Polkinghorne possesses an exceptional leaping ability thanks to his volleyball background with St. Bernard's College and for the U15 Victorian schoolboys side.
[1] Polkinghorne is a high possession winner and utility player who excels at the stoppages.
In 2007 he made his senior debut with Coburg in the Victorian Football League (VFL) as part of a trial program.
Runner-up in the Calder Cannons' Best and Fairest award for 2007, he is the son of former Hawthorn player Robert Polkinghorne, nephew of Hawks star David Polkinghorne.
[2] Polkinghorne received considerable media attention for kicking a match winning torpedo goal from backward of the centre square in the dying minutes of Brisbane's round 10, 2012 victory over ladder leaders West Coast.