Shaun Atley (born 13 September 1992) is a former professional

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

er who played for the

North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos or colloquially the Roos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AF ...

in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...

(AFL). Originally from Rochester, Atley was taken with draft pick #17 in the 2010 National draft by

North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne Local government ar ...

. Prior to being drafted, he played both as a half-back and as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

. He debuted the following year, in the

2011 AFL season The 2011 AFL season was the 115th season of the Australian Football League (AFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Australia, which was known as the Victorian Football League until 1989. The season featured sev ...

. Atley made his debut in Round 1, against . 2012 was a much more successful year for Atley. He played every possible game, and was noted as one of the competition's most improved player. The catalyst of this change of form was a move to the backline, where he used his explosive pace and blistering speed to accelerate out of defence on numerous occasions to turn defence into attack. His kicking improved out of sight, and this was recognised with a fifth placing in the Syd Barker Medal. He is the brother of Joe Atley, who plays for the Essendon Football Club's VFL side after being delisted by the Port Adelaide Football Club. Atley was delisted by North in October 2021 after 234 games for the club.

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* * 1992 births Living people North Melbourne Football Club players Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Murray Bushrangers players North Ballarat Football Club players 21st-century Australian sportsmen {{AFL-bio-1990s-stub