Benji van Rooyen Draft Profile

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ClaremontRuck

#3

Benji van Rooyen

height: 203cm

weight:

D.O.B: 17-09-2008

Leagues: AFL U18 Championships, AFL U16 Championships

Snapshot
Analysis
Summary

SNAPSHOT: “A developing ruckman with promising aerial range and the ability to compete hard at ground level.”

The third brother in line, Benji van Rooyen is looking to become the second in his family to reach AFL level. Eldest sibling Jacob is making a name for himself at Melbourne, while Sam had the unique opportunity to play senior footy with Benji for Claremont this season. The youngest is the biggest of the lot at 203cm.

A childhood Fremantle fan, van Rooyen spent time training with the Dockers during preseason under the mentorship of Sean Darcy. The National Academy member went on to secure the All-Australian ruck spot and played a pair of WAFL League games before returning to the Colts grade for finals.

As a bottom-ager, van Rooyen cemented himself as Western Australia’s mainline ruck and played 14 games in Claremont’s premiership campaign. Although, his junior achievements have not come easily. Back and foot stress fractures saw the youngster miss over two seasons of footy before returning in his 16th year.

STRENGTHS:

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

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Endurance
- Strength

van Rooyen is a ruckman who is still developing his craft and physical profile, but offers points of difference built-in. At 203cm, he boasts exceptional aerial range and can put together high-production games at junior level on account of that size, blended with competitive follow-up work.

Not one to necessarily engage in a jostle, van Rooyen utilises his leap, mobility and reach to gain access to the ball. His footwork and positioning are positive elements of his craft, although he can continue to enhance his physical attributes to better compete at senior level. As most rucks are, he'll be a long-term project in that sense.

As any good tall needs to be, van Rooyen is a competitor. He hates losing and while sometimes outgunned, will provide a contest in the air. What's more, he isn't afraid to get his hands dirty at ground level, often seen desperately fighting for possession on all fours to recover his initial efforts in the air.

A feature which stands out in van Rooyen's secondary acts is his clean handling. He is quite nimble and hardly fumbles the loose ball, even when scooping it up off his laces. In marking contests, van Rooyen has the ability to stand in packs and pluck grabs at the top of his reach, extending past the point of a possible spoil.

While capable of high-production around stoppages, van Rooyen is continuing to develop his contested marking ability. He is capable, but needs to build the frame and running tank to be strong in as many contests as possible. It will allow him to become more of an outlet around the ground, both ahead of and behind the ball.

Having placed last in the National Combine's 2km time trial, albeit with a solid time for a ruck, endurance is clearly something van Rooyen will look to enhance. That, and the physical side of that game are areas which many talls of a similar archetype tend to lack in during the early days of their AFL careers. He will have time on his side.

DRAFT RANGE: 35-50

SUMMARY:

Given he missed so much footy in his younger years, van Rooyen has come on strongly and there remains plenty more room to develop. As a raw and lightly-built tall, he projects as a long-term prospect who will need a bit of time in the gym and second tier to hone his craft. But he has the competitive nature, aerial range and mobility to offer a return on investment for AFL clubs down the line. Perhaps the club which selects close mate Heath Mellody will look at van Rooyen later in the draft, as a package deal. He has met with nearly every club and his status as the All-Australian ruck is something which draws attention. Rightly so. Rucks outside of the top bracket usually get a run later in the piece, so he should be heavily considered.

AFL U18 Championships

Season	Team	K	HB	D	M	CP	UP	T	HO	CLR	I50	R50	GL	GM	K	H	D	M	HO	T	G	DC
2025	Western Australia	10	32	42	2	37	8	9	47	16	2	3	0	4	2.5	8.0	10.5	0.5	11.8	2.3	0.0	51
2026	Western Australia	24	32	56	16	39	22	11	82	17	7	6	1	4	6.0	8.0	14.0	4.0	20.5	2.8	0.3	86
Total	-	34	64	98	18	76	30	20	129	33	9	9	1	8	4.3	8.0	12.3	2.3	16.1	2.5	0.1	137