2013 SuperCoach Player Profile: Tom Rockliff

[Rowy]

Seriously considering him regardless of DPP he has the potential for 120 avg and will be a good POD in the mids.

[TeeJay]

Thats only if he plays there though

[Adamant]

Seriously considering him regardless of DPP he has the potential for 120 avg and will be a good POD in the mids.

Would be risky to pick him as a pure mid, but could pay huge dividends!

[Jroo]

Has been confirmed Rocky will get DPP in 2013!!!  ;D

“@Lumpy0305: @McRathDT Tom Rockliff will be a fwd/mid in 2013 #2013aflprospectus http://t.co/oJUEbD0y”

[shorty3264]

wow! confirmed m/f, he will be one of the most popular picks in 2013 for sure. He will play in the centre next year for the lions, and won't cop the tag with moloney joining them, which will hopefully help to make his scores less erractic, will have a huge season!

[Ringo]

Voss has previously said that he will manage Black this year and using the sub rule to extend his career.  I thus suspect Brisbane's tactics will be to play Rocky forward initially moving him to the midfield when Black is subbed.  Whether this will translate to higher scores or not remains to be seen.  He has proved in the past that when he played forward he could take a good mark and goal.
Playing out of the square from the beginning would no doubt present opportunities for him. On most occasions when he played forward last year he was playing as FF.

[Nige]

Yeah, DPP is confirmed. Great news, I'm going to have a serious think about putting him in my team now. Might slot him in the forwards.

[AFEV]

Bitter sweet for me, good to hear there's another good option but...there's another good option.

Forwards looking awfully crowded at the moment. Will probably try to find some space for Rocky though.

[quinny88]

wow! confirmed m/f, he will be one of the most popular picks in 2013 for sure. He will play in the centre next year for the lions, and won't cop the tag with moloney joining them, which will hopefully help to make his scores less erractic, will have a huge season!

Great news, he's locked in for me

[Adamant]

Absolutely, 100% locked in for me 8)

[Jay]

Absolute lock in my forward line

[SydneyRox]

Will be the first picked in my fwd line

[dmac07]

Lock in T. Rockliff

[theta]

Rocky's short-listed for me, but not a lock.  How come?

All the DPP rucks/Zorko/Dusty/etc represent other good options, but more importantly...

The 2012 move of Rocky into the forward line made no sense coaching-wise, and the chance of a repeat inside the 50 is a major concern.   

IMO the move needs to be understood to have confidence in the pick.  Here are a few guesses at reasons to justify such a move...

*  Rockliff's old leg injury was playing up in pre-season and he was managed.  This was kept under wraps.
*  Rockliff has OP or some other endurance-affecting injury and he was managed.  This was kept under wraps.
*  Coaching staff decided 2012 was a team-development year and more forward experience for Rocky was a focus.
*  Coaching staff decided 2012 was a team-development year and to give others more midfield time.  Or a combination of these 2.
*  It was due to a new team structure/game plan. 
(Although you'd think it would've become apparent it wasn't working before the bye, and a decision to change this would have occurred)

Conclusion:
If Rocky's 2012 forward-focus was linked to a past injury or endurance-reducing condition it casts a shadow over his selection for 2013. 

OR If the decision was team-development focussed, I cant see him staying forward to the same extent in 2013.

OR It was a bad game plan/bad coaching error
(Yes Voss has a lot to learn as coach, but surely a decision this bad wouldnt be ridden-out for a whole season - Unless that Voss ego/temper has the best of the new coaching staff and no-one had the balls to tell him)

There are numerous forward options that could outscore Rocky if he stays forward this year, so what seemed like a lock to begin with might actually be just another 'wait for NAB' pick. 


/sidenote - Rocky, Redden, Rich, Beams, Zorko = Top 3 midfield in 2015

[tbagrocks]

I have heard he might have been struggling with injury, also was a needs basis for the Lions, the best news for us, maybe not 2013 but going forward is

Sam Mayes, a perfect half forward type that puts the Rock back in his ball winning spot ;D Otherwise, Brisbane have a luctury of midfielders, smaller forwards they do not! Rocky played junior footy as a forward!