Alipate Carlile Biography

Alipate Carlile retires from AFL football after a spate of injuries derailed his career.

"I told the boys this morning and I've been thinking about it for probably a year now," Carlile said.

"Obviously the knee was the last straw.

"I said to myself if I’d done my knee, I'd pull the pin, so I thought it was a pretty timely."

Carlile played the first two games of the season before being sidelined with a wrist injury.

He then tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee while playing in the SANFL.

"I just can't deal with it anymore," Carlile said.

"This year's been pretty stop start as well.

"(I) felt sort of bad I've been on the sidelines, but can't help it."

Carlile admitted the speed of the modern game worked against him.

"I've been a sloth chasing around cheetahs my whole career, so it's no real surprise there," he said.

"The game has gone ahead in leaps and bounds and will continue to get quicker, so I thought I’d better get out of here while I still can."

Selected with the 44th pick in the 2005 draft, Carlile established himself as one of the Power's first-picked key defenders.

"I've got no regrets at all," Carlile said.

"The start of my career was a bit up and down, now it's all about how I am as a person and I think I've come along in leaps and bounds."

Alipate Carlile is ruled out for the rest of the season after having surgery.

Carlile played just two games this season before injuring his PCL. The club took a conservative approach in trying to manage the injury but the 29-year-old did not recover as quickly as hoped.

He will be sidelined for 12 weeks with Port Adelaide hopeful he'll join in pre-season training early.

Alipate Carlile is unlikely to play again in 2016 after the experienced full-back suffered a serious knee injury in the reserves.

"It is a (posterior cruciate ligament) so he's probably not going to play again this year and if he does it'll probably only be the last couple," Power coach Ken Hinkley said.

"It's a big blow to him and it's a blow to us clearly because he's our full-back and has been for a number of years."

The AFL's Multicultural Program will expand to 18 player ambassadors in 2016 and will also include two female players.

Sabrina Frederick-Traub and Darcy Vescio will be joined in promoting some of the many diverse backgrounds in Australia’s Game by Brisbane Lions Vice Captain Dayne Zorko, Geelong’s Tom Hawkins, Fremantle’s Tendai Mzundu, Gold Coast SUNS players Adam Saad and Tom Nicholls, Sydney Swan Aliir Aliir and Western Bulldogs player Jason Johannisen.

The new additions in 2016 join existing Australia Post AFL Multicultural Player Ambassadors David Zaharakis (Essendon), Stephen Coniglio (GWS GIANTS), Paul Puopolo (Hawthorn), Shem Tatupu (Hawthorn), Alipate Carlile (Port Adelaide), Jimmy Toumpas (Port Adelaide), Bachar Houli (Richmond), Nic Naitanui (West Coast) and Lin Jong (Western Bulldogs).

“The expanded list of 18 ambassadors, representing 13 AFL Clubs and two female Clubs, will play a crucial role in raising cultural understanding, inclusion and participation at all levels of Australian Football,” AFL General Manager Game and Market Development Simon Lethlean said.

Alipate Carlile is extremely unlikely to play again this season as he continues to battle hip issues.

"Personally I don't think we'll see 'Bobby' back, will I say for the year? I'm not sure … I don't think we'll see him back until the last round or two," Power coach Ken Hinkley said.

"It's basically just a bit of wear and tear from a football season … he's ground to a halt a little bit."

A hip injury is still preventing Alipate Carlile from training with Port Adelaide.

"We would have liked to have him out there by now but it's an area of the body, it's an injury that you can't progress any quicker than it's allowing him to do," Power teammate Hamish Hartlett said.

"We've just got to take a pretty cautious approach with Alipate at the moment – his hip's not recovering as quickly as we would have liked but we hope to have him out there by the end of the season."

Port Adelaide is awaiting the results of secondary scans on Alipate Carlile's injured hamstring before deciding if he's a chance to line up against Melbourne on Sunday.

Carlile, who strained his hamstring late in the club's 23-point loss to Adelaide in round 15, underwent a second scan on Monday.

The key defender said he expected to see the results on Tuesday afternoon but wouldn't train until either Thursday or Friday.

"It's fine at the moment, but [it's] just when I start training … whether I can get through that let alone a game," Carlile said.

"[I've] got to get the results of another scan just to see where we're at, find out this afternoon or later on tomorrow."

Port Adelaide's backline suffers a blow with full back Allipate Carlile and centre-half back Jackson Trengove both ruled out for three weeks with a hamstring and ankle injury respectively.

"They won't play this week," Hinkley said.

"They probably won't play for two or three weeks to be honest and that's going to leave a significant hole for us."

Jobe Watson joins Demon Jimmy Toumpas, Magpie Patrick Karnezis, Giant Stephen Coniglio, and Lin Jong from the Western Bulldogs as new multicultural ambassadors in 2014 to help grow the game alongside existing ambassadors Nic Naitanui, Bachar Houli, Karmichael Hunt, Majak Daw, and Alipate Carlile.

"Since the introduction of the AFL multicultural ambassador program in 2012, we are delighted by the enthusiasm, insight and cultural guidance the ambassadors have provided to communities and the AFL industry," AFL chief Andrew Demetriou said.

"In 2014, we are excited to have Jobe, Jimmy, Patrick, Stephen and Lin as part of this important program and look forward to the 10 ambassadors playing a lead role in encouraging individuals and communities to unite through their passion for Australia's game."

Hamish Hartlett says the loss of Jackson Trengove due to injury will be felt by the club but will also give Alipate Carlile the opportunity to step up as a leader.

"It's a pretty big blow for us down back, he brings a lot of leadership as well as being a great player," Hartlett said of Trengove.

"Alipate Carlile is playing some great footy at the moment so his leadership is going to have to step up a little bit which we expected anyway."

Port Adelaide sign four key players in Alipate Carlile, Jackson Trengove, John Butcher and Andrew Moore.

"With all four of these talented young players committing to the club together, it's just a great show of faith in what we're trying to do and where we're heading," coach Ken Hinkley said.

"Each one of them in their own way brings something special to the group. Jacko (Trengove) is a strong voice and a really solid person, Bobby (Carlile) loves to help people as is evidenced by the multicultural work he does outside the club and Moorey (Moore) and Butch (Butcher) are just great people to have around the footy club."

Alipate Carlile admits consistency has been an issue for him over the last few years.

"Trying to get that consistency back in my game [is] one of my main goals. [I'm] wanting to help the back six settle and get as much improvement as we can next year and try to get some wins on the board," he said.

Alipate Carlile is dropped for the Power's round 12 game against the Bulldogs after failing the club's fitness standards.

"There's standards we wanted to be set and he hasn't quite reached them," Primus said.


"We know he's got to play on the best players and that's hard, but to be able to stay out there for long periods of time [is essential] and he hasn't been quite able to do that. Therefore he's cost himself his position this week."

Jake Carlile is the 2012 round 9 NAB Rising Star nominee. Carlile credits Bombers coach James Hird who was instrumental in transforming him from a forward into a reliable defender.

"When he first came here, I was a year into my career and I was a forward so he told me they wanted to try me in defence," Carlisle said.

"He's been big on me playing more of a part in the team and building me up to be more of a man. When I got here he thought I was a little kid so I've grown up and matured a bit."

Alipate Carlile will miss Port Adelaide's NAB Cup opener after the full-back suffered suspected back spasms.

"We don't think it's anything serious, but we'll assess him during the week," Power football manager Peter Rohde said.

"We're not going to risk any player at this stage of the season."

Port Adelaide full back Alipate Carlile signs a new contract with the club.

"Bobby is very important to our structure and a lot of time and effort has gone into his development since he arrived at the club," Power coach Matthew Primus said.

"He's now at the stage of his career where he's ready to become a very good backman for us and continue to take on the opposition's best tall forwards."

A pre-existing hip injury has recurred ruling Alipate Carlile out of footy for five weeks.

Port's Alipate Carlile denies any links to the Greater Western Sydney Giants.

"I haven't even heard anything [from GWS], so I'm not sure about that [speculation] and I'm happy at Port," Carlile said.

"You'd have to ask [football operations manager] Peter Rohde when they [contract negotiations] will start, but hopefully soon. It's been good so far. I've had a really good time here at Port Adelaide and I'm hopeful that will continue."

Not content with merely beating Matthew Lloyd, Port fullback Alipate Carlile accomplished the rare feat of outscoring the ageing Bomber.

Carlile ventured forward early on to nail his first career goal with surprising assurance.