Daniel Stewart

Daniel Stewart died suddenly on Friday, 23 October 2026, aged 37, a week before his 38th birthday. Port Adelaide announced his death the following day. No cause of death was made public, and the club asked that the privacy of his family be respected.

Chief executive Matthew Richardson extended the club's condolences to his family and to his friends at North Adelaide and Labrador, and said the club would support his former teammates and staff. Kane Cornes, a former teammate, said he was shattered. Port Adelaide said its players would wear black armbands at their first home game at Adelaide Oval in 2027. Funeral arrangements had not been made public.

Daniel Stewart was born on 30 October 1988. He came through the junior pathway with the Eastern Ranges, the TAC Cup representative side for Melbourne's eastern suburbs, before moving north to play senior football for Labrador on the Gold Coast in the AFL Queensland competition.

In 2008 he moved to South Australia and joined North Adelaide in the SANFL. His height, at 200 centimetres, and his marking ability brought him to the attention of AFL recruiters.

Port Adelaide selected Stewart with the 35th pick in the 2009 Rookie Draft. He spent the 2009 season playing for North Adelaide and was promoted to the Power's senior list at the end of that year.

After performing well in the 2010 NAB Cup he made his AFL debut against Geelong in round four of 2010. Wearing the number 43, he played 11 games and kicked 12 goals in his first season, finishing it with a career-best four goals against Richmond in round 22.

In 2011 he played 12 games and kicked eight goals, and in 2012 he again played 12 games, kicking 11 goals and also contributing 60 hit-outs as a second ruck option. He made only a single appearance in 2013 and was delisted at the end of that season. He finished with 36 AFL games and 31 goals, all for Port Adelaide.

Stewart was married to Laura, and the couple had two sons, Bernie and Lando. His parents are Donna and Byron, and he had a brother, Leigh. Former teammate Kane Cornes said that after his playing days Stewart had built a thriving business, and that he shared a special friendship with former Port Adelaide teammate Matt Thomas.

Stewart's AFL career was short, but he is remembered at Alberton as a popular teammate and a tall forward who showed promise in his first seasons. His path through the Eastern Ranges, Labrador and North Adelaide to an AFL list through the rookie draft was an example of the second chance that the rookie system offers players who are overlooked as teenagers.