Ben Eckermann
Port Adelaide
AFL career
4 games0 goals
- Debut
- R7 2005 v KAN8 May 2005
- Most recent
- R10 2005 v WCE29 May 2005
Stats
Bio
A highly rated junior midfielder recruited from Sturt with pick 51 in the 2004 National Draft, Ben Eckermann was considered a steal for Port Adelaide due to his ball-winning ability and contest work. He broke into the senior side midway through the 2005 season, playing four consecutive games, but his promising career was effectively derailed by a single, controversial incident. In his fourth match against the West Coast Eagles, Eckermann sustained a severe concussion from a heavy front-on bump by Tyson Stenglein, a clash that became a flashpoint for the AFL's subsequent crackdown on high contact and head protection. He suffered from lingering concussion symptoms throughout the following year, unable to play another senior game, and was delisted at the end of 2006. Eckermann returned to the SANFL but continued to battle head injuries, remaining a "what if" story of a talented player whose career was cut short by the game's physical toll.
Profile
- Born
- 12 Mar 1987 (age 39y 225d)
- Height
- 178 cm
- Weight
- 79 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionA highly rated junior midfielder recruited from Sturt with pick 51 in the 2004 National Draft, Ben Eckermann was considered a steal for Port Adelaide due to his ball-winning ability and contest work. He broke into the senior side midway through the 2005 season, playing four consecutive games, but his promising career was effectively derailed by a single, controversial incident. In his fourth match against the West Coast Eagles, Eckermann sustained a severe concussion from a heavy front-on bump by Tyson Stenglein, a clash that became a flashpoint for the AFL's subsequent crackdown on high contact and head protection. He suffered from lingering concussion symptoms throughout the following year, unable to play another senior game, and was delisted at the end of 2006. Eckermann returned to the SANFL but continued to battle head injuries, remaining a "what if" story of a talented player whose career was cut short by the game's physical toll.