After playing the first three games of the season, the 24-year-old suffered a recurrence of an ankle injury suffered in the NAB Challenge and missed the next five weeks. The injury was managed but flared up from time to time and he was clearly restricted as a result. Had surgery to fix the problem at the end of the year.

Games MFC 2016 14

Career Total 28

Goals MFC 2016 12

Career Total 17

Games CSFC 2016 1

Goals CSFC 2016 0

Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 128 votes

Some posters have mentioned VDB as a possible trade on a couple of threads. I hope this does not eventuate. While 2016 was a poor year for him he has demonstrated great promise with his strength both on the ground and overhead. He can kick a goal.

An uninterrupted pre season and a solid go in  2017 should show. what he can do

1 hour ago, Bitter but optimistic said:

Some posters have mentioned VDB as a possible trade on a couple of threads. I hope this does not eventuate. While 2016 was a poor year for him he has demonstrated great promise with his strength both on the ground and overhead. He can kick a goal.

An uninterrupted pre season and a solid go in  2017 should show. what he can do

I tend to agree with that, especially since his second season was interrupted by the problems he had with his ankle so we didn't get to see the improvement the club expected with a solid pre season behind him.

However, at this stage he would be on the verge of best 22 and definitely a solid depth player and that's exactly what gives him currency as a possible player to be traded, especially given that we have a dynamic big bodied young gun like Clayton Oliver on board who is no doubt well ahead of AVB in the selectors' minds.

Seems to me that VDB is a natural on baller who is being played forward in order to create more tackling pressure up there.  Would love to see him fit & given a few games in the midfield.

So hard to say. I have to agree with BBO, we will know by the end of next year. 2015 he showed so much promise, this year there were only brief flashes. In general he was a passenger. If he was managing an ankle then maybe that explains things. Needs a big year or as mentioned will become trade bait or depth. 

As Jack Dyer used to say, he was the type of player "who was where the ball aint".

He is massively overrated around here, I assume largely based on handful of games early in 2015. Since then he has been a non-contributor in almost every game he has played.

He is a good size, but he doesn't get the ball nearly enough. His handballing this year was the worst I have seen from any AFL player ever, although his kicking is okay.

We will only be on the rise as a club when guys like Vandenberg are not gifted games just because of what they have done in the past.

He was clearly injured all year with his ankle, will be a far better player in 2017 if he can get fit.