James Strauss (Australian rules footballer)
Encyclopedia
James Strauss is an Australian rules football
er for the Melbourne Football Club
in the Australian Football League
.
Strauss was selected with Melbourne's third pick of the 2008 AFL Draft
, 19th overall from the Oakleigh Chargers
.
in the TAC Cup
and for Scotch College
in the APS
in Victoria.
. Ankle and leg problems hampered him early in the year and he ultimately injured his shoulder playing for Melbourne's
VFL
affiliate the Casey Scorpions
. Strauss required a shoulder reconstruction, forcing him to miss the last eight weeks of the season.
. Strauss's first official game for Melbourne
did indeed occur in Round 1 of the 2010 AFL Season
against the Hawthorn at the MCG
. However this match was a devastating loss for the Demons in an impressive victory from Hawthorn. Strauss played in Melbourne's second game of the season against Collingwood
however was dropped to Melbourne's VFL-affiliate team Casey
, due to poor form.
In Melbourne's Round 20, 2011 match against , Strauss suffered a sickening leg injury where it was broken in both his tibia and fibula during a marking contest against Carlton's Jeff Garlett. Although replays showed that there was minimal contact between him and Garlett as he fell awkwardly, the MCG
crowd were shocked at what they saw. Commentators noted that it was just as sickening as the recent broken leg suffered by 's Michael Barlow
the previous season and the broken snap suffered by 's Nathan Brown way back in 2005, and during Network Ten
's coverage of the match their commentators warned their viewers that "if they were greasy, look away now".
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er for the Melbourne Football Club
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
in the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
.
Strauss was selected with Melbourne's third pick of the 2008 AFL Draft
2008 AFL Draft
The 2008 AFL Draft consisted of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2008/09 Australian Football League off-season. These were Trade Week , the National Draft , the Pre-Season Draft and the Rookie Draft...
, 19th overall from the Oakleigh Chargers
Oakleigh Chargers
The Oakleigh Chargers are an Australian rules football club playing in the TAC Cup, an under-18 competition in Victoria, Australia. They are based at Warrawee Park in Oakleigh, Victoria, representing the southeastern suburban area of Melbourne...
.
Junior career
Strauss's junior career was spent playing for the Oakleigh ChargersOakleigh Chargers
The Oakleigh Chargers are an Australian rules football club playing in the TAC Cup, an under-18 competition in Victoria, Australia. They are based at Warrawee Park in Oakleigh, Victoria, representing the southeastern suburban area of Melbourne...
in the TAC Cup
TAC Cup
The TAC Cup is an under 18 Australian rules football representative competition held in Victoria, Australia. It is based on geographic regions throughout country Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne with each team representing 12 Victorian regions....
and for Scotch College
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
in the APS
Associated Public Schools of Victoria
The Associated Public Schools of Victoria are a group of eleven elite independent schools in Victoria, Australia, similar to the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales in New South Wales....
in Victoria.
2009: Recurring Injuries
Strauss had a frustrating season with injuries in 20092009 AFL season
-Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9 :-Round 10:...
. Ankle and leg problems hampered him early in the year and he ultimately injured his shoulder playing for Melbourne's
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
VFL
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
affiliate the Casey Scorpions
Casey Scorpions
The Casey Scorpions Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the Victorian Football League . The club was founded in 1903 as the Springvale Football Club and played under the name Springvale. In its history it has won 21 premierships...
. Strauss required a shoulder reconstruction, forcing him to miss the last eight weeks of the season.
2010: Debut
Strauss improved his physical frame and worked hard to return to full fitness in the pre-season of the 2010 season to ensure he was pushing for senior selection. This work saw Strauss seen as a good chance to debut in Round 1 against the Hawthorn Football ClubHawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
. Strauss's first official game for Melbourne
Melbourne Football Club
The Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Demons, is an Australian rules football club playing in the Australian Football League , based in Melbourne, Victoria....
did indeed occur in Round 1 of the 2010 AFL Season
2010 AFL season
-Premiership season:The draw for the 2010 AFL Premiership Season is not a random selection of matches, but rather is planned by the AFL. It is intended to produce a balanced draw while also providing the fans and television networks with blockbuster games. In a competition with 16 teams and 22...
against the Hawthorn at the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
. However this match was a devastating loss for the Demons in an impressive victory from Hawthorn. Strauss played in Melbourne's second game of the season against Collingwood
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
however was dropped to Melbourne's VFL-affiliate team Casey
Casey Scorpions
The Casey Scorpions Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the Victorian Football League . The club was founded in 1903 as the Springvale Football Club and played under the name Springvale. In its history it has won 21 premierships...
, due to poor form.
In Melbourne's Round 20, 2011 match against , Strauss suffered a sickening leg injury where it was broken in both his tibia and fibula during a marking contest against Carlton's Jeff Garlett. Although replays showed that there was minimal contact between him and Garlett as he fell awkwardly, the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
crowd were shocked at what they saw. Commentators noted that it was just as sickening as the recent broken leg suffered by 's Michael Barlow
Michael Barlow
Michael Barlow is an Australian rules footballer. He plays with the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early career:...
the previous season and the broken snap suffered by 's Nathan Brown way back in 2005, and during Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
's coverage of the match their commentators warned their viewers that "if they were greasy, look away now".