Gary Moorcroft
Encyclopedia
Gary Moorcroft is a former Australian rules football
player for the Essendon Bombers and Melbourne Demons in the AFL
.
Moorcroft caught the attention of talent scouts with his winning of the Morrish Medal
in 1994 whilst playing for the Northern Knights
.
Moorcroft was a short, stocky and explosive goalsneak
who participated in a premiership with Essendon in 2000 and a Grand Final
side against the Brisbane Lions
in 2001. He was delisted by Essendon in 2002 after playing 95 games and struggling to retain his spot in a talented side. Ironically it was the Demons, who Essendon beat in the 2000 final in which Moorcroft was an outstanding player, who picked him up in the draft.
Moorcroft played in 3 losing games with Demons, and after a lacklustre debut suffered a severe season ending knee
injury
. This effectively brought an end to his chances of working his way back into the side and he was almost immediately delisted. The then-27-year-old's 98 game, 9 year AFL career ended there.
Moorcroft is best known for winning the 2001 Mark of the Year
, with a spectacular high-flying mark in Round 14, 2001 against the Western Bulldogs
, taking the mark over Bulldogs' forward Brad Johnson
. The mark was particularly notable in that Moorcroft first jumped onto Johnson's back, then leapt higher into the air by leveraging himself off Johnson; this is very rare, as players will usually jump onto their opponent's back, then appear to hang at the same height while taking the mark (hence the colloquial term hanger for such a mark). For a similar reason, Johnson is often referred to as the springboard for this mark, when the term stepladder is used for the player underneath a hanger.
Moorcroft currently plays for Silvan in the Yarra Valley Mountain Div 1 Seniors. He topped the goalkicking tables of all leagues with a stunning 156 goals.
As of 2009 Moorcroft is playing for the Romsey Redbacks in the Riddell District Football League (RDFL)
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
player for the Essendon Bombers and Melbourne Demons in the AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Moorcroft caught the attention of talent scouts with his winning of the Morrish Medal
Morrish Medal
The Morrish Medal is an Australian rules football award.Formerly awarded to the Best and Fairest player in the VFL Under 19 competition , since 1992 the award has been given to the best player in the Victorian TAC Cup Under 18 competition.The Morrish Medal was named in honour of Tom Morrish, a...
in 1994 whilst playing for the Northern Knights
Northern Knights
The Northern Knights are an Australian rules football club playing in the TAC Cup, an under-18 competition in Victoria, Australia. They are based in Preston, representing the northern suburban area of Melbourne....
.
Moorcroft was a short, stocky and explosive goalsneak
Goalsneak
A goalsneak is an Australian rules football player whose job is to kick goals in a game. It usually describes a forward player, particularly a player in a forward pocket, who is small and nimble. A goalsneak may use his pace and cunning to snatch a goal after a running play where a larger player...
who participated in a premiership with Essendon in 2000 and a Grand Final
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an annual Australian rules football match, traditionally held on the final Saturday in September at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia to determine the Australian Football League premiership champions for that year...
side against the Brisbane Lions
Brisbane Lions
The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...
in 2001. He was delisted by Essendon in 2002 after playing 95 games and struggling to retain his spot in a talented side. Ironically it was the Demons, who Essendon beat in the 2000 final in which Moorcroft was an outstanding player, who picked him up in the draft.
Moorcroft played in 3 losing games with Demons, and after a lacklustre debut suffered a severe season ending knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
injury
Australian rules football injuries
Australian rules football is a sport known for its high level of physical body contact compared to other sports such as soccer and basketball. High impact collisions can occur from any direction, although deliberate collisions from front-on...
. This effectively brought an end to his chances of working his way back into the side and he was almost immediately delisted. The then-27-year-old's 98 game, 9 year AFL career ended there.
Moorcroft is best known for winning the 2001 Mark of the Year
Mark of the Year
The annual Mark of the Year competition is a sporting award that celebrates each season's best mark...
, with a spectacular high-flying mark in Round 14, 2001 against the Western Bulldogs
Western Bulldogs
The Western Bulldogs are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based at the Whitten Oval in West Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne...
, taking the mark over Bulldogs' forward Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (Australian rules footballer)
Brad Johnson is a former Australian rules footballer who was the captain of Australian Football League team Western Bulldogs...
. The mark was particularly notable in that Moorcroft first jumped onto Johnson's back, then leapt higher into the air by leveraging himself off Johnson; this is very rare, as players will usually jump onto their opponent's back, then appear to hang at the same height while taking the mark (hence the colloquial term hanger for such a mark). For a similar reason, Johnson is often referred to as the springboard for this mark, when the term stepladder is used for the player underneath a hanger.
Moorcroft currently plays for Silvan in the Yarra Valley Mountain Div 1 Seniors. He topped the goalkicking tables of all leagues with a stunning 156 goals.
As of 2009 Moorcroft is playing for the Romsey Redbacks in the Riddell District Football League (RDFL)