# Joel Amartey

Joel Amartey (born 2 September 1999) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL) after the St. Kilda saints chose not to match an NGA bid on him. He was recruited by the Sydney Swans with the 28th draft pick in the 2018 AFL rookie draft.

## Early football

Amartey was born in Australia to a father who had migrated from Ghana. As a child, he played soccer, but quit after experiencing racial abuse, moving instead to basketball and later to Australian rules. He played junior football for the Beaumaris Football Club in the South Metro Junior Football League, alongside many of his future teammates at the Swans such as Callum Sinclair and Oliver Florent. Amartey and Florent also played football together on the same school team at Mentone Grammar. He played for the Sandringham Dragons in the NAB League, playing 14 games and kicking 9 goals over the course of the 2017 season. Amartey had the opportunity to win the grand final for the Dragons in their premiership match against the Geelong Falcons as he marked in front of goal with seconds left, meaning he had to kick a goal after the siren. However, he missed the shot, and the Dragons lost by two points.

## AFL career

Amartey was likely to make his AFL debut in July 2020, but suffered a groin injury in a scratch match and was unable to debut for the Swans. Amartey debuted in Sydney's 32 point loss to Brisbane Lions in the 17th round of the 2020 AFL season. On debut, Amartey collected 3 disposals, 8 hitouts, and 2 tackles. Amartey was upgraded from the rookie list at the conclusion of the season.
In Round 5 of the 2023 AFL season Amartey pulled his hamstring while running towards the forward line. Amartey immediately got subbed out of the game.
In 2024, he scored a career best 9 goals during the last three quarters of Sydney's Round 14 clash against the Adelaide Crows.

## Statistics

Updated to the end of round 6, 2023.
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) | Averages (per game) |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | H/O |
| 2018 | Sydney | 46 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | Sydney | 46 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | Sydney | 46 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 |
| 2021 | Sydney | 36 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 38 | 17 | 55 | 16 | 23 | 49 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 6.3 | 2.8 | 9.2 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 8.2 |
| 2022 | Sydney | 36 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 29 | 14 | 43 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 7.2 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.0 |
| 2023 | Sydney | 36 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 12 | 36 | 19 | 3 | 14 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 9.0 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 3.5 |
| Career | Career | Career | 17 | 16 | 12 | 94 | 43 | 137 | 47 | 42 | 89 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 5.5 | 2.5 | 8.0 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 5.2 |
* ↑ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.