Career: 2003-2004
Debut: Round 1, 2003 vs Sydney, aged 22 years, 3 days
Carlton Player No. 1061
Games: 26
Goals: 5
Last Game: Round 16, 2004 vs North Melbourne, aged 23 years, 113 days
Guernsey No. 41 (2003 - 2004).
Height: 181cm
Weight: 70kg
DOB: 26 March, 1981
Jon McCormick had a brief but thought provoking stay at Carlton. A great performer in the Murray league, McCormick was touted as a North rookie but Carlton snapped him up in the Rookie Draft nice & early, presumably on Pagan's advice from their shared North days. McCormick had been recruited from the Murray Kangaroos, after stints with the Murray Bushrangers U/18's, Wangaratta and Wangaratta Junior Magpies.
Given the #41, McCormick had a promising pre-season and was promoted for Round 1 of the year. And he made a huge impression, earning 19 stats and kicking 2 goals (with his first two kicks) as the Blues crashed to a large loss against the Swans. One of those goals was a pearler of a right foot snap, and it seemed that McCormick was a diamond in the rough that would help us through our draft penalties.
A right-footer, McCormick is also well remembered for his hairstyles which prompted many nicknames in the crowd. "Rockin' Roddy" was one of my favourites, after his likeness for crooner Rod Stewart. As a player, his key strength was ball winning ability but he did not have a large frame or super strength to back it up, more relying on skill and footy smarts to get the ball out. His preferred right produced the odd grubber too.
He would play 21 games in 2003 and was presumably setting himself up for a permanent midfield role. Within the season were some stellar games, including a 26 stat game against the Bulldogs. Averaging 13.9 possessions a game, it seemed as though 2004 would be another strong year.
But McCormick would only play 5 games in 2004 as Pagan chose to prefer other players. With limited game time in those games, he would fail to gather more than 8 possessions and could only do one thing - excel at VFL level to try to get another crack. But he was delisted at the end of the 2004 season, after 26 games in the Navy Blue.
In 2007, whilst playing for Wangaratta FC in the powerful Ovens and Murray Football League, McCormick won the Morris Medal. This medal is awarded to the competitions best and fairest player.