Trent Croad

Infobox afl player NEW
playername = Trent Croad
fullname = Trent Croad
image capt = Trent Croad in AFL Haw colours


birthdate = birth date and age|1980|3|9|df=y
birthplace = New Zealand
originalteam = Dandenong Stingrays (TAC Cup)
draftpick = 3^rd overall, 1997
AFL Haw
heightweight = 190cm / 99kg
position = Defender
dead = alive
deathdate =
deathplace =
currentclub = AFL Haw
guernsey = 24
years = 1998-2001
2002-2003
2004-
clubs = AFL Haw
AFL Fre
AFL Haw
games(goals) = 84 (80)
38 (25)
84 (84)
sooyears = 1999, 2008
sooteams = flagicon|Victoria Victoria
soogames(goals) = 2 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteams =
nationalgames(goals) =
coach = notcoach
coachingteams =
statsend = HOF Game, 2008
careerhighlights =

*AFL Premiership Player 2008
*AFL Rising Star nominee 1998
*State of Origin (Victoria) 1999
*International Rules Series 1999, 2000, 2005
*All-Australian 2005
*AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match (Victoria) 2008

Trent Eric Croad (born 9 March 1980 in New Zealand), is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. Croad is one of only ten VFL/AFL players to have been born in New Zealand.

Early life

Born in New Zealand, the grandson of Eric Bloggs, an All Blacks rugby union player between 1946-1949 including the tour of South Africa, Trent migrated with his family to Australia and grew up in Narre Warren in Victoria. He began playing Aussie Rules at a young age and attended De La Salle College Malvern.

He was scouted by recruiters and as an 18-year-old and nominated for the 1997 AFL Draft. Croad was invited to the AFL Draft camp where he set the draft camp record for a standing jump at 83cm, which remains a decade later.

AFL career

Draft to Hawthorn

Hawthorn picked up Croad at number 3 in the draft. He started out as a defender, playing at either centre half-back or fullback. But he showed his versatility as his career went on, being able to play in any number of key positions.

Fremantle years

Croad was traded from Hawthorn to the Fremantle Dockers at the end of 2001. The picks given up by Fremantle were used by Hawthorn to select current Hawthorn star Luke Hodge, Daniel Elstone, and star midfielder Sam Mitchell, whilst Luke McPharlin joined Croad in moving west. While Croad was reasonable but not spectacular at the Dockers, he cited homesickness and asked to be traded back to Victoria at the end of 2003. In 2002, he was Fremantle's leading goalkicker with 42 goals.

Return to Hawthorn

He was traded back to his old club Hawthorn, this time only in return for pick 10, which was used by Fremantle to select youngster Ryley Dunn. Croad's form improved once he went back to the Hawks, winning All-Australian selection in 2005.

During the second quarter of the 2008 Grand Final Croad broke his foot and played no further part in the game. Hawthorn went on to win the match and Croad earned his first Premiership medallion in over 200 games of AFL football.

Representative honours

In 1999, he represented Victoria in State of Origin.
In 2005, he was an All-Australian selection.
In 2008, he again represented Victoria, playing on Hawthorn teammate Lance Franklin in the AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match.

Off the field

Croad not only has a successful football career, but his good looks have been used to appear at several social functions, including the 2005 Flemington Spring Racing Carnival fashion launch, and appearances on Western Australian food and wine TV shows. He has also appeared in the Men For All Seasons calendar.

Trent wears a tattoo of the silver fern, the national emblem of New Zealand on the inside of his right arm.

On the 14 October 2006 Croad married Tanya Stewart. Together they run a male hair-care company called Gear and they have a daughter, Kiera (born July 2007)

He met with his heroes, the All Blacks in June, 2007. [ [http://www.hawthornfc.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/4742/Default.aspx?newsId=46024 All Blacks tackle Waverley Park] ]

References

External links

* [http://hawthornfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=players&spg=playerprofile&personid=13244 Hawthorn player profile]
*AflRleague|ref=T/Trent_Croad.html