Some players are just bound to make it when they come into the AFL system. The kind of players who, due to their competitive spirit alone, will take every scrap of opportunity they get with both hands, in search of their AFL dream. Tom Rockliff is one of these players.
Although he’s one of the AFL’s elite now, he wasn’t always a golden child. In fact, if it wasn’t for a lifeline from the Brisbane Lions, he might very well have missed out on an AFL career entirely.
In his draft year of 2008 Rockliff put up some amazing performances for his under 18s side, the Murray Bushrangers. He won the Bushrangers’ best and fairest, kicking 59 goals for the year as a medium-sized forward.
However when draft day came, and 79 names were read out to join or re-join AFL clubs, Rockliff’s was not one of them.
Why? Fitness. Even though Rockliff was producing dominant performances as a youngster, he wasn’t the fittest bloke going around – quite the opposite in fact. Clubs didn’t think he was athletic enough to be a best 22 AFL player.
Then he got tossed a lifeline. The Brisbane Lions gave him a chance, selecting him in the pre-season draft.
The 2008 draft class was incredibly talented – maybe the most talented we have seen since the superdraft of 2001. Dayne Beams, Daniel Hannebery, Rory Sloane, Steven Motlop, Nic Naitanui, Jack Ziebell – the list of young superstars taken in the ’08 draft goes on.
What the Lions may not have realised when they took a chance on Rockliff in the hopes he could improve his fitness enough to be an AFL player, was that they had uncovered possibly the best-value selection of the entire draft.
Because Rockliff is the kind of player who will focus single-mindedly on a goal and not stop working until he achieves it. When people told him he needed to improve his fitness, that’s what he did.
He managed only one game in his first year at the club but his good work started to pay dividends in 2010 when he played 19 games averaging 22 disposals and three tackles. He then really lifted in 2011, increasing that to 27 disposals and five tackles per game.
In my head, Rocky’s endeavour to improve his fitness plays out like a movie training montage from his nick-namesake. Jogging through the streets in sweats, boxing in a meat locker, maybe ‘Eye of the Tiger’ playing in the background – it’s probably not entirely accurate.
His real turning point came at the end of the 2012 season. Even though he’d won the Lions’ best and fairest the year before, he was still only average in terms of his fitness. He was still often lagging behind the pack in club time trials.
Then Lions coach Michael Voss tore into him during his post-season review and awoke the beast. Ever since, Rocky’s competitiveness has driven him to the pinnacle of the AFL.
He started the 2013 season solidly and built his form as time went on, ending the year with an incredible streak of games. He finished the year with a fifth place finish in the Brownlow, tied with elite midfielders Scott Pendlebury and Dan Hannebery.
Then in 2014 he went to another level entirely. Players of AFL Fantasy, Super Coach and Ultimate Footy will be familiar with this. In his 2014 season Rockliff tore the record books a new one, averaging 32 disposals and an incredible nine tackles per game.
The footy smarts and competitiveness were always there for Rocky, but in his early years it was a case of the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Once he hit peak fitness though, he became an amazing footballer. His fitness has given him the ability to be constantly involved in the game, always at the contest, whether he’s winning the ball himself or tackling an opponent.
Rockliff’s competitiveness and determination drive every aspect of his game. They drove him to earn his spot on an AFL list, and when challenged by his coach, drove him to lift his game, redouble his efforts and take the next step.
Even when time is dwindling and the game is well and truly lost, you’ll find him driving in as if the Lions are less than a kick from the lead. He’s the sort of player who could no more give up on the contest than he could stop breathing – it’s no surprise Brisbane made him their captain.
His first year as skipper hasn’t gone exactly to plan. He broke his ribs in the first game, then copped a concussion, then broke his ribs again. Now, in the last two weeks, he has copped a hard tag.
Even when getting extra attention from the opposition though he has still shone. Against Melbourne the other week he had Jack Viney in his face all day, blocking him from getting the ball. What’d he do? He just laid a career-best 17 tackles instead.
Competitive, but unfit. That was what defined Tom Rockliff, the pudgy 18-year-old medium forward from the Murray Bushrangers. But like a true competitor, he has turned it around. Now his fitness defines him as much as anything.
shezza
Guest
Steve Grace is the coach who got Son Son into gear. He is now at Collingwood
Josh
Expert
Definitely, Walters is a great example of a dedicated player gaining the fitness he needs. "Sent to train with the WAFL side" is usually a death sentence for AFL careers, he's one of the few who has turned it around.
Josh
Expert
Technically speaking, I did say most talented since 2001, not more talented! Keep in mind the players in that draft class are only now entering the peaks of their careers though, I think you might change your mind on that before all is said and done. I think the majority of players brought into the AFL are now 'footballers at heart', but have to be a decent athlete as well. Generally speaking, a lot of clubs won't draft players unless they're of a certain size, height and level of fitness, which can lead to some real gems falling down the draft order - Rocky is a great example but also guys like say Caleb Daniel from last year's draft. People get the idea that not fitting the mould will mean you don't succeed and really, that's just not true. Unlike some other sports our game is versatile and open enough that even players who really don't fit the mould can usually find a role to play, if they want it hard enough. The other side of the coin there is to pick players who are already the right size but don't know the game and try to teach the game to them... it rarely works out. For every Mark Blicavs or Pearce Hanley there are dozens of folks who had a shot, failed and went home. But given clubs are able to recruit these players virtually for free - they don't have to draft them, and can pay them outside the salary cap - it's worth a shot, eh? You don't generally see these "pure athlete" footballers going in the main draft. Both types of players - footballers who aren't athletes, and athletes who aren't footballers - usually come to clubs a lot cheaper than they should, making the ones who do make it look like serious bargains. But then a lot of them just don't make the grade in the end, so overall it probably evens out.
Rob McHugh
Roar Guru
I agree with where you're coming from - the league is going for less Cyrils and Stevie Js and more Fyfes. Fyfe is an obvious exception, but I'm not sure this elite athlete driven game is the most interesting thing to watch; and I think that's one of the reasons why.
Brent Ford
Roar Guru
I'm sorry Josh but the 2008 draft doesn't hold a candle to the 2001 draft. ;) I find it interesting however that in recent years the AFL has been looking at bringing in athletes and training them in the game of AFL. Blicavs the obvious example where it has worked, but on the flip side why not pick a player that shows all the hallmarks of being a good player and just needs the fitness? Surely you could write them up a program and as Rockliff has showed if they have the work ethic then it works out. It's not all that easy to play AFL and play it well if you pick it up late in your teenage years.
Balthazar
Guest
Sounds a very similar story to Michael Walters - highly talented, competitive but unfit until he was booted out of the team and made to train by himself and sort out his diet. Only difference I guess is Son Son had a young daughter by then, which was his impetus to change his ways.