# Fletcher Roberts

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{{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](/source/Sandringham_Dragons) ([TAC Cup](/source/TAC_Cup))
| draftpick = No. 11, [2012 pre-season draft](/source/2011_AFL_draft)
| height = 196 cm
| weight = 92 kg
| position = 
| years1 = 2012–2019
| club1 = {{AFL WB}}
| games_goals1 = 51 (0)
| statsend = 2019
| careerhighlights = *[AFL premiership player](/source/List_of_Australian_Football_League_premiers) ([2016](/source/2016_AFL_Grand_Final))
}}
'''Fletcher Roberts''' (born 3 June 1993) is a former professional [Australian rules football](/source/Australian_rules_football)er who played for the {{AFL WB}} in the [Australian Football League](/source/Australian_Football_League) (AFL).

==Early life==
Roberts was educated at [De La Salle College](/source/De_La_Salle_College%2C_Malvern)<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](/source/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](/source/TAC_Cup) Grand Final to lead the [Sandringham Dragons](/source/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](/source/2011_AFL_Draft), with pick #11.

==AFL career==
Roberts made his AFL debut in round 20, [2012](/source/2012_AFL_season), against {{AFL Ric}} at the [Melbourne Cricket Ground](/source/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](/source/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](/source/2016_AFL_season), 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](/source/Matt_Suckling). Despite suffering an early facial injury, Roberts returned to play arguably his best game for the club, holding the dangerous [Jeremy Cameron](/source/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](/source/Joel_Hamling) to shut down {{AFL Syd}}'s twin threats of [Lance Franklin](/source/Lance_Franklin) and [Kurt Tippett](/source/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](/source/Port_Melbourne_Football_Club) in the [Victorian Football League](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Melbourne) suburb of [Murrumbeena](/source/Murrumbeena%2C_Victoria) 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](/source/2012_AFL_season)
|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](/source/2013_AFL_season)
|style="text-align:center;"|{{AFL WB}}
| 18 || 0 || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || — || —
|- style="background:#eaeaea;"
! scope="row" style="text-align:center" | [2014](/source/2014_AFL_season)
|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](/source/2015_AFL_season)
|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](/source/2016_AFL_season)'''<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](/source/2017_AFL_season)
|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](/source/2018_AFL_season)
|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](/source/2019_AFL_season)
|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](/source/List_of_Australian_Football_League_premiers)''': [2016](/source/2016_AFL_Grand_Final)
'''VFL'''
*'''Team'''
**'''[VFL premiership](/source/Victorian_Football_League)''': 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

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fletcher Roberts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher_Roberts) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher_Roberts?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
