Past Tom Rockliff (2008-2017)

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Rockliff's form has been criticised a bit when he was playing more as a forward, but I don't think it was that bad. The thing he'd probably be most disappointed with is his conversion. He kicked 18 goals and 17 behinds, including 3.5 against Melbourne in round 1, 3.4 against GWS in round 8, 1.3 against Adelaide in round 21 and 0.2 against Port Adelaide in round 22. He kicked a lot of goals for the Murray Bushrangers so I would have expected better than that. It may just be that he was a little rusty.
 

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Grimreepah said:
Rockliff's form has been criticised a bit when he was playing more as a forward, but I don't think it was that bad. The thing he'd probably be most disappointed with is his conversion. He kicked 18 goals and 17 behinds, including 3.5 against Melbourne in round 1, 3.4 against GWS in round 8, 1.3 against Adelaide in round 21 and 0.2 against Port Adelaide in round 22. He kicked a lot of goals for the Murray Bushrangers so I would have expected better than that. It may just be that he was a little rusty.
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It has been suggested elsewhere that he was probably carrying an injury. It is worth noting that there are many injuries such as OP which also affect the accuracy of a player's kicking.
 
Lion Hearts
07 Sep, 2012
Michael Whiting

10. Tom Rockliff is one of the smartest forwards at the club
Rockliff has forged his early reputation in the AFL as a workaholic midfielder, but has now showed he is a skilful and clever forward. He was a prolific goalkicking junior and displayed that nous on numerous occasions this season. Rockliff kicked multiple goals in six matches, including a late match-winner against Gold Coast in round 17 after taking a contested mark in the goalsquare, and the match-sealer against Adelaide in round 21. He is smart, plays above his height and is a difficult match-up for any defender.
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My sense was late in the season he wasn't getting his turn in the midfield rotation, and spent the bulk of the game deep forward or stuck on the periphery. I definitely agree his best work/spot is as a midfielder (at his best, his clearance work is excellent) who goes forward with good affect. Really, like a Junior Burger Dane Swan. Hope he fires back up in 2013 fully fit.
 
Faz 2000 said:
My sense was late in the season he wasn't getting his turn in the midfield rotation, and spent the bulk of the game deep forward or stuck on the periphery. I definitely agree his best work/spot is as a midfielder (at his best, his clearance work is excellent) who goes forward with good affect. Really, like a Junior Burger Dane Swan. Hope he fires back up in 2013 fully fit.
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Lets hope he doesn't eat as many of those as Swan does. ;)
 
In the video of Rich's brilliant pass to Brown from the last game, it was refreshing to see Rocky in the midfield again. What he does in that play is something he's done so many times before. He'll be back there next year, I've got no doubt.
 
Tom Rockliff 2012 End of Season Review
by Grimreepah

2011 review

Senior games: 22
Dreamteam: 2057
Supercoach: 2140
Goals: 18
Club Best and Fairest votes:26.5 (6th)

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Image courtesy of Mr Ripper

Forward Frustrations

After winning a Merrett-Murray medal last year, Rockliff would probably rate 2012 as below what he would have hoped. The main discussion point was his move into the forward line, which started in round one against Melbourne. He had tongues wagging straight away when he took a number of brilliant contested marks in the forward 50, making Jack Grimes look second rate in the process. His conversion was poor though, kicking three goals and five behinds. With Brown returning from injury in round three, Rockliff moved back in the midfield, and continued on where he left off in 2011. From rounds three to 15 he averaged 28.5 disposals a game, including a career high 40 possessions against the Bulldogs in round 13. He was well ahead of anyone else in the coaches’ voting and it looked like a 2nd Merrett-Murray medal might be coming his way.

But in the last third of the season he played predominantly in the forward line while only pinch hitting in the midfield. He averaged just under 20 disposals a game during this time, and like he did in round one he was inaccurate in front of goal. He finished the year kicking 18 goals and 17 behinds, which is well down on what you would expect for someone who excelled as a forward at junior level. For the first time in his career people were starting to question his form. The three Rs are well established as the nucleus of our emerging midfield, and many would have rated Rocky as the best of the three at the start of the season, and the worst of the three by the end.

So why was he played forward? There are a number of possible reasons:
* He was carrying an undisclosed injury;
* The club was trying to inject more pace into the midfield, or perhaps were trying to avoid having too many slow midfielders;
* The club was trying to inject contested marking power in the forward line. With the loss of Mitch Clark, the Lions have experimented with marking targets in the forward line all year, and this still presents as a significant problem area (hence the interest in Kurt Tippett);
* Voss is big on players being able to play in multiple positions, and perhaps it was a decision based on experimenting and educating;
* With Green finding his way and Banfield injured or out of form, perhaps he was a sacrificial lamb to help out as a defensive forward;
In all likelihood it was a combination of some or all of the above, and the reasoning will become clearer when we see where Voss plays him next year. Moving Rocky forward wouldn’t be deemed a success, but it should be noted that eyebrows would have been less prominently raised if he had kicked as accurately as one might expect someone of his ability to do so.

Questions have also been raised about Rockliff’s leadership. As supporters we base a large part of our opinion about this on on-field performance, and the link between Rockliff’s decline in form and the decline in support for him as a future captain were fairly evident. He has gone from fresh and exciting and having unlimited potential to being an experienced player who has weaknesses he needs to work on. A victim of his own success, he has been marked harshly this year. After all finishing 6th in the best and fairest would normally be commendable for someone who has played 62 games. Within the club though, it is unlikely that his leadership stocks have fallen to any great degree. In fact, they may even have gone up if he has sacrificed his own game for the benefit of the team. But at the same time his leadership is still a work in progress. On-field he has a bad habit of giving away completely unnecessary free kicks which are often very costly. Off-field he can be impetuous at times and is still learning to find the right balance between cocky competitor and humble ambassador. And he lacks the charisma of the current captain (which is perhaps an unfair comparison, but one he must contend with). Like most 22 year olds he is still maturing as a person.

Looking towards 2013, you would expect him to play predominantly in the midfield, but to be occasionally thrown forward to either create mis-matches or to provide a target if our forward line is dysfunctional. He is still our best accumulator of the footy, and is the only player in the team who can consistently notch up 30 possession games. This is the main strength of his game and it would be confusing if we persisted in not utilising this. But since we don’t know the exact reasons why he was moved forward this year, one can’t be too certain about what lies ahead.
 
Book Rockliff in with Hajnal Black's surgeon and we have wouldn't have to look any further for Browny's successor.
 
Chiseled Rockliff
10 Dec, 2012

Tom Rockliff is hoping an improved fitness base will help him play a more prominent role in the Lions’ midfield next season.

Rockliff continued to be one of the Lions’ most prolific ball-winners in 2012 - averaging 24.36 disposals per game - despite being used more regularly up forward.

But a productive pre-Christmas training program has seen the 2011 Merrett Murray Medallist - and many of his teammates - feeling better prepared than ever.

“At this stage, I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in during my 4-5 years at the Club, so hopefully I play more in the midfield and then drift (forward) to rest,” Rockliff said.

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From video on Lions website.

Rockliff on spending time up forward in 2012:

"It was just a different role for me at that time of the year and we had other blokes who had to play in those positions. I had to fulfill that role at the time. At this stage I'm probably in the best shape I've been in the 4 or 5 years I've been at the club, so hopefully I'll play in the midfield and drift down there to rest."

It seems playing forward wasn't his preferred option, and he's keen to get back into the midfield.
 

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New role for Rockliff
By Adam Baldwin
9:43am AEDT Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Brisbane Lions young gun Tom Rockliff was revealed as one of nine new club delegates at the AFL Players’ Association directors and delegate’s conference last month.

Rockliff now joins Brent Staker as the Club’s official representatives on the AFLPA’s body of delegates.

Rockliff said he jumped at the opportunity to be one of the Lions’ representatives following the retirement of former Club delegate Amon Buchanan.

Rockliff, 22, has already started to look towards life after football. He plans to combine his position as a delegate with tertiary study within the next 12 months. Rockliff says the opportunity to be a club delegate is a great opportunity for professional development.
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Seems like the sort of guy who loves a challenge and takes every opportunity that comes his way. He'll have a huge Browny/Blacky like following in a few years time I think.
 
Link

Rockliff, still just 22, is a vice-captain, one of the most respected players at the club, and the 2011 club champion, but after tailing off in the back half of last year, he took in some criticism.

"I got a pretty scathing review at the end of the year from people at the club and got hit between the eyes and took it on board and moved forward," Rockliff said.

"From Vossy the most. He came at me pretty hard. Woey (midfield coach Shane Woewodin) had a few comments as well.

"It was all fair and reasonable and we worked through it and I think I've been training the best I ever have.

"I'm definitely in the best shape I ever have been and running the best I ever have."
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Rocky seems determined to take the next step to become elite. He already has made a name for himself. In 2013 he will explode!!
 
Surprised to see he copped such a flogging, but happy. He is a VC, good to see we set the bar high. Seems to be very fitness and work rate based, perhaps wasn't working hard enough up forward. He will back it up with a season best year this year, he will make sure of it, he is that kind of guy.
 
Is this a subtle indication that his tapering form, which we all believed to be some hidden/secret injury, was in fact more attributable to his diet/fitness?
 
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