Dylan Roberton

Dylan Roberton (born 21 June 1991) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle and St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected with the 49th selection in the 2009 AFL National Draft from the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup by Fremantle.[1]

Dylan Roberton
Roberton playing for St Kilda in June 2017
Personal information
Full name Dylan Roberton
Date of birth (1991-06-21) 21 June 1991
Original team(s) Dandenong Stingrays (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 49, 2009 National Draft, Fremantle
Height 194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 88 kg (194 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2010–2012 Fremantle 37 (5)
2013–2020 St Kilda 92 (15)
Total 129 (20)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2020.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Playing career
Roberton played for Fremantle between 2010 and 2012

Career with Fremantle (2010–12)

Roberton started the 2010 season playing for East Perth in the WAFL and was named to make his AFL debut for Fremantle in the Round 6 Western Derby.[2]

In 2011 he was used as Fremantle's first ever substitute player in their opening round match against the Brisbane Lions, replacing Rhys Palmer in the third quarter.[3]

Career with St Kilda (2013–2021)

At the end of the 2012 season, Roberton requested a trade from the Dockers to a Melbourne-based team. When a trade did not eventuate he was delisted by Fremantle and then invited to train with St Kilda. He was signed as a "delisted free agent" on 30 November 2012 by the Saints.

In 2017, Roberton was named in the 40-man All-Australian team squad as one of the best rebounding defenders in the league. Roberton also capped a brilliant season, finishing second in the Trevor Barker Award. He also extended his contract for another four years, until the end of the 2021 season.[4]

In Round 4 2018, Roberton collapsed on the field in a game against Geelong at Kardinia Park. It was determined that Roberton was suffering from a heart condition, and he was unable to retake the field.[5] Roberton’s heart rate had soared to around 300 beats per minute which is more than 100 beats per minute beyond the max heart rate of a person of his age.[6] Roberton ultimately did not return to football in 2018. In a pre-season game in 2019 in Ballarat, Roberton felt unwell and missed the rest of the match. He did not play the 2019 season.

Roberton returned to the leadership group ahead of the 2020 season.[7] Roberton played in the Saints' Round 1 clash against North Melbourne, his first AFL-level game since his collapse in 2018. However, Roberton did not play at AFL level again in 2020 following the resumption of the season following the Coronavirus hiatus from April to June.

In early January 2021 defender Roberton announced he was taking a break from his footballing duties to consider his future in football.[8] Roberton has been attempting to make a full return to football following a collapse as a result of a heart condition in Round 4 2018. Roberton ultimately announced his retirement from the game on 6 March, stating that "I've come to a point where I need to put my family and future first...after lengthy discussions with my family and on the advice of my doctors, I've made the extremely hard decision to hang up the boots."[9]

Coaching

Roberton was appointed the forwards coach of the Western Bulldogs' AFLW team in October 2021.[10]

Personal life

In January 2013, it was revealed that a major reason for Roberton wanting to return to Victoria was to be closer to his and his partner Amy's families. The couple's first son, named Boston, was born in November 2012.[11] Roberton's second son was born in June 2014, and a daughter was born in June 2015.

References
  1. Draft profile from AFL.com.au
  2. Freo throw another tyro into derby fray
  3. The AFL's new bench system quickly reveals that the longer games go this season, the more they will open up
  4. Spits, Scott (6 September 2017). "St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton recommits for four seasons". The Age. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  5. "St Kilda's Dylan Roberton set for series of tests after scary on-field collapse". www.abc.net.au. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  6. "St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton to return to St Kilda's leadership group ahead of imminent AFL return". Fox Sports. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  7. "St Kilda defender Dylan Roberton to return to St Kilda's leadership group ahead of imminent AFL return". Fox Sports. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  8. "Dylan Roberton update". www.saints.com.au. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  9. "St Kilda's Dylan Roberton retires from AFL as he puts 'family and future first'". www.abc.net.au. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
  10. "AFLW Bulldogs confirm 2022 coaching panel". Western Bulldogs Media. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  11. Quartermaine, Braden (20 January 2013). "Family the reason behind Dylan Roberton's exit from Fremantle". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013.
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