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 Auckland, New Zealand
Original team(s) Dandenong Stingrays (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 3, 1997 national draft
Debut Round 1, 1998, Hawthorn vs. Collingwood, at Melbourne Cricket Ground
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)
2004–2010 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

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).

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 Auckland, New Zealand,[1] to mother and father Bruce, and the grandson of All Black Eric Boggs 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 as a 17-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 remained for at least a decade.[2]

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 6 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.[3]

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.[4] In November, Valentine and Croad confirmed they were expecting their first child together.[5] Valentine gave birth to a son named Phoenix in March 2016.[6] Valentine and Croad split December 2017.[7]

Croad currently operates a landscaping business[8] and in August 2018 was accused of ripping off clients.[9]

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.[10] Croad later announced that he would sue Fairfax Media for defamation over the story.[11]

Statistics

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
1998Hawthorn24 174478219937150.20.24.61.25.82.20.90
1999Hawthorn24 21161020070270102220.80.59.53.312.94.91.06
2000Hawthorn24 2233242288831612791.51.110.44.014.45.80.47
2001Hawthorn24 24272522191312115321.11.09.23.813.04.81.31
2002Fremantle24 2142341673820574182.01.68.01.89.83.50.92
2003Fremantle24 1718201284016843281.11.27.52.49.92.51.60
2004Hawthorn24 217821179290111260.30.410.03.813.85.31.22
2005Hawthorn24 211412214152366127210.70.610.27.217.46.01.03
2006Hawthorn24 18181315084234106181.00.78.34.713.05.91.03
2007Hawthorn24 20108136110246106130.50.46.85.512.35.30.70
2008#Hawthorn24 20001119020187140.00.05.64.510.14.40.71
2009Hawthorn24 0——————————————0
Career[12] 2221891581844863270710352160.90.78.33.912.24.71.025

Honours and achievements

Team

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Rugby: AFL high-flyers ready to take off in Wellington".
  2. ↑ "AFL Draft Combine Testing Results". Topendsports.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  3. ↑ Martin Blake (28 March 2016). Mighty Fighting Hawks. Penguin Books. p. 45. ISBN 9781760142629.
  4. ↑ "Neighbours actress engaged to former AFL star". NewsComAu. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  5. ↑ "Kym Valentine and Trent Croad's exciting baby news". Now To Love. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  6. ↑ "Former Neighbours star Kym Valentine welcomes a gorgeous baby boy". Mamamia. 31 March 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  7. ↑ "Ex-AFL champ and TV starlet split". Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  8. ↑ "08: Where are they now?". Hawthorn Football Club. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  9. ↑ Mills, Tammy; Pearson, Erin (23 August 2018). "Former Hawks star Trent Croad accused of ripping off clients". The Age. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Schmook, Nathan; Lowther, Andrew (12 February 2013). "Croad to sue Fairfax for defamation". Afl.com.au.
  12. ↑ "AFL Tables - Trent Croad - Stats - Statistics". afltables.com. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
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