Australian Football

Originally from Burracoppin, Ian Downsborough commenced with West Perth in 1993 and was a member that year of the club’s losing grand final team against Claremont. Capable of playing either in a key position or as a ruckman, he attracted interest from West Coast, who drafted him in 1994. The 1995 season saw him make a single appearance for the Eagles as well as contributing three goals to West Perth’s 21.11 to 12.9 WAFL grand final defeat of Subiaco.

After a useful season for the Eagles in 1996 Downsborough found himself included in a complex trade arrangement which saw him transferring to fledgling AFL club Port Adelaide. He had played 20 AFL games and scored five goals for the Eagles plus 53 state league games and 63 goals for West Perth. During his time with Port he was repeatedly hampered by injury and managed just seven games and two goals in what proved to be his only season with the club.

Downsborough rounded off his AFL career with Adelaide but never really managed to cement his place in the team, playing just a dozen games and kicking six goals over two seasons. Adelaide achieved premiership success in 1998, but Downsborough was not included in the winning grand final team. When fit and available from 1997-9, but not selected to play in the AFL, he fronted up with Norwood, making a total of 30 SANFL appearances and booting 21 goals.

The 2000 season proved to be his last in league football and he returned to West Perth, adding six games and a goal to his respective career tallies.

Author - John Devaney