HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Saverio Giovanni Rocca (born 20 November 1973) is a retired Australian professional sportsman. He played
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
for Collingwood and
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne local government area. North Melbourne recorded a population of 14,953 at the ...
in the
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...
, and then switched to playing
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
as a punter for the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
. Rocca was born in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
. Between 1992 and 2007, he played 257 AFL games as a
full forward Full-forward is a position in Australian rules football and Gaelic football with a key focus on kicking goals. The Coleman Medal is awarded to the player, often a full-forward, who has kicked the most goals in an Australian Football League seaso ...
or
centre half-forward In Australian rules football, the centre half-forward is a position on the half-forward line of a football field. The directly opposing player is a centre half-back. Royce Hart of the Richmond Football Club and Wayne Carey of the North Melbourne ...
, kicking 748 goals. He ranks fourteenth on the all-time goalscoring list. Rocca was his team's leading goalkicker on ten occasions (seven for Collingwood and three for North Melbourne), and in 1995 won the
Copeland Trophy The E.W. Copeland Trophy is an Australian rules football award given by the Collingwood Football Club to the player adjudged best and fairest for Collingwood during the year. The Copeland Shield, as it was formerly known, was donated by Ern Cope ...
as Collingwood's
best and fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...
player. Only two players ( Matthew Richardson and Kevin Bartlett) have scored more goals in their career without winning a
Coleman Medal The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve. Goal may also refer ...
(i.e., scoring the most goals in a particular season). Known for his ability to kick long distances, Rocca retired from Australian football at the age of 32 to pursue a career in the NFL. When he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007, he became the oldest rookie in the history of the NFL (breaking the record set by another Australian, Ben Graham). After four seasons with the Eagles, Rocca joined the Washington Redskins in 2011, where he played three seasons through 2014. He then returned to Australia after the end of his NFL career, and currently works as a kicking coach for the
Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's top professional competition. Founded in 1864 in Carlton, an inner suburb of Mel ...
.


Early life

Rocca was born in Melbourne to Italian parents. At age 12, Rocca recorded the longest kick by anyone of his age at the Reservoir football oval. He began his sporting life in
athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
, coached by George Bertolacci, and was a junior champion in
shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...
and also the discus. Rocca decided to focus on Australian rules and after several seasons playing for Reservoir-Lakeside Football Club in the
Diamond Valley Football League The Northern Football Netball League (formerly known as the Diamond Valley Football League and later Northern Football League) is an Australian sports league based in the Diamond Valley region of suburban Melbourne, Victoria. The league regul ...
, his goalkicking talent became obvious. His brother is
Anthony Rocca Anthony Rocca (born 15 August 1977) is a former Australian rules footballer who has played with the Sydney Swans and Collingwood in the Australian Football League. Rocca is currently serving as North Melbourne's development coach. Sydney ...
, who also played professional football. For a brief time in their careers, they both played for Collingwood, combining at centre half and full-forward. Every summer in Preston, Victoria from ages 3 to 15. Sav and his brothers would make the city-famous 'Big Sav' with their father. This was a 10 kg roll of salami that was cured every year and had been passed down as a tradition since the 1600s.


AFL career


Collingwood

Rocca joined Collingwood in 1991, the last year that allowed zoned players to avoid the draft process. He was a strong full-forward with a huge kick, showing true signs as a key player to the Magpies in his debut season of 1992. In 1993, he quickly got the attention from the crowds, kicking 73 goals including two hauls of ten goals in a matter of three weeks. In 1994, he kicked 49 goals. A huge kick, he could kick the ball dead straight over 60 metres. In 1995, he had his best season, almost getting 100 goals, falling short with 93 in 21 games. He played what he later considered the best game of his career in the inaugural
Anzac Day clash The Anzac Day match is an annual Australian rules football match between Collingwood and Essendon, two clubs in the Australian Football League, held on Anzac Day (25 April) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). History of Australian rules f ...
between Collingwood and , kicking nine goals; he was later retrospectively awarded an Anzac Medal for his best on ground performance, the match ended in a draw. He won the Collingwood
best and fairest In Australian sport, the best and fairest award recognises the player(s) adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition. The awards are sometimes dependent on not receiving a suspensi ...
award that year. He continued to show he was a strong full-forward and always at the top in what seemed a disappointing side when it came to the ladder, he kicked bags of 66, 76 and 68 in the next three seasons. He placed second for the
Coleman Medal The Coleman Medal is an Australian rules football award given annually to the Australian Football League (AFL) player who kicks the most goals A goal is an objective that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve. Goal may also refer ...
for 1997 behind
Tony Modra Anthony Dale Modra (born 1 March 1969) is a former Australian rules footballer who represented Adelaide and Fremantle in the Australian Football League (AFL) and West Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Known fo ...
. His form however slipped, kicking only 60 goals in the next two seasons. Despite winning his 7th consecutive leading goalkicker award in 1999 with only 33 goals, he was delisted after more than 150 games and over 500 goals for the club.


North Melbourne

After being delisted by Collingwood, Rocca was drafted to the
North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos also ...
, then known as the Kangaroos, with the 30th selection in the 2000 AFL Draft. He kicked 98 goals in his first two seasons, enough to be the Kangaroos' leading goalkicker in each year. His form once again slipped over the years but he was still a key member when needed, kicking his 700th goal in 2005 and set to play his 250th game. During the 2006 season, Rocca was dropped to the VFL, playing games with
North Ballarat North Ballarat Football & Netball Club, nicknamed ''The Roosters'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based at Mars Stadium in Ballarat. The club currently fields senior, reserve and Under 19 sides in the Ballarat Football Lea ...
. At 32 and under contract until the end of the season, Rocca seemed close to retirement from the AFL. In preparation for a continued professional sporting career, he began training as an American football punter, appearing in a video shot at
Docklands Stadium Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was ...
in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
showing his significant kicking range to talent scouts. Rocca remained at the Kangaroos to reach the 100 game milestone so that the father-son rule applies for his sons. He played his farewell game in the Round 22 match against his old club Collingwood, Rocca kicked three goals. Wasting no time, he left for the United States on a trial as a gridiron punter with the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
the following week.


NFL career


Philadelphia Eagles


2007

Rocca had tried out for the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
in 2006 but was not invited to training camp. The
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, looking to provide some competition for
Dirk Johnson Dirk Johnson (born June 1, 1975) is a former American football punter. He is most notable for his four season tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. After playing college football at Northern Colorado, Johnson signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a ...
, signed Rocca for the 2007 training camp. In the Eagles preseason, Rocca had several punts of over 50 yards and another that went over 65 yards. On the 65-yard punt,
Antwan Barnes Antwan Edward Barnes (born October 19, 1984) is a former American football outside linebacker. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida International. Barnes also p ...
of the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
levelled Rocca, knocking off his helmet. While officials did not penalise Barnes during the game, the league fined him US$12,500 for the hit. Rocca was favoured over Johnson by
placekicker Placekicker, or simply kicker (PK or K), is the player in gridiron football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals and extra points. In many cases, the placekicker also serves as the team's kickoff specialist or punter. Spe ...
David Akers David Roy Akers (; born December 9, 1974) is an American former football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He began his career in 1998 with the Washington Redski ...
as his holder for place kicks. He was not perfect, however, mishandling a snap on one attempt and failing to handle a poor snap on a second attempt in a game against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
. On the final day of cuts, Rocca learned that he had won the job when Johnson was released. Rocca had 73 punts for 3,066 net yards for a 42.00 average during his first NFL season in 2007. Rocca, at 33 years of age, was the oldest rookie in NFL history, a title which previously belonged to another Australian born Punter, Ben Graham who, at the time, played for the Jets at age 31.


2008 season

Rocca was named the NFL Special Teams Player of the Month for September 2008, leading the league with a 44.1-yard net punting average and having seven punts downed inside the 20-yard-line. Overall, in the 2008 season, he appeared in all 16 regular season games and had 77 punts for 3,334 net yards for a 43.30 average.


2009 season

In the 2009 season, Rocca appeared in all 16 games and recorded 76 punts for 3,222 net yards for a 42.39 average.


2010 season

On 22 April 2010, Rocca signed his one-year restricted free agent tender with the Eagles. Overall, Rocca appeared in all 16 regular season games and recorded 73 punts for 3,195 net yards for a 43.77 average.


Washington Redskins


2011 season

Rocca was signed by the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
on 29 July 2011. He was considered one of the Redskins best free agency signings for the 2011 season due to the massive improvement he was from the several punters the team had in the 2010 season, which included Sam Paulescu,
Josh Bidwell Joshua John Bidwell (born March 13, 1976) is a former American football punter who played twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Oregon. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers i ...
, and
Hunter Smith Hunter Dwight Smith (born August 9, 1977) is a former American football punter. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. Smith earned a Super Bowl ring ...
. In Week 2 against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
, with ten seconds left in the game, Rocca made an impressive tackle on
Patrick Peterson Patrick De'mon Peterson Jr. (born July 11, 1990) is an American football cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, where he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensiv ...
, who attempted to make a punt return. Overall, Rocca appeared in all 16 regular season games and recorded 66 punts for 2,842 net yards for a 43.06 average.


2012 season

On 29 October 2012, it was reported that Rocca had been playing with a torn
meniscus Meniscus may refer to: *Meniscus (anatomy), crescent-shaped fibrocartilaginous structure that partly divides a joint cavity *Meniscus (liquid) The meniscus (plural: ''menisci'', from the Greek for "crescent") is the curve in the upper surface ...
in his kicking leg for the last two games and the Redskins planned to keep using him despite the injury. Overall, he appeared in all 16 regular season games and recorded 68 punts for 2,984 net yards for a 43.88 average.


2013 season

Rocca agreed to re-sign with the Redskins on a two-year contract on the first day of free agency for the 2013 season. The new deal was finalised on 18 March 2013. He appeared in all 16 regular season games and recorded 84 punts for 3,526 net yards for a 41.98 average. Rocca was released after the season on 4 March 2014.


Return to AFL

In April 2015, it was reported that Rocca was recruited to work part-time at the
Carlton Football Club The Carlton Football Club, nicknamed the Blues, is a professional Australian rules football club that competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's top professional competition. Founded in 1864 in Carlton, an inner suburb of Mel ...
as a forwards mentor for players such as
Levi Casboult Levi Casboult (born 15 March 1990) is an Australian rules footballer, who currently plays for the Gold Coast Suns in the Australian Football League, having formerly played for the Carlton Football Club from 2010 to 2021. Casboult, a tall and ...
. It was announced in December 2016 that Rocca would join Carlton as their kicking coach for the 2017 AFL season. Carlton's Head of Football
Andrew McKay Andrew Ian McKay (born 14 July 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). Pla ...
said that they were stoked to have Rocca on board as he "not only has a wealth of knowledge in kicking techniques, but is also able to pass that knowledge onto players in a really effective way".


References


External links

*
Sav Rocca and the Western Crusaders
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocca, Sav 1973 births Living people North Melbourne Football Club players Collingwood Football Club players North Ballarat Football Club players Reservoir Lakeside Football Club players Copeland Trophy winners Australian people of Italian descent Australian expatriate sportspeople in the United States People from Reservoir, Victoria American football punters Australian players of American football Philadelphia Eagles players Footballers who switched code Washington Redskins players Australian rules footballers from Melbourne Australian rules football players that played in the NFL