Anthony trained with the club last wednesday and joined in with the junior group consisting of mainly first year seniors and a host of under 19s, 17s and younger dwarfing many of the lads. He will continue to train with the club when commitments allow.
Details |
Number |
23 |
Height |
195cm |
Weight |
105kg |
DOB |
15-08-1977 |
Debut |
R8 '95 v Carl @ SCG; CFC R1 '97 v Frem @ MCG |
Games
| Goals |
|
|
|
|
Career |
242 |
Career |
415 |
At a Glance
- Junior Clubs: Reservoir-Lakeside
- Clubs: Sydney (1995-96: 22 games, 11 goals), Collingwood (240 games, 404 goals)
- Debut: R8 '95 v Carl @ SCG; CFC R1 '97 v Frem @ MCG
- Recruited from: Northern U18 (VIC)/Sydney
- AFL Awards:
- Club Awards: RT Rush Trophy (2nd Best and Fairest) 1999
Darren Millane Trophy (best clubman) 2002
Gordon Coventry Trophy (leading goal kicker) 2000, 2002 (equal), 2006, 2007
- Brownlow Votes: 32
2009 season
Plagued by injury towards the end of his wonderful career for the Magpies, Anthony Rocca called it quits after 242 games (Sydney 22, Collingwood 240) and 415 goals.
He managed four senior games in 2009 including his final match in the loss to St Kilda in the qualifying final. His finale, however, was fittingly a big final played in front of a huge MCG crowd, an occasion Rocca looked unlikely to be a part of for large parts of the 2008 and 2009 seasons due to debilitating ankle and achilles problems.
He finishes his playing career at Collingwood having played 220 games in the black and white stripes. Only 16 men in the history of Collingwood have played more games. He also sits eighth on the all-time Collingwood goal kicking list with 404.
Four times Rocca won the Gordon Coventry Trophy for being the Magpies' leading goal kicker (2000, '02, '06, '07), and he was the recipient of the RT Rush Trophy as runner-up in the Copeland Trophy voting in 1999. Rocca also won the Darren Millane Trophy as best clubman in 2002.
He played in 10 finals with Collingwood, including the 2002 Grand Final where he kicked four of the team's nine goals and was one of the Magpies' best in the narrow loss to Brisbane.
Career
After two seasons and 22 games with Sydney in 1995 and 1996, Rocca moved to Collingwood where he has since forged a fine 216-game career in the black and white, as one of the side's most important players and key forwards. Four times he has been Collingwood's leading goal kicker (2000, 2002, 2006 and 2007), and was second in the Copeland Trophy voting in 1999. Instrumental in the club's two grand final seasons of 2002 and 2003, including being one of the club's best with four goals in the narrow loss to Brisbane in the 2002 decider, he was crucially suspended for the re-match 12 months later after a preliminary final incident. He suffered a broken foot in 2008 after playing eight games and was forced to miss the rest of the season. The 2009 season again was marred by injury with Rocca missing most of the year with achilles and knee problems. His finale, however, was fittingly a big qualifying final played in front of a huge MCG crowd. He finishes his playing career at Collingwood having played 220 games in the black and white stripes. Only 16 men in the history of Collingwood have played more games. He also sits eighth on the all-time Collingwood goal kicking list with 404.
Draft history:
1994 AFL Draft priority selection (Sydney) No. 2 overall; 1996 AFL Draft traded by Sydney for Ben Wilson, Mark Orchard, No. 14 (Brett O'Farrell) and No. 33 (Will Sangster)
Last Modified on 06/08/2012 01:12