Thanks for the memories Max Rooke

[ATSAM]

My heart is truly broken now. Many , many memories of his effort and passion but the best is in the last 1/4 of the 2009 GF when he tracked the ball with three kicks along the ground and kicked the winning point- put us 7 points up- AND that last glorious moment when he ran forward and marked ,looked at the ball and the empty goal square and dribbled it through. Magnificent.
Thanks Max.

 

[sgbn77]

Hate to join what appears to be a Hawthorn love fest here...but always enjoyed watching Max Rooke play. Genuinely hard at it, and one of the guys who made people around him nervous. Very much a gladiator.

Solid skills, but put his head over it, and was one of those blokes with a strong core...I reckon, like Campbell Brown, there was many an occasion where an opponent thought "yeh, i'll bump him, doesn't look that big", only to come off second best.

Plus he could grow a proper beard.

So honest question...I didn't know ANYTHING of Jarrod Rooke. Anything at all. (ie. I dont know his early career). Did "Max" become a player overnight? Was he always on the fringes? Or was he week in week out doing the hard stuff, and I'm just a moron?
Yes I know he changed his name, its not about that, moreso if Geelong fans could tell me of his evolution as a player. 'Cos he was absolutely vital during your period of dominance, this year excluded obviously.

 

[Adrian Shelton]

What impressed me most about Max was in his best 22 on the AFL site it had about 1/2 dozen Casterton(his hometown) players in it(including Tony Lithgow!!)

 

[Thommo 42]

[youtube]9FAx5j30zVk[/youtube]

Jesus, I thought Johnson only started squibbing this year.

 

[jaker]

One of the great characters the game has seen with his vespa riding and the hair an mow, cant forget the attack on the pill. You will be missed rookie.

 

[STC]

Football needs more players & characters like Max. Sadly, I highly doubt we will get them as the game gears towards athletes. Max was a true country footballer - nothing but courage and determination. His 2009 Grand Final, given the stakes, was the hardest, toughest performance I've ever seen in a game of football. Footy will be worse off without him

 

[Sin City]

Congrats on a top career Max, always loved the way you went about it

 

[Peter_Davies]

Always been a quiet fan of Rooke. Wish him all the best for the future, always sad to hear of injuries stopping a career short.

 

[jim boy]

A player who did things his own way from the day he sent out video tapes of his play for Casterton to recruiters to his moped riding, Italian lessons, modelling and general left-fieldness. Nowhere near the most talented player going around, but a hard nut who could be relied upon to give his all and inspire the rest of the team. Was a real favourite down at Geelong just for being Max. You'll be missed.

 

[PTizzle]

Not the biggest Cats fan but I was genuinely sad when I read about this. Rooke was hard as nails and really reminded me of an 'old school' footy player in the way he went about it. Was always hoping he'd come back for another season after this year.

 

[liam_13]

First video should have been a free kick against rooke, didnt have eyes on the ball.
.

dont mean to derail this thread, but honestly, did not him high, it was just a freaking bump. perfectly delivered.

anyway bagging him, get over it. if anyone says he wasnt that tough they are clearly deluded. doubt anyone here would go near the ball if rooke was about to tackle them.

bad luck on the injuries, well done on the career, and good luck for the future

 

[Cursed Cat]

Hate to join what appears to be a Hawthorn love fest here...but always enjoyed watching Max Rooke play. Genuinely hard at it, and one of the guys who made people around him nervous. Very much a gladiator.

Solid skills, but put his head over it, and was one of those blokes with a strong core...I reckon, like Campbell Brown, there was many an occasion where an opponent thought "yeh, i'll bump him, doesn't look that big", only to come off second best.

Plus he could grow a proper beard.

So honest question...I didn't know ANYTHING of Jarrod Rooke. Anything at all. (ie. I dont know his early career). Did "Max" become a player overnight? Was he always on the fringes? Or was he week in week out doing the hard stuff, and I'm just a moron?
Yes I know he changed his name, its not about that, moreso if Geelong fans could tell me of his evolution as a player. 'Cos he was absolutely vital during your period of dominance, this year excluded obviously.

this is a good question.
Jarrad (with an 'a' I believe) was played mainly as a defender for his first couple of seasons.
He was reasonable, got cut up once too often though and was eventually moved into a tagging/midfield role, where he performed pretty well - he was one of our few shining lights in 06, got more than his fair share of the ball that year whilst also regularly minding the oppo's better mids.

His 2009 GF has rightfully been talked up, but he was nearly as good in the 07 GF, laid a couple of bone-crunching tackles.

Good career - a bit of an anomaly in that as his average disposal rate dropped, his reputation grew.
pretty sure he only got somewhere around 9-12 touches in the 09 GF ...

 

[kranky al]

loved watching him play - always thought whenever he was near the ball they should have had the vb ad playing - always was in my head at least.

a hard earned ball is from a big cold tackle - and the best cold tackle is max. max rooke dut dut dut DUT


best of luck

 

[Jentleman Geff]

I hope he gets to eat all the mince and noodles he's ever dreamed of.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Loved him, sad he retired the way he did.

 

[Magpie Since 1986]

Do you knobs have to make everything about collingwood??
Respect to Max. Only one of them played football seven days later...

Mentioning the Maxwell tackle is a compliment to Rooke, imo.

The reason Collingwood fans think it was such an awesome tackle is partly because Maxwell took down a charging Rooke head on. If the tackle was against Bryce Gibbs or some other soft player it wouldn't be nearly as impressive.

I loved watching Rooke play, one of my favourite ever opposition players.

Rooke could take a hit just as well as he could dish one out!
[youtube]CS3D16ZurCM[/youtube]

Will be missed, best of luck in retirement!

 

[cynical]

just one of those guys who doesnt get that much of the ball but when he gets near it makes a big impact

sad to see him be forced into retirement

was a great character and went at the contest as hard as anyone

 

[lewigie]

Lynch-esque. Not the greatest player, but played his role well.

 

[Big Fozza]

loved watching him play - always thought whenever he was near the ball they should have had the vb ad playing - always was in my head at least.

a hard earned ball is from a big cold tackle - and the beat cold tackle is max. max rooke dut dut dut DUT


best of luck

hhahahaha- ****in love it!

gonna miss ya maxxxy

 

[magic_johnson!]

Classic Max. Pouring down rain, why not ride?

Love wojo in the background

 

[Magpie Since 1986]

Helmets are for pussys

 

[Magma]

Easily my favourite non-Crows player. Loved the beard.

ROOKE.

 

[Gazza_11]

First and last goal of the 2009 grand final. That Montaga tackle (L).

 

[krisholio14]

Fair thee well Maxy

 

[Normy132]

loved watching him play - always thought whenever he was near the ball they should have had the vb ad playing - always was in my head at least.

a hard earned ball is from a big cold tackle - and the beat cold tackle is max. max rooke dut dut dut DUT


best of luck

That's brilliant. Gonna steal that and use it with a Pies player if I can find one that even compares to Rooke's hardness.

Does anyone know what he's going to do with himself now? Has he got a degree in business administration or something he can slip into?