Liam Stocker Biography

Liam Stocker signs with St Kilda for the 2023 AFL season via the pre-season supplemental selection period.

The 22-year-old has been training with the Saints since the start of December, months after being delisted by Carlton after four seasons at Princes Park.

Having been delisted by Carlton, Liam Stocker opens up on his struggle with mental health during his time at the club.

"I had this weird assumption that the second I started earning money for being a professional athlete, and when I was surrounded by these elite performers, everything in my brain would just compartmentalise and disappear," he told the Not Alone podcast.

"The scrutiny and the expectation I put on myself, there were all these factors that just magnified what was going on in my head.

"Basically things spiralled out of control and my plan was to retire and forget about football and disappear into the sunset and live happily ever after. I thought me escaping football was me escaping my mental health problems."

Liam Stocker is expected to be sidelined for 12 weeks with a medium-grade syndesmosis injury.

The 21-year-old suffered the injury after his ankle was caught in a tackle at training, with scans confirming surgery will be the most effective approach for recovery.

Liam Stocker signs a two-year contract extension with Carlton to remain with the club until the end of 2022.

"It's great that the club believes in me, I am loving my time in the Navy Blue and am really excited to be part of what we are building here," Stocker said.

"We have a really exciting midfield group here at the club and I am loving the chance to learn from those experienced guys in the middle but also down back as well.

"I am just focused on becoming the best player I can possibly be for this football club and doing everything I can to makes us successful over the next three seasons."

Liam Stocker will miss the next month due to bone stress in his foot.

"He unfortunately has some low-grade bone stress in his foot," Carlton's high performance boss Andrew Russell said.

"It's not uncommon for a young guy of his age. It will probably mean he will miss three or four games, but he should come back strong and be able to finish the season."

Liam Stocker makes his AFL debut for Carlton at Docklands Stadium with 10 disposals (6 kicks and 4 handballs), 3 marks and a tackle in a 58-point loss to North Melbourne.

Carlton is adamant it will not rush draftee Liam Stocker's development this season, despite the high price paid for the Sandringham Dragons prospect at the NAB AFL Draft.

Stocker's involvement in the landmark live trade between Carlton and Adelaide last November has led to increased intrigue surrounding his progress, but the Blues are determined to not allow the deal to define his maiden season at Ikon Park.

"The interest in it is great, because that's what live trading is about. It's great for the AFL itself, but for us it's not a distraction," Carlton coach Brendon Bolton said.

"We've been training him down back in the VFL at the moment, but he's learning team defence. The under-18s don't often play that way and it takes a little bit of time to come to terms with it," Carlton coach Brendon Bolton said.

"We've been training him down back in the VFL at the moment, but he's learning team defence. The under-18s don't often play that way and it takes a little bit of time to come to terms with it.

"But he's got a really powerful kick and he's really physical in the contest. Those two ingredients we like, but now he's just learning team defence."

Carlton draftee Liam Stocker admits that running and his fitness base are areas for improvement in his game.

Stocker called upon his old Haileybury and Sandringham Dragons teammate Andrew Brayshaw for advice on how to improve his tank.

"Once I was allowed to run again I stole Andy's midfield program," Stocker said.

"I started toiling away at that and doing a bit of gym work. I tried mainly to do rehab on the shoulder to make sure it wasn't an issue when I got here, so that's what I've done.

"I think my running still has a little bit to go, but I'm sure (Blues high-performance manager) Andrew Russell will have a bit to say about that as well. It's certainly still my weakness."

Carlton select Liam Stocker with pick No.19 in the 2018 National Draft after securing the pick from Adelaide a trade that will see the two clubs swap first round picks in 2019.

Stocker, the Morrish Medal winner for best player in the TAC Cup, enjoyed a standout final season of junior footy.

"Obviously we rated him very highly to do that deal," Blues list manager Stephen Silvagni said about trading back into the first round.

"We certainly had him inside our top 10, that's where we placed him. We see him as a tough, inside player that can also play on the outside in a variety of positions."

Liam Stocker's push up the draft order has had another boost after the Sandringham Dragon won the 2018 Morrish Medal as the best player in the TAC Cup.

Stocker missed the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships with a broken jaw but his form throughout the season saw him named the best and fairest of Victoria's under-18 competition.