Tom Rockliff (Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country) - Draft Profile


Height: 184.3cm
Weight: 82.6kg
Preferred foot: Right
Playing Style: Leading/crumbing general small forward
Potential: 6.5-8/10

Strengths

> Elite goal kicking nous – can play lead and mark or crumb effectively – very effective set shot
> Unselfish and will give off if others are in a better position
> Very good all-round mark– reads the flight and times leads very well – very good 1-1
> Strong bodied – good core strength - very good use of the body
> Game turning ability – can bob up and kick 3 in quick succession – got VC back into the game vs VM
> Attitude and level of production – just keeps producing the results game after game – wasn’t phased by missing out last year – leading TAC Cup goal scorer (59 from 18 games and 40 from 12 last year)
> Good strong, effective tackler in close
> Clean hands below the knees
> Neat field kick
> Quick by handball and possesses good vision in traffic
> Very good DM skills and composed under pressure
> Excellent footy smarts – quick RT – makes up somewhat for lack of atheticism

Weaknesses

> Lacks athleticism severely – ruckman slow pace, poor vertical leap, agility (poor skinfolds suggests some scope to improve) - has improved all times from 2007 (particularly agility)
> Doesn’t have the pace to chase down opponents - will he be exposed at AFL by putting a quick rebounding defender on him?
> Lacks versatility – unlikely to have the pace or engine to play midfield at AFL

Other

> Endurance looks to have improved significantly from last year – playing more up the ground and ran a mid to low 13 beep test at DC – lows 12s last year
> Very popular player – has a cult following at Murray Bushrangers

Overall

Rockliff lacks ‘sexy’ attributes for the modern game and today’s style of small forward (generally slimly built, lightning quick and evasive types that provide flair, goals and defensive pressure with the ability to push ) , he’s very much an old fashioned player. However you can’t argue with results and Rockliff has been laying them down for the past 2 seasons, however unfashionable he may be in style I’d be willing to pick him up from the 3rd round onwards. I think at best he could be a 2-3 goal/game small forward in the style of Brad Johnson, while at worst hell be exposed at AFL for his lack of athleticism, but won’t be through lack of effort.

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