ALL-AUSTRALIAN ruckman Benji van Rooyen made the step up to WAFL League level over the weekend, joining elder brother Sam in Claremont’s top flight side. The competitive tall has made great strides this year, taking out All-Australian honours for WA before earning a senior berth back in club colours.

van Rooyen took the field on the opposite side to state captain Leo Steed, who has made 10 League appearances for Swan Districts. It was the Tigers who came out victorious though, fighting back from a half time deficit to slam home the last five goals of the game in a 22-point road win.

We put van Rooyen’s performance under the Player Focus microscope.

>> Preseason Q&A: Benji van Rooyen (Claremont)

Claremont, Western AustraliaRuck

Benji van Rooyen

Height: 203cm

Weight: -

DOB: 17-09-2008

STRENGTHS:

+ Clean hands
+ Competitiveness
+ Follow-up work
+ Reach
+ Ruck craft

IMPROVEMENTS:

– Contested marking
– Endurance
– Kicking

STATS:

2026 Under 18 National Championships (4 games):
14.0 disposals, 4.0 marks, 2.8 tackles, 20.5 hitouts, 0.3 goals

2026 WAFL Reserves (2 games):
17.0 disposals, 2.5 marks, 0.5 tackles, 14.5 hitouts, 2.5 goals

2026 WAFL Colts (2 games):
23.5 disposals, 5.5 marks, 4.0 tackles, 21.5 hitouts, 0.5 goals

PLAYER FOCUS

2026 WAFL League: Round 18
Swan Districts 3.11 (29) def. by Claremont 7.9 (51)

#44 Benji van Rooyen (Claremont)
Stats: 9 disposals, 2 marks, 4 tackles, 12 hitouts, 1 inside 50

FIRST HALF:

Setting the scene for what was a four-quarter slog, scoring was hard to come by in the first half. van Rooyen’s role was to provide fold for Oliver Eastland in the ruck, allowing the youngster’s competitiveness to shine through. He also rotated deep forward.

van Rooyen set up well around the ground to provide a contest in marking packs, positioning down the line and drifting behind the ball to support Claremont’s defence. Similarly, he used his mobility and reach to get first hand to the ball in the ruck, fighting well for front position.

The youngster’s follow-up work was also on display, as he was prepared to get stuck in at ground level with second and third efforts. That same competitiveness translated to a gutsy intercept mark where van Rooyen set himself under the high ball and copped the oncoming hit.

SECOND HALF:

van Rooyen’s ability to provide a contest continued to form the base for his game after half time. In every kind of aerial duel, he brought the ball to ground before scrapping hard for it on the follow-up. His hands were clean but he was prepared to get them dirty at the bottom of packs.

He ended up attending about half of the centre ball-ups, at least breaking even in ruck contests and doubling up on his efforts. Whether laying lock-up tackles or smothers, van Rooyen continually found ways to prove he was up for the fight.

Given the stifling conditions, it wasn’t exactly a day for precise skills. Ball use remains an area of improvement for the big man, although he played the conditions well to wheel around and gain territory when kicking. His handling and handballs were typically neat.

CLOSING THOUGHTS…

There are plenty of developable traits at van Rooyen’s disposal. The towering 203cm ruckman has been working on his bodywork with his two elder brothers, while Eastland is a seasoned state leaguer to learn a few tricks from.

He is already quite adept in terms of ruck craft and has unique follow-up ability for a player his size, but will continue to make strides if he can become a more dominant contested marker around the ground. Lifting his output outside of stoppages will make van Rooyen a more well-rounded ruckman. His scoreboard impact in two Reserves games was a positive shift in that direction.

Continuing to build a strong running tank and refining his foot skills will further round out that skillset. Rucks outside of the top-end of the draft tend to slide a little, but van Rooyen could push for top 30 honours with a strong run at senior level.