Introduction
Corey Maynard (born 7 October 1991) is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Maynard switched to AFL in 2016 after previously having played basketball at college and as a professional between 2010 and 2016. He played college basketball for Bryant University before playing professionally in the National Basketball League for the Cairns Taipans and Townsville Crocodiles.
Early life
Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Maynard moved with his family to Melbourne when he was seven. He started playing representative basketball for the McKinnon Basketball Association from under 12's where he led numerous Cougar teams in the Victorian Championship (VC) division within the Victorian Junior Basketball League (VJBL) up until under 18's. He was also a loyal eight-year player of the Moorabbin Magic.
When he was 15, he and his family moved back to Adelaide where he attended Sacred Heart College. He later represented South Australia Metro in the Under 20 National Championships where he won silver. In 2009 and 2010, he also played for the Sturt Sabres of the Central ABL, where he won team MVP in 2009 and a championship in 2010.
In Year 12 at Sacred Heart College, Maynard averaged 26 points per game en route to being named MVP of the 2010 Marist National Championships.
Basketball career
College
As a freshman at Bryant in 2010–11, Maynard was a staple in the Bulldogs' lineup, appearing in 30 games and averaging 4.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 22.4 minutes per game.
As a sophomore in 2011–12, Maynard vastly improved, but his development was disrupted due to an injury which forced him to miss 11 games, including the final six of the regular season. In 19 games (18 starts), he averaged 11.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.5 minutes per game.
As a junior in 2012–13, Maynard solidified himself as a mainstay in the Bulldog starting lineup. On March 2, 2013, he made his 100th career three-pointer against Saint Francis University. In 30 games (28 starts), he averaged 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 33.0 minutes per game.
As a senior in 2013–14, Maynard earned third-team All-NEC honours. In 31 games, he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals in 35.2 minutes per game.
Professional
2014–15 season
On 29 April 2014, Maynard signed with the Cairns Taipans for the 2014–15 NBL season. On 16 May 2014, he signed with the McKinnon Cougars of the Big V. He appeared in six games for the Cougars in 2014, averaging 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
After injuring his left thumb on 3 January 2015 against the Townsville Crocodiles, Maynard was ruled out for an extended period of time. Upon his return to health, however, prior to the Taipans' semi-final match-up against the Perth Wildcats, Maynard lost his spot in the line-up to 11th man Nathan Sobey. In 19 games for the Taipans, he averaged 1.1 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. In late April, he joined the Cairns Marlins for the 2015 Queensland Basketball League season.
2015–16 season
On 27 July 2015, Maynard signed with the Townsville Crocodiles for the 2015–16 NBL season. On 4 January 2016, he was ruled out for two to three weeks with an ankle injury. He missed two games with the injury, returning to action on 21 January against the New Zealand Breakers. In 2015–16, Maynard proved himself capable of running the offence, setting up his teammates, getting to the rim himself, hitting the outside shot, and playing strong defence. In 25 games for the Crocodiles, he averaged 6.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
On 29 February 2016, Maynard signed with Bisons Loimaa of the Finnish Korisliiga. He managed just two games for the team before the club parted ways with him in mid-March.
On 20 April 2016, Maynard signed with the Frankston Blues for the rest of the 2016 SEABL season. In 14 games for the Blues, he averaged 12.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
National team
In August 2011, Maynard represented Australia at the 2011 Summer Universiade in China.
AFL career
On 17 August 2016, Maynard signed with the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) as a category B rookie. He last played football as a 16-year-old.
Personal
Maynard is the son of Peter and Donna Maynard, and has one brother, Brayden, and one sister, Karli. His father, Peter, played eight games for Melbourne between in 1980–81 before playing 216 games in the SANFL with Glenelg and Woodville West-Torrens. His grandfather, Graham Campbell, played 151 games for Fitzroy and won the club's 1957 best and fairest award. His brother, Brayden, currently plays in the AFL for Collingwood.