#23 - Anthony Rocca

[Snag Breac]

ROCCAdemption is at Hand….​

​

logo by Didaka

The boys are back in town, and there are a few men among them, most notably Anthony Rocca – last of the legends.

With his strong body and goal-scoring ability, Rocca is the central pillar of the Collingwood attack. He celebrated 10 years with the club and 200 matches in 2007 by kicking 54 goals to win the Gordon Coventry Trophy for the third time. He came equal 7th in the Copeland Trophy voting, and took the highest number of Contested Marks for 2007 – an impressive 65 marks.

During the 2007 finals campaign, Rocca kicked 9 goals. Remarkably, it emerged later that he played in the Preliminary Final against Geelong with an injured ankle. Following the retirements of Buckley, Clement and Licuria, Rocca will take his place as an elder statesman of the team, fulfilling a critical mentoring role to younger players.

Rocca cuts an awe-inspiring presence on the field. He is Collingwood’s unrivalled, epic hero. He's like the Colossus at Rhodes. To paraphrase poet Thomas Tickell:

So, now proud Rocca, across the raging goals,​

Stupendous form! the vast Colossus stood,​

While at one foot the thronging Sherrin rides...​

Betwixt his brazen thighs, in loose array,​

Ten thousand defenders on the goal-line play.​

You'd swear it was written for him.​

Rocca Gives Dale Thomas a Few Tips

For the Following Rocca Basics, I am indebted to the Collingwood website.

Jumper No: 23
Height: 195cm
Weight: 108kg
DOB: 15 August 1977
Recruited From: Reservoir-Lakeside/Northern U18/Sydney
Career Matches: 230
Career Goals: 395 (career matches/goals at the end of the 2007 season)


Season 2007 Achievements
Rocca played his 200th club game in Round 17.
Matches: 20
Goals:
Marks: 111
Disposals: 192
Kicks: 160

Record

Brownlow Medal
To Date votes 44

Previous AFL Club:
Sydney (1995-96: 22 games, 11 goals)

Draft history
1994 AFL Draft priority selection (Sydney) No. 2 overall; 1996 AFL Draft traded by Sydney to Collingwood for Ben Wilson and Mark Orchard, No. 14 (Brett O’Farrell) and No. 33 (Will Sangster).

Debut
Round 8, 1995 v Carlton @ SCG
Collingwood debut: Round 1, 1997 v Port Adelaide @ MCG

Awards & Honours

Collingwood - RT Rush Trophy (2nd Best and Fairest) 1999
Darren Millane Trophy (best clubman) 2002
Leading goal kicker 2000, 2002 (equal), 2007

TAC Cup
Team of the Year 1994
TAC Medal (Grand Final B.O.G.) 1994

RoccaReel

Big Footy’s gifted filmmaker, Favourites, has provided the following links to Rocca-packed video action.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=mCD8enXBhXw
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=huMDqWxF6mI

Collingwood Buddy Threads – No Pressure, Just 100% Support​

 

[Snag Breac]

Footy Flashbacks - from the Collingwood Archive


Rocca: team victory – July 2006
Anthony Rocca has celebrated his 200th AFL game in emphatic style, helping lift the Magpies to an important 37 point win against the highly rated West Coast Eagles.

The win ends a disappointing form slump which, before Saturday’s victory over last year’s grand finalists, had seen Collingwood register only one win from its last five encounters.

The key Magpie forward could only muster one goal for the day, with his strike partner, Chris Tarrant, chiming in with four. However, Rocca’s goal was as much a reward for his hard work around the ground, as it was to signify his contribution to the scoreline.

Reflecting on the win after the game, speaking exclusively with CollingoodTV, Rocca felt that his own recent form-slump was coming to and end, and was delighted with the team’s resolve and effort to wrestle the four points against the Eagles.

“It was a desperate team game and we needed the win, because we haven’t been playing well. We’ve lost the last three, and to turn it around like that was great.

“I didn’t get a lot of the ball but I tried to contest as best as I could today. I’m in a little slump – but I feel like I am getting out of it. As long as we are kicking goals. Taz (Chris Tarrant) was fantastic today – Josh (Fraser) was also outstanding.

“I’m the sort of person who loves (being part of) the team. I’d rather the team win than (worry about) me getting touches. I’d like to get more touches – but if we win and I don’t, then so be it.”

In Rocca’s milestone game, Collingwood captain, Nathan Buckley, was in damaging form. His work across every line, goal kicking (2 for the day), constant pressure and set-up play, was nothing short of brilliant. Buckley is a genuine superstar of the AFL, and while in football so much effort often goes unnoticed, Rocca could not help but make mention of his captain’s contribution to making his 200th senior game such a memorable occasion.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him. He’s sensational. He runs the plays sensationally, and he rallies around the boys.

 

[Snag Breac]

Footy Flashbacks 2

Here's an insightful article about the big man, by one of my favourite sports writers.
That Rocca fella is enriching his image

By Rohan Connolly
December 15 2002

"I pretty much forget it till people come up to me and talk about it," Anthony Rocca says of his controversial shot for goal in the grand final.
And how often is that? Rocca's laughter gives the game away: "A fair bit."
Nearly three months down the track, Rocca hasn't revised his opinion about the controversial shot against the Brisbane Lions in September.

He estimates it was inside the goalpost by "two feet". But the goal umpire, whose opinion was the one that counted, ruled it a point, denying Rocca his fifth goal, and in the minds of many, perhaps Collingwood their long-awaited 15th premiership.

Rocca doesn't, however, fancy his part in what is already looming as grand final folklore's greatest pub debate since the 1979 incident in which Carlton player Wayne Harmes was controversially ruled to have kept the ball in play, leading to the winning goal (also against the Magpies, a point not lost on coach Mick Malthouse).

"Mick actually mentioned that at the Copeland Trophy night," Rocca says. "He said: 'Let's not turn it into another Wayne Harmes'. I was still pretty disappointed about it not being called a goal. When he said that, it sort of really put things into place for me, like deciding 'let's get over it, and let's get on with it'."

Which is also the very statement Rocca might subconsciously have been making about his own career during those nail-biting few hours on grand final day.

Throughout his career Rocca has had no shortage of sceptics waiting for him to fall. It began when he first hit the headlines as a very reluctant Sydney draftee eight years ago, continued through the crescendo of cat-calling that accompanied his eventual move to join brother Saverio at Collingwood two seasons later, and has barely let up since.

Despite having gradually worn down the critics with several years of steady improvement, Rocca nonetheless needed a big game on football's biggest day to dispel the jibes and the knowing smirks once and for all. And he delivered.

That shot, had it been called the other way, would have given him his fifth goal in a lion-hearted display at centre half-forward and as a relief ruckman in conditions unsuited to big men. His third quarter, in particular, caused Brisbane all sorts of headaches.

It was a relentless "workhorse" performance completely at odds with the popular perception of Rocca as a "feast or famine" type likely to be brought undone when it mattered most. It is what the Magpies have come to expect.

"We'll be happy if he just continues to put in seasons like last season," Collingwood football manager Neil Balme says. "Seasons where he is just an honest contributor, who works hard, and we rely on him. That's what we need. How good he is or becomes in someone else's mind is of no great consequence to us."

Or to Rocca. "It stopped affecting me a couple of years after I went to Collingwood," he says. "The biggest thing that has helped me there has been Mick Malthouse. I remember him telling me: 'We don't care what other people think, we just care that you're busting a gut.' The first time he told me he was thinking about having me as one of the leadership group, he told me just to keep working my butt off. That was something that has really stood out to me, and I've pretty much taken the same stance since."

Balme, something of an authority on misunderstood footballers given his vastly differing on- and off-field personas, reckons he hasn't seen many better examples than Rocca, freely admitting that as an opposition coach he too used to have doubts about him.

"The disappointing thing for people close to him is that he's such a stout-hearted, well-meaning bloke, and he's perceived as something other than that, and in my view that's very unfair," Balme said.

"Last pre-season, when he had osteitis pubis [a groin injury], he wasn't able to do training as normal, but the effort he put in and the discipline he showed to do what he had to, and still have quite a powerful, imposing season, was really commendable."

Now Rocca's greatest critic is himself. "I thought the first half of my season was better," he reflects. "I put on a little bit of weight, which didn't help me, because I'm a big guy already." In mid-season? How?
"Just being an Italian fella," he chuckles. "It wasn't eating bad food, just a lot of it."

This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/12/14/1039656262758.html[/SIZE]

 

[Optimax]

That is some great stuff snag well done really good

 

[Snag Breac]

Thanks to Optimax's attendance at yesterday's training session, we can confirm that Anthony Rocca was fit and fighting throughout the session. Optimax reports that our star forward worked like a trojan, despite recent surgery, and taking a few rough tackles at the previous day's game against Keon Park Primary. For Optimax's full report, see the Training Report thread on the main Collingwood board.

ROCCAdemption has also spoken to fans who attended the Keon Park game. Hel of Mill Park comments; "I don't think the umpires were fair to Rocca, but the groin held up well. Good to see him go up against that tough mob from Keon Park. And he was gorgeous with the kids."

Dave of Bundoora says; "His form was good. He played low on the ground, didn't get the chance to take a really big mark; But he got tackled hard and gave as good as he got. Can't wait for the start of the season."

COLLINGWOOD BUDDY THREADS - REPORTING WITH PASSION.

 

[Snag Breac]

Leap of a Legend!

 

[Snag Breac]

Rocca at Family Day – Dec 2007​

The fans are champing at the bit. It’s 11:00am at the Lexus Centre and the first shift of players are finishing their Family Day stint.
“Where’s Anthony Rocca? Is he here yet?” asks one keen barracker.
“No, not yet,” says the security guy, “he’s a big boy. If he was here you’d notice him.”
But just then someone does. Rocca has just emerged from the inner sanctum and sets out to cross the lobby to the bar area; but the fans are onto him – kids to the right of him, teenagers to the left - all wanting an autograph or a photo with the legend. He stretches out his Popeye-sized arms and the first lucky fans huddle close to their hero. They pose triumphantly for nervous amateur photographers anxious to get a good shot, for this is their one big chance.

He is looking very well indeed; lean, muscled, toned and tanned. It strikes me that Rocca is a shy man. He does not seem to enjoy the off-field attention as the fans cluster round him. The Marty Clarkes and Nick Maxwells could sit there chatting all day, but for Rocca it’s a penance. Yet the gentle giant does his duty manfully, refuses no one, and is unfailingly gracious under pressure.

Rocca gradually gravitates towards the back table where he manages to join Presti and Josh. From then there’s a continuous flow of fans passing the table, like pilgrims at a high altar; for these are the senior players – these are the living legends, and people are prepared to line up all day if necessary.

When his stint is over, Rocca sees the chance to make a break. He gets up, races for the bar exit and escapes into the lobby. But we’re on to him again. He’s tagged all the way back through the lobby, including by this reporter, keen for a quote for ROCCAdemption.
“How’s training going Anthony?”
He turns to respond, but is suddenly flanked by two lads. Rocca places an arm round each of their shoulders, looks for the camera, smiles, turns towards me, still striding purposefully in the direction of the inner sanctum.
“Yeah, good. Excellent.”
“And what are your goals for 2008?” He looks at me, slightly perplexed. Another supplicant thrusts an autograph book under his notice. Rocca is signing, smiling and considering his 2008 goals all in the same second.
My heart goes out to him; “The best year ever?” I suggest.
He nods mildly; “Yes, hopefully.”
I back away, others advance to fill the momentary gap. But it’s too late - he makes a break for it, tagged all the way to those double doors, and to freedom.

 

[PieLebo87]

Very good start Snag, very impressive thread.

 

[Optimax]

Your right about rocca being shy snag, he loves the club and his family and would do anything for both but all the extra attention he gets does get him embarrased he isnt a natural born media player. But a fantastic man none the less is a pleasure to talk too every time i see him.

You doing really good with the thread too

 

[bradrowe#32]

Cops a lot of shit from the supporters but when he's firing we are very hard to stop. He has injuries concerns at the moment, but will again lead the forward line. Best case scenario is that Dawes, Reid and Rusling keep knocking on door forcing Rocca to kick ass next year.

 

[Snag Breac]

Cops a lot of shit from the supporters but when he's firing we are very hard to stop. He has injuries concerns at the moment, but will again lead the forward line. Best case scenario is that Dawes, Reid and Rusling keep knocking on door forcing Rocca to kick ass next year.

I promise you, bradrowe, ass will be kicked with a vengeance!


Collingwood Buddy Threads - No Pressure, Just Pure Support.

 

[MagpieGirl_13]

A quote from Strauchanie's book 'Bryan Strauchan: My Story' about Rocca.

"23. Anthony Rocca - Pebbles is a BFG. A Big Friendly Giant. I like him because he laughs at all of Strauchanie's jokes. I once made Pepsi Max come out his nose & he hadn't drunk it for three days"

 

[Snag Breac]

A quote from Strauchanie's book 'Bryan Strauchan: My Story' about Rocca.

"23. Anthony Rocca - Pebbles is a BFG. A Big Friendly Giant. I like him because he laughs at all of Strauchanie's jokes. I once made Pepsi Max come out his nose & he hadn't drunk it for three days"

Good to have the considered input of an expert such as Strauchnie, MagpieGirl. An interesting insight into the man, and a valuable addition to the thread.

 

[MagpieGirl_13]

Good to have the considered input of an expert such as Strauchnie, MagpieGirl. An interesting insight into the man, and a valuable addition to the thread.

Not sure how much of it is true, apparently he's also had fanta & strawberry milk come out his nose!!!

 

[Snag Breac]

Not sure how much of it is true, apparently he's also had fanta & strawberry milk come out his nose!!!

I wouldn't doubt it for an instant, MagpieGirl; the big man has the nostrils of a young god.

 

[Grace Darling 13]

Now imagine what would happen if Anthony read that Snag? He'd probably become very self concious and would get plastic surgery on his fine, sturdy nose. That wouldn't turn out well.
Anthony would make the best devil, if we pointed his beard and gelled his hair into horns....

 

[Snag Breac]

Anthony would make the best devil, if we pointed his beard and gelled his hair into horns....

Admittedly Anthony shares a certain dark elegance with the arch fiend - but more during his Lucifer than his Satan phase. Happily for us all, Anthony has more in common with St Anthony of Padua, finder of lost objects. Rocca is not only a man of the highest moral fibre, he's very, very good at finding the ball, especially in mid air.

 

[Snag Breac]

Pre-season training report: week 6

With thanks to the Collingwood CFC website

10:11 AM Mon 24 December, 2007
Luke Mason - Exclusive to collingwoodfc.com.au

The final week of Collingwood’s pre-season training for 2007 has concluded, with the playing group taking a deserved break for the Christmas festivities, before returning to the track early in the New Year.​

The week was notable for the return of Anthony Rocca to the action, the powerhouse centre half forward is now recovered from his post season groin surgery, and began to ease his way back into proceedings.​

Training began on Wednesday, with the session held back until 11am.​

After some slow warm up jogs, the players took part in a kicking drill, with the group moving the ball wide from the back flank, before going into the corridor, looking to send the Sherrin spiralling into the hands of a leading forward. Before long, they split into separate groups, the main focus being on extracting the ball cleanly from stoppages, before moving it quickly into attack.​

A highlight of this exercise was the efforts of draftee John McCarthy, the former Dandenong Stingray throwing himself at the football with gusto, and belied his slender frame by competing ably with his more senior team mates when the ball was in dispute. Another point of note from the drill was the foot skills of Irish rookie Kevin Dyas, which have improved greatly over the past month, in particular when under pressure.​

Meanwhile, forwards Leon Davis, Travis Cloke, Ben Reid and Rocca all took shots at goal, only after accepting the ball on a lead from assistant Blake Caracella. Shortly after, some weight and strength work was done, a feature for the handful of spectators being the tussle between Nick Maxwell and Chris Egan with the Swiss balls.​

The objective of the drill was for the pair to grab hold of the ball, and attempt to wrestle it off the other. No other partnership attempted the drill with the energy of the pair, who drew one all when it was time to move on.​

Two days later, under hot Melbourne skies, the players took part in a short but high intensity session, which saw a number of handball matches run by Gavin Brown and Alan Richardson, the four teams determined according to whether they originated from the city or the country.​

Following each match, the players were forced to run laps of 400m or 800m, the stars on each occasion the trio of Martin Clarke, Rhyce Shaw and Scott Pendlebury.​

Each player was regularly handicapped by the fitness staff; however no mountain was too high for these three, who continually comprised the first three finishers.​

Others to impress in this capacity included Danny Stanley, Sharrod Wellingham and Nathan Brown.The session finished with a shorter handball drill, players forced to apply token pressure on the ball carrier, the defensive player rotating quickly, for the position was filled by any player who fumbled the ball at any one moment.​

With time to rest and recuperate over the Christmas and New Year period, the club will now turn its eye to its trip to South Africa, for the AFL Community Camp in order to promote the Australian game abroad, before making the trip to Dubai to face Adelaide in the first round of the pre-season cup on February 9.​

 

[popathon]

Record

Brownlow Medal
2007 votes 44

How the hell did that Bartell character win?

 

[Snag Breac]

How the hell did that Bartell character win?

Wondered that myself. Presumably it's a life long count taken at end of 2007. Had a lot of trouble with some of those stats. They seemed to have their 2006/7s mixed up. Glad to see someone's keeping me right.

 

[popathon]

well i'm at work so i have nothing better to do hehe

 

[Snag Breac]

BF Posters Get Behind Rocca for 2008​

In his new thread entitled, Read OP then post before reading replies!!!! PieLebo87 asks Collingwood BF members to list the top players in a number of categories. Their responses show how critical a role they feel Rocca plays in the team, and will continue to play in 2008. I've listed excerpts from their posts below, edited for brevity.

bradrowe #32
The 3 most important players in the team and why?:
Rocca: pretty simple, if he doesn't fire, then we usually struggle. It will be interesting to see if this stays true if Dawes, Reid and Rusling play in the ones.

makethat2
The 3 toughest players in the team and why?:
Rocca, Sheer size

the mighty pies 3733
Most Important
Rocca- structurally provides a target, takes a good defender and brings others into the game

Lockyer24
The 3 toughest players in the team and why?:
Rocca - just the standard hip and shoulder gets him suspended

vinnie_vegas69
The 3 most important players in the team and why?:
Anthony Rocca - Still the only threat to kick 5-6 goals every game

Johnson#26
The 3 toughest players in the team and why?:
Burnsy
Jonno
Pebs
The 3 most important players in the team and why?:
Pebs/Burnsy
Wakes

Pie eyed
Anthony Rocca. When he is on his game he is a fantastic forward.
Love his huge torps from outside fifty. He can lift the side with a good performance and has many times over his career. Much maligned but also much needed player. Simply at the moment and for the last 5-6 seasons he has been our "Roc" in the forward half. As important as they get.

The 3 toughest players in the team and why?:
Anthony Rocca - gets the best 2 backmen week in, week out. He is the bloke who breaks up the packs and never shirks the tough decisions. Puts his body on the line every week, even when he is having a dog of a day he is in there under the packs, over the packs and through the packs. He is no sprinter and often gets left behind by the quicker backs but he is always there behind them puffing his guts out....for the Black and White.
The 3 most important players in the team and why?:
Anthony Rocca - Pebbles has to have a great year in 08. He has to remain our forward focus and stand tall. I expect him to fulfill all his promise in 08.

mydarlingclementine
3 most talented players in the team
Didak, Pendlebury, Rocca. The first two should be obvious, Rocca is a very talented player who simply never got his fitness to a point where he could be damaging every game.

Magnus the Magpie
The 3 most important players in the team and why?:
Rocca, Didak and Presti/Wakes. If the first two fire and one of the other holds the monster forward, we win.
The 3 most crucial players in '08 and why?:
As above

Popathon
The 3 most important players in the team and why?:
2: Rocca - Takes best defender and is good 50 odd goals a year, also helps building the experience of Cloke & Rus.
The Royal Sampler
The 3 toughest players in the team and why?:
Anthony Rocca: consistently draws 3 or more opponents and yet is almost never outmarked. Hugely underrated.

Loki04
The 3 toughest players?: Burns, Rocca both strike fear into opponents and have backed up their mouth with big hits

Visions
The 3 toughest players in the team and why?:
3. Rocca: Opposition supporters talk about him going missing and being too soft, I disagree, he always makes his presence felt in the forward line taking one of 2 opposition players out of the contest so the ball can fall to the crumbers.

Privatopia
The 3 toughest players in the team and why?:
Rocca, Swann, Neon (most tackles last season)

Kikidadidak
Toughest- Rocca- smashes anyone, man mountain and not afraid to use it
Most important- Rocca- obvious reasons, even though he does my head in
Most crucial in '08- Surely this shouldnt differ to much from the above...Although these players are important, i think we could still cover for them with others, such is our eveness (Rocca the hardest to cover, depending on how the younger guys develop this year)

swiftdog
The 3 most important players in the team and why?: Rocca: takes the number one back week in, week out.
The 3 most crucial players in '08 and why?: Rocca: as above

Kaness
The 3 toughest players in the team and why?
Rocca, big lad, watch out for rocca at 12, 3 or 9 o'clock.

The 3 most important players in the team and why?
Fraser, hopefully that changes soon, pretty self explanatory really! I can’t really choose any others... goes to show the evenness of the team, but once again Thomas, Pendles, Rocca, Heater, Didak, Leon

DKS17
The 3 most important players in the team and why?
Rocca- I’m not a huge Rocca fan but I do acknowledge his importance to the team. While he has the tendency to play a blinder one week then go missing the next the fact that he draws the oppositions best defender can't be underestimated. Even when he is playing badly he still crashes packs and creates scoring opportunities for the smaller forwards at his feet.

ROCCAdemption is indebted to all of the above posters for their discerning contribution.

 

[MagpieGirl_13]

Hehehehe... I found this picture of Rocca

 

[Big Bucks]

Hehehehe... I found this picture of Rocca

Resembles me in a lot of ways, well the shoulders do anyway.

 

[Snag Breac]

Thanks for that MagpieGirl - great addition. You know you've really made it when you've got your own caricature.

What about the nose Big Bucks? Recognise that?