Quick Facts
Biography
Chris Groom (born 28 August 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the Adelaide, Fremantle and North Melbourne Football Clubs.
Career
After a very successful junior career for South Adelaide that included playing in the 1990 under 17 SANFL premiership and the 1991 Reserves Premiership (aged 17), Chris was selected by the Adelaide Crows during the moritorium where the club had the first 8 picks of South Australian players before other clubs could select (1992). At 18 years of age Groom made his debut for South Adelaide's Seniors in round 1, 1992 playing against Glenelg and kicked 5 goals. He finished the year with 42 goals from 25 games in a year where South Adelaide made the finals. In 1992 Chris made his AFL debut in round 1 against Richmond, kicking 2 goals. After being plagued by illness and injury he was traded to Fremantle Dockers for the 1995 season and played in Fremantle's first ever game, kicking 3 goals. In exchange for Groom, Fremantle traded the rights to Andrew McLeod to the Adelaide Crows, a move for which Fremantle have been roundly criticised, as a result of McLeod's glittering career when compared to Groom's.
Despite kicking 18 goals in 7 games for Fremantle, Groom was surprisingly dropped 4 times. When not selected he played for West Perth, kicking 70 goals in 14 games including 5 goals in their Premiership win over Subiaco.
After beings delisted by Fremantle at the end of the 1995 season, he was selected by North Melbourne in the 1995 AFL Draft. However a week before the 1996 AFL season started he sustained a knee injury requiring a total knee reconstruction. Unfortunately 5 months later the knee buckled again and a second reconstruction was required;this in a season which saw North Melbourne take out the Reserves and Senior Premiership.
After missing season 1997 he managed to play Senior football with North Melbourne and was a member of the 1998 Pre-season Cup premiership winning team. He retired from AFL football at the end of 1998 due to injuries but went on to play with great success firstly for West Preston in the Diamond Valley League, and then Melbourne University Blacks in the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
In 2011, he came out of retirement to play 3 games for the Chicago United Football Club in the Mid American Australian League 2011 Madison Invitational Tournament. He played in games against the Milwaukee Bombers, Minnesota Freeze, and Cincinnati Dockers, finishing with 10 goals and at least 10 behinds, helping Chicago United to a 2-1 record and 3rd-place finish.
