Aaron vandenBerg

Aaron vandenBerg

vandenBerg at training in November 2015
Personal information
Full name Aaron vandenBerg
Date of birth (1992-03-03) 3 March 1992
Place of birth Perth, Western Australia[1]
Original team(s) Ainslie (NEAFL)
Draft #2, 2015 rookie draft
Debut Round 1, 2015, Melbourne
v. Gold Coast, at MCG
Height/Weight 188 cm / 90 kg
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Melbourne
Number 37
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2015– Melbourne 17 (8)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 3, 2016 season.

Aaron vandenBerg (born 3 March 1992) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

Originally from Western Australia, vandenBerg moved to Tathra, New South Wales with his family at ten-years of age.[2] He was first noticed as a potential AFL player in 2007 by then-Collingwood recruiter, Jason Taylor,[3] however he was not drafted due to lacking "the drive to be an AFL footballer."[1] He moved to Canberra in 2011 to join Ainslie in the NEAFL, where he won the eastern conference premiership in his first year, and back-to-back best-and-fairests in 2013–2014.[3] During 2014, he amassed 56 disposals in a match against Eastlake,[1] which contributed to him being recognised as a high-disposal winner and put him back on the AFL radar.[4] Then at Melbourne, Jason Taylor and the club decided to recruit him in December 2014.[1] Whilst living in Canberra, he was completing a four-year apprenticeship at the Royal Australian Mint, but ended it after two and a half years to move to Melbourne.[5]

AFL career

vandenBerg was drafted to Melbourne with pick 2 in the 2015 rookie draft.[6] After a shoulder reconstruction at the end of 2014, Melbourne football operations manager, Josh Mahoney, stated vandenBerg was "exceeding expectations"[7] and he made his debut in the round 1 win against Gold Coast in 2015.[8] Lauded for his tenacity and ability to win the contested ball,[9] he played the first ten matches of the year before suffering a hamstring strain in the annual Queen's Birthday clash against Collingwood.[10] He returned to the side in round 15 against Essendon,[11] and played the next four matches before injuring his ankle in August,[12] he was then ruled out for the rest of the season after playing 14 matches in his debut season.[13]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of round 1, 2016[14]
Legend
 G  Goals  B  Behinds  K  Kicks  H  Handballs  D  Disposals  M  Marks  T  Tackles
Season Team # Games G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
Totals Averages (per game)
2015 Melbourne 37 14 5 12 143 92 235 44 70 0.4 0.9 10.2 6.6 16.8 3.1 5.0
2016 Melbourne 37 1 2 0 8 9 17 3 1 2.0 0.0 8.0 9.0 17.0 3.0 1.0
Career 15 7 12 151 101 252 47 71 0.5 0.8 10.1 6.7 16.8 3.1 4.7

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Landsberger, Sam (3 April 2015). "Melbourne recruit Aaron vandenBerg to make his presence felt on biggest stage of them all". Herald Sun (News Corp Australia). Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  2. ↑ Gleeson, Michael (25 April 2015). "Richie, the freshly minted Demon". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  3. 1 2 Polkinghorne, David (3 December 2014). "Melbourne Demons pick Ainslie's Aaron Vandenberg in AFL rookie draft". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Ryan, Peter (3 December 2014). "Demons couldn't resist huge NEAFL numbers". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  5. ↑ Burgan, Matt (8 December 2014). "Vandenberg a mint investment". MelbourneFC.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  6. ↑ Burgan, Matt (3 December 2014). "Vandenberg claimed at No.2". MelbourneFC.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  7. ↑ Polkinghorne, David (10 April 2015). "Melbourne Demons say Aaron vandenBerg on track to be long-term AFL player". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 12 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Gaskin, Lee (3 April 2015). "Former Ainslie midfielder Aaron Vandenberg makes AFL debut with Melbourne Demons against Gold Coast Suns". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Guthrie, Ben (5 June 2015). "Freshly minted Demon Aaron vandenBerg an instant hit". AFL.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  10. ↑ Lerner, Ronny (11 June 2015). "Melbourne Demons Colin Garland and Aaron vandenBerg suffer injuries". The Age (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  11. ↑ Burgan, Matt (9 July 2015). "Melbourne makes four changes". MelbourneFC.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "Aaron vandenBerg could miss rest of season with ankle injury". Herald Sun (News Corp Australia). 11 August 2015. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  13. ↑ Burgan, Matt (18 August 2015). "Salem available to play this week". MelbourneFC.com.au (Bigpond). Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  14. ↑ "Aaron vandenBerg". AFL Tables. Retrieved 23 April 2015.

External links

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