Player Watch Ben Crocker (Delisted 2019, Pies VFL 2024)

[parvey]

If I recall correctly he had good goal sense, was reasonably elusive, could take a decent grab for his height and was a good kick for goal.

I suspect there's way too much going on above the shoulders, which is understandable given his family situation, and he's lost any instinctiveness and dare to take the game on that he may have possessed as a junior (he also showed a bit in his rookie year).

Well, he has certainly lost each and every one of those traits now, he is a LIABILITY

 

[76woodenspooners]

What were his "tools" at getting drafted. He obviously stared before he got drafted as he was say in the top 60 kids in the country. What was he special at?

Oakleigh Chargers were TAC cup Premiers in 2015. Players for Oakleigh that season included Darcy Moore, Jordan DeGoey and Tom Philips.

On paper, it wouldn’t seem like the worst idea in the world for Collingwood to recruit the kid who had been Oakleigh captain. That kid was Ben Crocker.

All the more so given that Collingwood were clearly struggling for leadership at the time (Travis Cloke was in Collingwood’s 2015 leadership group) and all the more so for a club who’s leadership didn’t have to come from their best players (See Nick Maxwell)

 

[Mazza1234678]

Will gladly pack his bags for him

Hopeless will never make it

 

[TradeDraft]

Oakleigh Chargers were TAC cup Premiers in 2015. Players for Oakleigh that season included Darcy Moore, Jordan DeGoey and Tom Philips.

On paper, it wouldn’t seem like the worst idea in the world for Collingwood to recruit the kid who had been Oakleigh captain. That kid was Ben Crocker.

All the more so given that Collingwood were clearly struggling for leadership at the time (Travis Cloke was in Collingwood’s 2015 leadership group) and all the more so for a club who’s leadership didn’t have to come from their best players (See Nick Maxwell))

Win in 2014 and 2015. I think Crocker and Phillips played in Borth.

You also forget McLarty also played in the 2015 Flag

 

[CFC2010]

Will gladly pack his bags for him

Hopeless will never make it

That isn’t necessary mate......he is a good kid.

 

[Mazza1234678]

That isn’t necessary mate......he is a good kid.

Bloke is in the side to provide forward pressure

Cannot recall him chasing and tackling in the slightest yesterday

Send him to the 2s

 

[CFC2010]

Bloke is in the side to provide forward pressure

Cannot recall him chasing and tackling in the slightest yesterday

Send him to the 2s

That is totally different to what you said.

I was at the game and it did my head in watching Jetta run off him and set up goals.

His selection is on our match committee.....don’t be so hard on the player mate.

 

[PIEWITHSAUCE]

Someone will need to refresh my memory but there was a game (was it last round 2016 vs HAwthorn?) where he came in and was close enough to best on ground. My memory of the game is hazy aside from being pissed off when we got overrun and being impressed with Crocker's form.

Just hasn't done much since. But I don't doubt that he has the talent to be a strong depth player in the 20-25 range.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

Someone will need to refresh my memory but there was a game (was it last round 2016 vs HAwthorn?) where he came in and was close enough to best on ground. My memory of the game is hazy aside from being pissed off when we got overrun and being impressed with Crocker's form.

Just hasn't done much since. But I don't doubt that he has the talent to be a strong depth player in the 20-25 range.

Yeah I think he kicked 3 that night.
That was the game that made think of him in the Caff role.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

Will gladly pack his bags for him

Hopeless will never make it

Bloke is in the side to provide forward pressure

Cannot recall him chasing and tackling in the slightest yesterday

Send him to the 2s

I think he should be sent to the VFL for the rest of the year, and focus on the attributes needed for his role.

But - I think he has the potential to still play this role, and would give him another 12-24 months to develop and show what he can do.

 

[76woodenspooners]

There was a time when we were just as critical of Josh Thomas.

JT had that standout game against GWS and didn’t show much apart from that. Then JT had to take two years out of the game and people were saying the only reason we rookied him was for team morale. And then after he came back it was Keeffe who was promoted off the rookie list and folks were counting down the VFL games until JT would be delisted ... now here we are with Keeffe having been delisted and JT being best 22 (even with Elliott back).

Not saying BC will necessarily succeed in the same way. He may, he may not ... but even with his poor performances it doesn’t justify some of the venomous bile some folks are hurling at him.

 

[cleomenes]

It is just way too early to be putting a line through Crocker's career. To my eye he doesn't have the pace for the level, but he has played few games and it is only when he has racked up 50 and not shown much that I would say its delisting time. (Or if at the end of his contract he has not managed to get games.) Give him a break.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

My hope for him lies in the fact that he’s young and seems like a good bloke. In terms of his role, he should be behind WHE, Stephenson, Elliott and Fasolo. Even Goldsack and Kirby if they were fit.

 

[lenny20]

He's offering very little at the moment. If he's offering the same in 12 months time it's sayonara for him, but I think he'll be kept on til then at least. He's a good runner, and has a habit of making it to contests, only to lose most of them. If he can improve his contested play and become an elite endurance athlete (he's not miles off) then there's a role for him just working his backside off on a flank to provide an option. Like a smaller Tom Lynch (Adelaide).

He's not terrible at anything - it's just his lack of elite traits that's killing him.

 

[Mukesh]

He's offering very little at the moment. If he's offering the same in 12 months time it's sayonara for him, but I think he'll be kept on til then at least. He's a good runner, and has a habit of making it to contests, only to lose most of them. If he can improve his contested play and become an elite endurance athlete (he's not miles off) then there's a role for him just working his backside off on a flank to provide an option. Like a smaller Tom Lynch (Adelaide).

He's not terrible at anything - it's just his lack of elite traits that's killing him.

Seems to me he needs to build more strength in his core and legs to avoid being pushed around too much in marking contests. He often gets the first touch but is very susceptible to being bodied off the ball.. has a very high center of gravity...

 

[DuckToaster]

That isn’t necessary mate......he is a good kid.

That is totally different to what you said.

I was at the game and it did my head in watching Jetta run off him and set up goals.

His selection is on our match committee.....don’t be so hard on the player mate.

You're a wise man Cfc. Spot on, as always.

 

[Axl the great]

Young Ben is in a world of trouble if he can't either improve out of sight or find another role.
I don't think the club is doing him any favours in asking him to play a lead up role or high around the 50.
Seems to be a player better off parked in the 50 as a second or third option but Elliott coming back will take that spot and do it infinitely better. When fit Kirby has more upside on potential than Crocker appears to.

 

[CFC2010]

You're a wise man Cfc. Spot on, as always.

Gee shucks thanks DuckT.

 

[BringouttheGimp]

He's a kreas.. delist or trade him

 

[TradeDraft]

Crocker has to be let go.

He is Useless at VFL Level.

We have quite a few VFL Listed players be better then Crocker

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Crocker has to be let go.

He is Useless at VFL Level.

We have quite a few VFL Listed players be better then Crocker

Probably right. There are a few at his experience level that are also under the pump (Wills, Smith, Oxley, Fasolo). Not to mention Murray. Players have to make room every year for new blood. Hard to see Crocker making the cut. Its a tough business.

 

[zan5hin]

Was watching the VFL stream yesterday and Crocker jumped up and took what should be VFL mark of the year. I recently watched a video called 50 best VFL/AFL marks of all time and Crocker's mark would be in the top twenty of all time, if they had AFL quality cameras around when it happened. He leapt very high, took the ball cleanly with both hands and then slammed himself hard into the ground and was in agony, clutching his back. The umpire immediately signalled for the stretcher, it looked really bad, and the docs came running. After about a minute on the ground, he picked himself up, then went back and slotted through the much needed goal.

After seeing that, I reckon he should get another year for sure.

Edit: Found the Video and it's zoomed in:

 

[jonbe54]

Was watching the VFL stream yesterday and Crocker jumped up and took what should be VFL mark of the year. I recently watched a video called 50 best VFL/AFL marks of all time and Crocker's mark would be in the top twenty of all time, if they had AFL quality cameras around when it happened. He leapt very high, took the ball cleanly with both hands and then slammed himself hard into the ground and was in agony, clutching his back. The umpire immediately signalled for the stretcher, it looked really bad, and the docs came running. After about a minute on the ground, he picked himself up, then went back and slotted through the much needed goal.

After seeing that, I reckon he should get another year for sure.

Edit: Found the Video and it's zoomed in:

But where has that been all year? Has looked bog ordinary until then.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Taking mark of the year is hardly going to change the clubs decision on his future one way or the other.

 

[Gaben]

Was watching the VFL stream yesterday and Crocker jumped up and took what should be VFL mark of the year. I recently watched a video called 50 best VFL/AFL marks of all time and Crocker's mark would be in the top twenty of all time, if they had AFL quality cameras around when it happened. He leapt very high, took the ball cleanly with both hands and then slammed himself hard into the ground and was in agony, clutching his back. The umpire immediately signalled for the stretcher, it looked really bad, and the docs came running. After about a minute on the ground, he picked himself up, then went back and slotted through the much needed goal.

After seeing that, I reckon he should get another year for sure.

Edit: Found the Video and it's zoomed in:

He is already contracted for 2019