Trent Croad

Trent Eric Croad (born 9 March 1980) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Hawthorn Football Club and Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Trent Croad
Croad with Hawthorn in 2007
Personal information
Full name Trent Eric Croad
Date of birth (1980-03-09) 9 March 1980
Place of birth New Zealand
Original team(s) Dandenong Stingrays (TAC Cup)
Draft #3, 1997 National Draft, Hawthorn
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 92 kg (203 lb)
Position(s) Defender, forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1998–2001 Hawthorn 084 0(80)
2002–2003 Fremantle 038 0(60)
2004–2009 Hawthorn 100 0(49)
Total 222 (189)
Representative team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
1999–2008 Victoria 2 (0)
International team honours
1999–2005 Australia 6
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2008.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

During his 222-game AFL career, he achieved some of the Australian Football League's highest honours including an AFL premiership medallion, All-Australian selection, and representing Australia and Victoria on multiple occasions.

Early life

Born in New Zealand, Croad migrated with his family to Australia and grew up in Narre Warren in Victoria. He began playing at a young age with Endeavour Hills and the Narre Warren Junior Football Club 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 vertical jump at 83 cm, which remains a decade later.[1]

AFL career

Hawthorn

Hawthorn picked up Croad with the third overall selection 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

Croad was traded from Hawthorn to Fremantle at the end of 2001. The picks given up by Fremantle were used by Hawthorn to select former Hawthorn stars Luke Hodge and Sam Mitchell, whilst Luke McPharlin joined Croad in moving west. While Croad was reasonable but not spectacular at the Dockers, in 2002, he was Fremantle's leading goalkicker with 42 goals. The following season Croad lost confidence and kicked 18 goals. He cited homesickness and asked to be traded back to Victoria at the end of 2003.

Return to Hawthorn

He was traded back to Hawthorn, this time only in return for pick 10, which was used by Fremantle to select Ryley Dunn. Croad was told that he would be the centre half back, with a regular position his form improved once he went back to the Hawks, winning All-Australian selection in 2005.

Croad relished the responsibility of being the senior man down back being strong, athletic type who took the oppositions best forward each week. During the second quarter of the 2008 Grand Final, Croad broke his left foot, and leaving the ground with the aid of trainers he still managed to lay a bump on Geelong's Joel Selwood before playing 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.

Croad missed the entire 2009 season due to his 2008 Grand Final injury, and on the 6th of January 2010 he announced his retirement after his surgeon warned him that he might permanently lose all function in his left foot if he broke it again.[2]

Personal life

In October 2006, Croad married Tanya Stewart, and had two daughters, Kiera (born July 2007) and Sierra (born October 2009). Croad became engaged to Kym Valentine in March 2015.[3] In November, Valentine and Croad confirmed they were expecting their first child together.[4] Valentine gave birth to a son named Phoenix in March 2016.[5]

Croad currently operates a landscaping business[6] and in August 2018 was accused of ripping off clients.[7]

Controversy

As part of the investigation by the Australian Crime Commission into drugs and organised crime in Australian sport, he was named by Fairfax Media newspapers as being involved in a peptide supply deal that was linked to the Comanchero Motorcycle Club, an outlaw motorcycle gang.[8] Croad later announced that he would sue Fairfax Media for defamation over the story.[9]

Statistics
[10]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
1998 Hawthorn 24174478219937150.20.24.61.25.82.20.9
1999 Hawthorn 2421161020070270102220.80.59.53.312.94.91.0
2000 Hawthorn 242233242288831612791.51.110.44.014.45.80.4
2001 Hawthorn 2424272522191312115321.11.09.23.813.04.81.3
2002 Fremantle 242142341673820574182.01.68.01.89.83.50.9
2003 Fremantle 241718201284016843281.11.27.52.49.92.51.6
2004 Hawthorn 24217821179290111260.30.410.03.813.85.31.2
2005 Hawthorn 24211412214152366127210.70.610.27.217.46.01.0
2006 Hawthorn 2418181315084234106181.00.78.34.713.05.91.0
2007 Hawthorn 2420108136110246106130.50.46.85.512.35.30.7
2008 Hawthorn 2420001119020187140.00.05.64.510.14.40.7
2009 Hawthorn 240——————————————
Career 222 189 158 1844 863 2707 1035 216 0.9 0.7 8.3 3.9 12.2 4.7 1.0
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References
  1. "AFL Draft Combine Testing Results". Topendsports.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  2. Martin Blake (28 March 2016). Mighty Fighting Hawks. Penguin Books. p. 45. ISBN 9781760142629.
  3. "Neighbours actress engaged to former AFL star". NewsComAu. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  4. "Kym Valentine and Trent Croad's exciting baby news". Now To Love. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  5. "Former Neighbours star Kym Valentine welcomes a gorgeous baby boy". Mamamia. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  6. "08: Where are they now?". Hawthorn Football Club. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  7. Mills, Tammy; Pearson, Erin (23 August 2018). "Former Hawks star Trent Croad accused of ripping off clients". The Age. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  8. McKenzie, Nick; Baker, Richard; Wilson, Caroline (12 February 2013). "Ex-Hawk in deal to sell peptides". The Age. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.
  9. Schmook, Nathan; Lowther, Andrew (12 February 2013). "Croad to sue Fairfax for defamation". Afl.com.au.
  10. "AFL Tables - Trent Croad - Stats - Statistics". afltables.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
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