The term ‘intelligent footballer’ may appear to be an oxymoron but contrary to popular belief not all AFL players conform to the perception that they are simpletons.
To label someone as intelligent is probably too broad a statement.
Obviously there are differing opinions on what it is exactly that makes a person intelligent – see Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory – and judging someone based on their ENTER score or tertiary qualifications would be inaccurate.
Achieving a high ENTER score requires much more than smarts.
Other factors such as time management and the individual’s dedication to studies are major factors in determining how students go in their final year of schooling.
A high score is likely to correlate well with someone that has a driven personality, which incidentally is also a prerequisite for being successful in the AFL.
Perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe the footballers mentioned in this article as ‘educated’, however it is clear that the players are far from pea-brains.
It is an unshakeable myth that the majority of footballers at the top level possess low intelligence.
This view is often held by people with little to no involvement with football clubs, either locally or professionally.
However this is simply not the case and for every Wayne Carey or Warwick Capper that graces the field, there are those that go against the trend of the stereotypical ‘dumb footballer’.
Arguably the most notable academic is former Carlton ruckman Mike Fitzpatrick. It is not a figure of speech when Fitzpatrick is introduced as a Rhodes Scholar.
Shortly after transferring to Carlton in 1975, Fitzpatrick was offered a prestigious Rhodes scholarship to study politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford University in London.
He would return to Australia to forge a successful playing career with the Blues and is now the current chairman of the AFL and has been a commissioner since 2003.
Fitzpatrick is one of the lucky people in life that are gifted in more than one area.
Dr Matthew Liptak is another that fits into that category. Liptak was a more than capable footballer with the Adelaide Crows during the 90s but it was his achievements off the field that comes as a surprise to many.
Liptak completed a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery at Flinders University in 1996, while also taking out the Crows’ Club Champion award – an extraordinary achievement.
While Liptak’s playing days are over, he continues to practice as an orthopaedic surgeon in his hometown of Adelaide.
With the demands that are placed on current-day AFL footballers, it is increasingly harder for these full-time athletes to concentrate on their studies and other interests outside of football.
However, many do make use of their limited time away from their clubs to prepare for a career after football. Geelong premiership player Harry Taylor is an interesting character.
He is an avid military buff, a student of history and made a decision not to nominate for the draft as an 18-year-old in order to concentrate on his university studies as a physiotherapist.
Another player opted against nominating for the draft in order to focus on his studies was Fremantle midfielder Matt de Boer.
After achieving high marks in his final year of school, the Docker is studying law, the same degree chosen by players such as Melbourne forward Chris Dawes and Richmond big man Ty Vickery.
Western Bulldogs’ former ruck combination of Will Minson and Ben Hudson were perhaps the most intelligent ruck duo in the competition.
Minson speaks fluent German and studies civil engineering while Hudson, who is currently at Collingwood, is a qualified physiotherapist.
Another Bulldogs player Ayce Cordy is studying medicine, which is something former Geelong midfielder Simon Hogan is interested in pursuing after receiving a 98.20 ENTER score.
Ex West Coast player Tom Swift finished in the top 40 students in Western Australia with an entrance score in the high 98s and opted on retiring from the AFL to focus on becoming a doctor.
Similarly, Demons utility Stefan Martin scored an amazing 99.75 to finish in the top 40 Victorian students and is studying a science/law double degree.
Not only do Luke Ball and Chris Judd have a PhD in football smarts, both were high achievers in the classroom.
Ball scored a 98.80 while attending Xavier College while Judd scored 96.20 at Caulfield Grammar.
Coincidently, both players were high draft picks in the same year with Ball being selected by the Saints at selection two and Judd coming immediately after with selection three from the Eagles.
Other footballers show their intelligence in different ways. Robert Murphy comes across as an articulate person in his self-penned newspaper columns, as does Tiger Daniel Jackson in the articles that he has written.
The aforementioned players are among many running around in the AFL that have achieved high scores in year 12 or have dedicated plenty of their time to further studies outside of the game.
It must be a tough ask to juggle full-time professional sport with higher education, and this article is proof that footballers are not just one-trick ponies.
Billy Bob
Guest
People who define intelligence and frame discussion of it in the way that this article does, are not that bright. I'd rather see an article on the intelligence (or rather logic and context vacuum) involved in sports commentary. AFL and NRL sycophants due to their codes' popularity and appeal to so many non-Rhodes scholar Australians run a severe risk of disappearing up their own backsides. Lauded by the many they could become, victims of COU (Centre of Universe) Syndrome.
Roundman
Guest
One Rhodes Schollar out of 10,000 AFL players since 1975..........how many Rhodes Schollars out of up to 23 million Australians ? The ratio is far worse!!! Robbert James Lee Hawke was a Rhodes Scholar.....for downing a pint in three seconds??????? The whole context of this article is demeaning and senseless. Football, of all codes, has given us doctors, dentists, teachers, physiotherapists, Members of Parliament,( for God's sake). To belittle AFL footballers in this manner is basic and mindless journalism.
Gecko
Guest
Jackson's article is interesting, but his definition of 'intelligent' is pretty narrow and old-fashioned. And most comments above have followed his definition like sheep. If intelligence is using your brain to achieve something good for yourself or others, it can't be measured by results in school. Several Australian Prime Ministers achieved their position without having great academic backgrounds - they had political intelligence. Many AFL coaches achieved premierships without having great academic backgrounds - they knew how to motivate players and analyse football. Every AFL player is extremely intelligent at making quick decisions about where to run, how to dispose of the ball under pressure, etc.(except maybe ruckmen - now they're mostly dumb). Maybe a more broad-minded article would examine the different kinds of intelligence displayed by different players.
The_Hoff
Guest
Acker speaks fluent bs
Exocet
Guest
Chairman Over the top Boxer and Abbott held up the Syd Uni scrum for years when they were belted and his law degree is OK. Rhodes scholars have a broad selection criteria but they were slanted more towards sport in Abbotts days which is what Rhodes in essence wanted but the trustees have "let standards slip a bit" lately....
Dean
Guest
You need a high connection/recommendation to get in. Basically you have to know somebody who's either very well known or knows somebody on the selection panel. Bill Gates' wife is a computer science and economics MBA and valedictorian. Most likely smarter than everybody listed above, possibly Bill too. She, along with Bill was named as Time's people of the year. They've donated $24 billion to their charitable foundation. Not a barbie doll, looks wise, but not unattractive Or you could be one of the 'boofheads' and either marry your high school crush or some barbie doll. Did you see that awful program footballers wives? True some players marry non-barbie dolls, but they're probably the minority. I'd take Bill's wife over the lot of them.
joe
Guest
am I the only one who doesn't care if footballers are smart or not?
clipper
Guest
That's true Floyd, but I wonder what the comparison would be between VIC and WA, where AR is a broad cross section and NSW where AR is a little more exclusive.
c
Guest
very good point about the nrl boys bill. congats to theaforementioned afl boys education is good as for warwick he may not be as dumb as he led us to believe
Chairman Kaga
Guest
Tony Abbot is a "Rhodes Scholar". He got in not because of his academic results. In fact he did a really Mickey Mouse degree, it was because someone on the selection panel was someone he knew from his rugby club/connections. Bit of an indictment on the whole thing after I found that out. Intelligence only gets you so far. Also, have you seen the women these "boofheads" pair up with? Compare that to what the clowns at mensa get. How is Bill Gates and regular Star Trek watcher going with the ladies?
Patrick Hargreaves
Roar Guru
Yeah a lot of players study at university, maybe no law or medicine, but I know a few are doing Communications degrees etc. 'Cause unlike say European football, in the AFL you have to be 18 to enter the draft which usually means you've completed/completing final year of high school - enter university. Saying footballers are generally dumb because they're footballers is just as ignorant as saying aboriginal or sudanese are generally stupid.
Australian Rules
Guest
Federal Court Justice.
KNACKERS
Guest
ALL Rhodes Scholars are academic high achievers . It's ignorant and silly to say they aren't . I've known a number of VFL/AFL players and would sy that historically they are very represenative of the wider community cognitively speaking although since full time professionalism has come in the average has dropped as some people now opt for study and recreational sport given that serious football is so fulltime from the age of 15
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Aussie Rules covers a broad cross section of society. So it's bound to have a greater number of high achievers in its ranks than Rugby League. That's not an inflammatory remark, it's just how it is.
Strummer Jones
Guest
"It is an unshakeable myth that the majority of footballers* at the top level possess low intelligence" Hmmm, says who? * I assume you mean "AFL Players"?
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Isn't former Saints player, Mordy Bromberg a High Court Judge or similar? I've admired him since he put right wing demagogue Andrew Bolt back in his place.
Dean
Guest
Being a Rhodes Scholar doesn't automatically equal being intelligent. Tony Abbott is a Rhodes Scholar too. It's basically for high achievers with high ranking connections. One Rhodes Scholar out of 10,000 VFL/AFL players since 1975 isn't a very high proportion. Plus, many of these players achieve high enter scores after receiving scholarships to private schools because of football. Judging from the list above and the thousands of footballers who the sample is drawn from, the conclusion would be that the intelligence within the AFL playing community would be, on average, below that of the mainstream population. But, as the author points out, not all of them are without intelligence. It's the way of the world that people who aren't inclined to the intellectual arts are drawn to the arena. You wouldn't want all your intelligent people playing football while the meatheads run the enterprise.
Nomenclature
Guest
NRL rep players such as Kevin Ryan was a solicitor (although he started in Rugby Union), John Adam former Norths captain was also a solicitor (although he started at Gordon Rugby), Dr Nathan Gibbs (Swan and NSW SOO doctor), Dr George Peponis (both NSW RL players) etc
Rooboy
Guest
Last week, four-time Premiership-winning medallist Martin Pike was asked what North had to do to stop giving up five goal leads. Pikey replied "Win by ten goals". We all know what happened next.
Bill C
Guest
Craig McRae is a qualified School Teacher. I believe Nigel Smart studied Political Science. Matthew Clarke is a qualified Vet. Jason Ackermanis speaks Spanish, fluent? They're just the ones I know of without looking it up. Whenever players are interviewed post game, they are mostly articulate, there are exceptions of course. Compare the way AFL players speak in interviews with the way NRL players speak. AFL players are possibly taught how to handle the media and it shows, many NRL players come across as mumbling, monosyllabic. Again there are exceptions, but geez they need to work on their media training.