Career : 2004 - 2008
Debut : Round 18, 2004 vs Fremantle, aged 19 years, 48 days
Carlton Player No. 1082
Games : 68
Goals : 13
Last Game : Round 22, 2008 vs Hawthorn, aged 23 years, 78 days
Guernsey Nos. 40 (2004-6), and 7 (2007-2009)
Height : 184 cm (6 ft. 1 in.)
Weight : 84 kg (12 stone, 8 lbs)
DOB : 13 June, 1985
AFL Rising Star Nomination: Round 20, 2005
Adam Bentick captained the Calder Cannons to a Premiership in the TAC Cup in 2003 (a year in which the Cannons only lost one game), then was drafted as a Rookie by Carlton and set about building an AFL career with the club he had barracked for as a kid. After a number of solid games at VFL level, "AB" was given the chance he craved. He played five matches for the Blues in his debut season, and was formally promoted from the Rookie List to the Seniors for 2005.
After a few appearances at the start of his second year, Bentick was dropped back to the seconds. But as Carlton's season began to peter out, our youngsters were given more opportunities, and AB was promoted once more. Some great games, notably a 34-possession effort to be Best on Ground against Collingwood in round 20, and a 10-tackle game in our round 18 victory over the Tigers, saw AB rise in the estimations of the common fan. It seemed as though Carlton had finally unearthed another in-and-under, hard-working midfielder - someone with a bit of agro in their tackling to add some steel to the midfield group.
Carlton's selectors embraced AB in 2006 - he played the first 20 games straight before succumbing to a shoulder injury. This may have affected him for a large part of the season, athough he continued to play - mainly as a centreman, with regular tagging roles. He was our principal tackler for the year with 84; 14 ahead of Eddie Betts as his worth to the club in ruck clearances became clear. A big effort against his close friend Brock McLean in our win against Melbourne stood out, as Bentick lifted his average disposals to 16.8 a game - enough to demand a lot more game time than in 2005.
Following the 2006 season, newly-appointed Carlton assistant coach Brett Ratten handed his number 7 guernsey to Adam. Like AB, Ratten had also worn number 40 before switching to number 7. Bentick responded by playing another 20 matches in 2007 - averaging 18 disposals and 6 tackles per game, to rank number 1 at Carlton and third overall in the AFL - and claimed his first top-ten finish in the Blues' Best and Fairest award.
Season 2008 got off to a delayed start for AB. He missed the first four games, but returned the seniors in Round 5 and proved his worth again. Although the penetration and accuracy of his kicking had always caused concern, he had 31 disposals in our Round 9 loss to Fremantle, and another 25 in Carlton's come-from-behind win over Port Adelaide. His hardness at the ball and strong work at the stoppages seemed to to overshadow his deficiencies.
However, a nagging series of knee injuries during the 2009 pre-season ended Bentick's year way too early. He did get back on the field in the VFL late in the season, but by then the writing was on the wall. In October 2009, Carlton announced that AB had been delisted after a five year, 68-game career that he could be proud of. The sort of honest, committed and loyal player who is prized by every football club, Adam Bentick's football journey seems far from over. Bentick would continue his playing career in the 2010 season with VFL club Port Melbourne and would later become a star for the 'Borough' and captain this famous club.
Bentick was originally recruited from St Bernards (Niddrie).
Milestones
50 Games: Round 15, 2007 vs BrisbaneCareer Highlights
2005 - AFL Rising Star Nomination2006 - Women of Carlton Player of Ambassador of the Year
2007 - Pre-Season Premiership Player
2007 - 8th Best and Fairest
Links
Articles: Players calm in Blues storm | Lifelong Blue learns to make most of his chancesBlueseum: A stat summary of Bentick's playing career | Career Breakdown | Bentick's Blueseum Image Gallery