Senior Players List

Season by Season

• The reigning Best and Fairest winner joined his fellow leadership group members on a pre-season trip to Arizona for altitude training, and the results were evident from Round 1.

• Rockliff started the season with a best-on-ground performance against Melbourne in the Lions’ season opener at the MCG in the unusual position of full-forward, where he was too clever for opponent Jack Grimes, kicking three goals and collecting 23 disposals.

• He continued to show outstanding leadership throughout the season and further cemented himself as an elite midfielder of the AFL competition.

• Arguably Rockliff’s most dominant performance was in the Lions’ Round 13 clash against the Western Bulldogs on the eve of the Inaugural Hall of Fame event. Rockliff collected a club-high 40 disposals and kicked two goals in the Lions’ 58-point victory.

• Rockliff’s trip to Arizona proved worthwhile, with the hard-nosed midfielder playing all 22 matches in the 2012 season – one of just five Lions to do so.

• While he handed his Best and Fairest ‘crown’ to defender Joel Patfull at the end of the season, Rockliff finished within the top six of the Merrett-Murray Medal count, before going on to be the equal-best represented Lion at the Brownlow Medal (alongside Daniel Rich) with 8 votes.

• Fresh from a breakthrough season, Rockliff took his game to a new level in 2011 and capped off a stunning third year with the Lions by becoming the youngest player ever to receive the Merrett-Murray Medal as the Club Champion.

• After being elevated into the Lions' Leadership Group at the beginning of the season, he played 20 of a possible 22 matches in 2011 and averaged a Club-high and career-best 27.7 disposals per game.

• Such was his consistency, Rockliff collected no fewer than 23 disposals in any game - with the exception of the Round 9 clash against North Melbourne when he was substituted off the ground before half time with a strained calf. The injury also forced him to miss the next two matches.

• As well as being a consistent accumulator, Rockliff also worked hard defensively and ranked among the top handful of Lions players in total tackles. In fact, he laid a remarkable 27 tackles over the final two matches of 2011. 

• He finished the season in outstanding form, with 30-disposal efforts in seven of his final nine matches - including twice collecting a career-best figure of 34 possessions in back-to-back matches against Adelaide and the Gold Coast SUNS.  

• His stunning finish to the season proved enough to edge him ahead of team-mates Simon Black and Jack Redden to win the 2011 Merrett-Murray Medal as the Club's Best & Fairest player.

• Rockliff and Black also shared the honour of being the top-polling Lions players at the Brownlow Medal count. Rockliff's polled nine votes (the first of his career) including a three-vote performance against Port Adelaide at the Gabba.

• Despite managing just one senior game in 2009, Rockliff emerged this year as a future star for the Lions.

• After a gruelling pre-season, Rockliff found himself a consistent member of the Lions’ senior side and undoubtedly one of the team’s most improved players.

• He played in 19 matches and averaged 22.8 disposals per game, which put him fourth at the Club.

• Arguably Rockliff’s best game of the season was in round 17 against Geelong at Skilled Stadium where he racked up a career-best 32 disposals.

• Rockliff’s efforts and form were rewarded when he finished third in the NAB Rising Star awards where he polled 24 votes.

• Rockliff was awarded the Rookie of the Year at the Club Champion Awards, and finished 12th overall.

 

• Rockliff suffered a minor setback early in his first pre-season when he developed shin splints. However, he worked hard to regain a strong fitness base and soon became an integral part of the Lions Reserves side.

• He split his on-field duties largely between the midfield and forward line where his uncanny nous around goals and ball-winning ability were features of his game.

• Regular 30-plus disposal efforts coupled with a number of multiple goal-scoring performances saw Rockliff eventually selected to make his senior AFL debut against Collingwood at the MCG in what was also Simon Black's 250th match.

• The Lions' sixth debutant for the season also locked horns for the first time with former Murray Bushrangers premiership team-mate Steele Sidebottom who was drafted to the Magpies.

• Unfortunately Collingwood accounted for the Lions by 40 points on that occasion and Rockliff received only limited game time. He returned to the Lions Reserves the following week.  

• His standout performances with the Lions Reserves were recognised at the end of the season when he was the only Lions player selected in the AFLQ Velocity Sports Cup Team of the Year.