{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (born 1993)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox AFL biography | name = Fletcher Roberts | image = Fletcher Roberts 2018.1.jpg | caption = Roberts in August 2018 | fullname = Fletcher Roberts | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|06|03|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | originalteam = Sandringham Dragons (TAC Cup) | draftpick = No. 11, 2012 pre-season draft | height = 196 cm | weight = 92 kg | position = | years1 = 2012–2019 | club1 = {{AFL WB}} | games_goals1 = 51 (0) | statsend = 2019 | careerhighlights = *AFL premiership player (2016) }} '''Fletcher Roberts''' (born 3 June 1993) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the {{AFL WB}} in the Australian Football League (AFL).
==Early life== Roberts was educated at De La Salle College<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fletcher Roberts: Just A Suburban Boy |url=https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/fletcher-roberts-just-a-suburban-boy/ |access-date=2024-07-14 |website=www.footyalmanac.com.au}}</ref> and Melbourne Grammar School<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Melbourne Grammar School|date=December 2016|url=http://mgs.vic.edu.au/mg/grammar-news-article/20590/185/700/20627|title=Congratulations to our Old Melburnian sportsmen}}</ref> and attracted attention after kicking four goals in the last quarter of the 2011 TAC Cup Grand Final to lead the Sandringham Dragons to victory.<ref name="RobertsGF">{{cite news|newspaper=Herald Sun|title=Fletcher Roberts filled with confidence ahead of remarkable Grand Final appearance|first=Sam|last=Landsberger|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/western-bulldogs/fletcher-roberts-filled-with-confidence-ahead-of-remarkable-grand-final-appearance/news-story/c36ef3d24cc1d6ab58377851726b4e0f|date=30 September 2016}}</ref> He was then recruited by the Bulldogs in the 2012 Pre-season Draft, with pick #11.
==AFL career== Roberts made his AFL debut in round 20, 2012, against {{AFL Ric}} at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.<ref name="McCartneyPatient">{{cite web|title=McCartney happy to stay patitent|url=http://www.skynews.com.au/sport/article.aspx?id=782914|date=13 August 2012|publisher=Sky News|access-date=14 August 2012}}</ref>
Roberts struggled to hold down a spot in the senior side in 2014, playing only five games, but started to show signs of developing into a tall defender for the Bulldogs' VFL side Footscray. The highlight of the season was in the final round against Richmond's VFL side at Punt Road Oval. Trailing by 33 points in the final quarter, Footscray fought back to snatch the lead, only for the Tigers to steady with a goal and seemingly have the game won. With seconds remaining, Roberts took a pack mark and as the siren sounded, lined up from 60 metres. He kicked truly to give Footscray a memorable three-point victory and secure second place on the VFL ladder.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=westernbulldogs.com.au|url=http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2014-08-25/vfl-footscray-top-tigers-after-siren|title=VFL: Footscray top Tigers after siren|date=25 August 2014}}</ref> Sadly, Roberts would miss Footscray's 2014 VFL premiership triumph through injury.<ref>{{cite news|work=Fox Sports|title=Joel Hamling and Fletcher Roberts: Western Bulldogs duo go from VFL heartbreak to AFL premiership|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/joel-hamling-and-fletcher-roberts-western-bulldogs-duo-go-from-vfl-heartbreak-to-afl-premiership/news-story/002be166a9b72bffe2ca42b89989dfde|first=Riley|last=Beveridge}}</ref>
In 2016, Roberts was not selected until the Round 6 clash against {{AFL NM}} due to recovery from an injury interrupted pre-season,<ref>{{cite web|title=Season review: Fletcher Roberts|publisher=westernbulldogs.com.au|date=24 October 2016|url=http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2016-10-24/season-review-fletcher-roberts}}</ref> but would then play 15 of the remaining 16 games during the home-and-away season. He was one of the players dropped for the Elimination Final, but would be recalled for the Preliminary Final to replace the injured Matt Suckling. Despite suffering an early facial injury, Roberts returned to play arguably his best game for the club, holding the dangerous Jeremy Cameron goalless as the Bulldogs advanced to the Grand Final.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age|url=https://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-grand-final-2016-fletcher-roberts-waits-ahead-of-western-bulldogs-selection-20160926-groxnb.html|date=26 September 2016|title=AFL grand final 2016: Fletcher Roberts waits ahead of Western Bulldogs selection|first=Daniel|last=Cherny}}</ref> After some uncertainty early in the week leading up to the Grand Final, it was announced that Roberts retained his place in the team ahead of Suckling,<ref name="RobertsGF"/> which meant that the Bulldogs would field a team that had no experience in an AFL Grand Final. In the match, Roberts combined with Joel Hamling to shut down {{AFL Syd}}'s twin threats of Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett, limiting their output to just one goal to help the Bulldogs clinch an emotional 22-point win, ending their 62-year premiership drought.
Roberts is currently playing for the Port Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theinnersanctum.com.au/giving-back-fletcher-roberts-on-opportunities-and-education-outside-footy/|title=Giving Back Fletcher Roberts on Opportunities and Education Outside Footy|date=25 March 2021 }}</ref>
==Personal life== Roberts studied a Bachelor of Psychology at Deakin University.<ref>{{cite web |title=Elite Athlete Program Profiles |url=https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/get-involved/elite-athlete-program-profiles |publisher=Deakin University |access-date=10 August 2020}}</ref>
He grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Murrumbeena and played junior football for [https://www.murrumbeenajfc.com.au/ Murrumbeena Junior Football Club].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sbeI1I7afg |title=The Unlaced Podcast: Fletcher Roberts - Mental Resilience #22 |date=2021-05-12 |last=The Unlaced Podcast |access-date=2024-07-24 |via=YouTube}}</ref>
==Statistics== : ''Statistics are correct to the end of the 2019 season''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/F/Fletcher_Roberts.html|title=Fletcher Roberts Stats|work=AFL Tables|access-date=18 October 2016}}</ref> {{AFL player statistics legend}} {{AFL player statistics start}} |- style="background:#eaeaea;" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2012 |style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}} | 18 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 16 || 5 || 21 || 7 || 1 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 8.0 || 2.5 || 10.5 || 3.5 || 0.5 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2013 |style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}} | 18 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — |- style="background:#eaeaea;" ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2014 |style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}} | 18 || 5 || 0 || 1 || 19 || 16 || 35 || 10 || 10 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 3.8 || 3.2 || 7.0 || 2.0 || 2.0 |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2015 |style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}} | 18 || 12 || 0 || 1 || 55 || 61 || 116 || 41 || 19 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 4.6 || 5.1 || 9.7 || 3.4 || 1.6 |- style="background:#eaeaea;" | scope=row bgcolor=F0E68C | '''2016'''<sup>#</sup> |style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}} | 18 || 18 || 0 || 0 || 72 || 92 || 164 || 47 || 25 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 4.0 || 5.1 || 9.1 || 2.6 || 1.4 |- class="sortbottom" |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2017 |style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}} | 18 || 10 || 0 || 0 || 55 || 40 || 95 || 27 || 13 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 5.5 || 4.0 || 9.5 || 2.7 || 1.3 |- style="background:#eaeaea;" |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2018 |style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}} | 18 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 18 || 4 || 22 || 7 || 1 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 9.0 || 2.0 || 11.0 || 3.5 || 0.5 |- style="background:#eaeaea;" |- ! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2019 |style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}} | 18 || 2 || 0 || 0 || 10 || 8 || 18 || 4 || 3 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 5.0 || 4.0 || 9.0 || 2.0 || 1.5 |- style="background:#eaeaea;" ! colspan=3| Career ! 51 ! 0 ! 2 ! 245 ! 226 ! 471 ! 143 ! 72 ! 0.0 ! 0.0 ! 4.8 ! 4.4 ! 9.2 ! 2.8 ! 1.4 |}
==Honours and achievements== '''AFL''' *'''Team''' **'''AFL premiership''': 2016 '''VFL''' *'''Team''' **'''VFL premiership''': 2014
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{Wbplayer}} *{{AFL Tables|ref=F/Fletcher_Roberts.html}} * [http://www.aflplayerratings.com.au/Ratings/Player/116126/Fletcher-ROBERTS Match ratings] from Inside Football
{{2016 Western Bulldogs premiership players}} {{2012 AFL pre-season draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Fletcher}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Western Bulldogs players Category:Western Bulldogs premiership players Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state) Category:Sandringham Dragons players Category:Williamstown Football Club players Category:Port Melbourne Football Club players Category:VFL/AFL premiership players Category:People educated at Melbourne Grammar School Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen Category:Deakin University alumni