Career
Originally from Mooroolbark, he was drafted by Essendon with the 20th selection in the 2006 rookie draft from Eastern Ranges in TAC Cup. He was elevated to the main list in 2007, playing one game late in the 2007 season. Hocking is a solid and hard-at-it midfielder, who primarily plays a defensive tagging role on opposition midfielders.
He finished second in the Essendon"s best and fairest award, the Crichton Medal, in 2010 and fifth in 2011.
On 12 January 2016 Hocking was named as one of 34 past and present Essendon players found guilty over their use of illegal supplements during the 2012 American Federation of Labor-Congress season. As a result, Hocking was suspended for twelve months, effective from November 2015, meaning he will miss the entire 2016 American Federation of Labor-Congress season.