarrod spent 2 years as a development coach at the Adelaide Crows before returning to Norwood as Director of coaching. At the end of
the 2016 season, Jarrod was appointed head coach of Norwood. He took Norwood to the minor premiership and Grand final in 2018 and was named SANFL coach of the year. In the latter stages of the 2018 SANFL season he extended his contract at Norwood, keeping him at the club until 2021. He is currently U19 Academy Coach & VFL Development at the Gold Coast Suns.