- Brothers are in Philadelphia together
- Shared an expensive bottle of champagne
AFL legend Anthony Rocca has cracked open the bubbly with his fellow footy great brother Sav to celebrate a huge win in his battle with cancer.
Sav Rocca played for Collingwood and the Kangaroos in the AFL, amassing 748 goals across his career and becoming a Collingwood Hall of Fame inductee.
After retiring from AFL, he transitioned to American football, playing as a punter for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins in the NFL.
Anthony also enjoyed a stellar AFL career, playing 242 AFL games and kicking 415 goals for Collingwood and Sydney.
Now the two brothers have connected in Philadelphia, where Sav played for the Eagles, to share some of the finest champagne that they have been saving for a special occasion.
Anthony, who was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after experiencing persistent back pain in July, 2024, has announced he is officially in remission.
Sav (right) and Anthony Rocca crack open the champagne to celebrate Anthony being in remission after his cancer treatment
Anthony Rocca had an enormous career in the AFL, along with his brother who would later become an NFL punter
‘Anthony brought me this bottle of Champagne Pol Roger when I signed at the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007,’ Sav posted to Instagram.
‘Tonight we opened it to celebrate his official remission!
‘I’m so proud of Anth and his resilience and positivity throughout his journey. Love you bro ‘
Anthony, 47, stepped away from his coaching role with the Northern Knights in the Victorian statewide under-18 competition to focus on treatment in 2024, undergoing six months of chemotherapy.
‘I’m fortunate to be able to say that all is looking great and it has gone to plan,’ Rocca wrote at the time.
‘A heartfelt thank you to my oncologist, nurses and all the staff at Epworth hospital.
‘They are truly remarkable, caring and show great teamwork dealing with people with challenging circumstances.
‘I am feeling great and looking forward (to) 2025. Thank you to everyone who has called and texted, your love and support is greatly appreciated.’
Anthony Rocca is looking forward to spending time with his loved ones now that his treatment is complete
The former AFL star’s determination to beat the disease played a key role in his recovery.
‘I’ll beat this,’ Rocca said at the time.
‘No one likes the dreaded ‘c’ word, it is even hard for me to say it now.
‘No one likes to be told you have got that sort of illness. But I am the sort of person who deals with what is front of me.
‘When I found out, I was like ‘how do we treat it, how do we deal with it, when can we get started on treatment and what’s the plan?’
It was welcome news for their friends and family, with plenty of supportive messages flowing along with the champagne.
‘This is amazing news guys! All our love,’ one follower posted.
‘So happy to see this!!!! We are gonna stop letting him win poker now,’ said another.
‘What a wonderful way to celebrate,’ another added.
AFL forward Travis Cloke shared a love heart emoji while Carlton legend Anthony Koutoufides wrote: ‘Great news.’
