There was once a time when an AFL team ran out onto the field made up of a hodgepodge of different heights and body shapes.
Players of varying athletic ability were able to play at the highest level as long as they had the talent, determination and football nous to compete.
The ruckman usually stood out, towering above all except perhaps for his second, if there was one, and the four key position players.
The rovers and forward pockets were harder to notice, while the rest of team was more often than not made up of flankers and ruck rover types.
Modern AFL teams now have a sameness that is not only a concern for those talented but less athletic young players, but also the supporters who could once identify with a player of similar physique.
Any bloke with a bulging waistline, sitting on the couch with beer in hand, would get a burst of adrenaline watching the galloping gasometer Mick Nolan bounce his way towards goal in the seventies? As would those who looked up to anyone taller than average height, or couldn’t run to save their lives, cheering on the likes of Greg Williams and Tony Shaw in the eighties and early nineties.
During the telecast of a game involving Carlton earlier this season the commentators were discussing first year midfielder Patrick Cripps. One made the point that Cripps, at 194cm, was a good deal taller than Carlton team of the century ruckman John Nicholls, who stood at only 189cm.
Of course Cripps is by no means the exception, he is now the rule. Collingwood Skipper Scott Pendlebury is listed most weeks in the Magpies line up as rover, or to be more precise, the third follower. At 191cm he towers over 1990 premiership captain Tony Shaw, who during his illustrious 313 game career as a rover/forward pocket was listed at a mere 170cm.
Jordan Lewis (186), Luke Shuey (183), Andrew Swallow (183), Luke Parker (183) and Josh Caddy (186) were all listed in the same position in Round 20.
Standing at 190cm, Fremantle midfielder and Brownlow Medal favourite Nat Fyfe is considered by many to be the quintessential modern day footballer. Tall, fast, agile, as good above his head as he is at ground level, and a superb athlete.
And therein the issue lies. Recruiters are now looking to draft athletes rather than footballers, believing they can teach these natural athletes the skills of the game.
While young and talented footballers around the country may be earmarked early as being potential AFL players in the future, as they rise through the ranks it is just as much their athletic ability as any football skills that keeps them in the forefront of recruiters’ minds.
Indeed the annual draft combine not only analyses the football skills of potential draftees, but also their athletic ability. Players who may not have made as much of an impression as others in under 18s competitions throughout the season are looked at in a new light should they excel at the combine.
While there is no doubting the amazing prowess of the modern footballer, one has to wonder how long this trend will continue, and where it will eventually lead.
Would Tony Lockett – arguably the greatest full forward of all time, and the games’ leading goal kicker – even get drafted today? Plugger was not the most disciplined of players, nor was he renowned for his fitness, but he once kicked 12 goals in a game from only 14 possessions – which surpasses the efforts of Cyril Rioli last week, who has been acclaimed for his 12-disposal game on the weekend which yielded five goals.
Rioli is one of the few players left in the AFL under six feet tall, and is arguably the most exciting player in the competition. Other little men, such as Eddie Betts, Hayden Ballantyne, Jarryd Blair, Lachie Neal, Paul Puopolo and Brent Harvey, are loved by their respective clubs’ supporters for their willingness to take on the comparative giants around them.
In Round 14 this year the AFL’s new shortest player, Caleb Daniel, came on for his first game early in the third quarter against Carlton. It took him less than half a game to become a cult figure among Bulldogs supporters due to his tenacity and willingness to contest with players almost twice his size.
Unfortunately players of Daniel’s stature are getting rarer. Those that do make it more often than not enter the AFL system through the rookie draft after toiling away and proving themselves in second-tier competitions. Seldom are they picked up in the national draft, and if they are it is unusual to see one in the first or second rounds.
There are many football pundits that lament the loss of characters in the game, questioning if the players are becoming too homogenised. It would be a tragedy if this homogenisation spread to the game itself, leading to a situation where the only possible way to identify individual players in the future would be by the number on the back of their guernseys.
Paul
Roar Rookie
Cheers, was aware of the other players, i think there was also a recent tryout for more ruckman types in the US, i know there are plenty of examples of Americans over here, a couple ATM are playing for Temora up in the Riverina.
Perry Bridge
Guest
He's the first of what is termed American born and bred. Guys like Don Pyke (born USA) and Sanford Wheeler (born in USA and moved to Aust age 5) have been before. Holmes is the first US code conversion project player to crack a senior game although Collingwood had Shae MacNamara on their list for a couple of years and he did play against the Swans in a NAB preseason match (and contested against Canadian Mike Pyke). Holmes - interestingly has a brother Andre who is a receiver for the Oakland Raiders. There's a couple of other US project players around including Mason Cox at Collingwood who is considered a chance for a game already in his first season. Eric Wallace at North Melb (North Ballarat to Werribee this season). The clear opportunity for these guys is as ruckmen. However - as Pyke has shown - developing the ability to push forward and grab a mark and slot a goal is an important skill development, and, the flip side is to contest defensively to not let the opposition ruckman run them around and expose them close to goal. So - even though ruck might be considered 'easier' - it's not easy - you can imagine what a Goldstein would do to a novice. St Kilda play Geelong this week who are light on for rucks - whereas they played North last week and did not bring Holmes in for that one.
Paul
Roar Rookie
Didn't know that, hope he has a good one, would he be the first American to play ?.
Perry Bridge
Guest
and work rate, resilience, dedication and determination etc. Which is why Mike Pyke succeeded and Karmichael Hunt and Izzie Folau failed. And now - we see how Jason Holmes goes with his debut set for this weekend for St Kilda.
Paul
Roar Rookie
You can only get as tall as your genetics allow, you need luck, good food and no sickness etc during all the growing phases.
Paul
Roar Rookie
Cut back on I/C numbers and we may return to more natural footballers and a slowing down of the game.. Good article BTW
Axle an the Guru
Guest
Good article. I think your athleticism has definitely eroded the skill level,clubs seem to be more worried now about how many miles a bloke can run in a game then how many of his disposals accually hit a target. I prefer the long kick high marking game personally,but it's more a fast possession handball game now and some people prefer it that way. Each to their own.
Ron Jeremy
Guest
Sorry I missed your point Jamie. Great article. Thanks. Ron
Oliver Bryant
Roar Rookie
I think we also need to take into consideration that average heights have been steadily going up and so where it was rare to see lots of 190cm people in the past, it is much more common now and the elite teams need to pick those types of players to combat other teams 190cm players. Good article though.
Jamie Radford
Roar Pro
That's my point Ron. In league the days of the Tooveys, Langers and co are well gone, and while there are still little blokes running around in the AFL, there are not as many and they are not quite as small as they used to be. I'd hate to see AFL go the same way as the two rugby codes.
Jamie Radford
Roar Pro
Good point about the drainage Perry. Certainly would be a contributing factor.
Jamie Radford
Roar Pro
Cheers Dougie
Ron Jeremy
Guest
I don't follow AFL at all, so as an outsider looking in, I reckon your article is completely incorrect. To me (and I accept I may be totally wrong here) the beauty and appeal of AFL nowadays as opposed to previously is that it's speed has actually made the game more accessible to smaller, faster players. This is turn, makes the game more appealing to play (and therefore follow) for more kids. Contrast it with my 2 fave sports rugby and rugby league. Both, for various reasons have become power sports and have trended over the recent decades towards having bigger players at all levels (including at junior level). Rugby, in particular has changed in that respect dramatically since it (formally) went pro in 1995. Rugby (somewhat ignorantly as usual) crows about how it is a game for all body shapes and sizes. Shapes maybe ... but sizes, no way. In the 1970s we had fast, elusive Wallaby superstars like Russell Fairfax and Ken Wright who played at maybe 70-75kgs. Greg Alexander played first grade for Penrith RL and for the Kangaroos at maybe the same weight. None of that would be remotely possible now, which is a loss to both games IMO. My long winded point is, AFL should be relishing the fact it's a sport that can be played by smaller blokes even at the elite level. Ron.
Perry Bridge
Guest
I might suggest people in general are a bit taller. The athleticism aspect - well, there's always been an element of needing pure athleticism but also skill and decision making. Clubs have certainly realised in recent times that - and Hawthorn has helped illustrate this - that skill by foot in particular is crucial. Certainly there appear to be a number of 200cm key position players. Going back 20 years the key position players were more around 192-194cm and before that around 186-191 cm. However - mobility was always an advantage and looking back at the likes of Robert Walls and Royce Hart - they were mobile/tall/lean/athletes. Peter Moore may have been a dual brownlow ruckman - but, in '77 he was a high leaping forward. Still yet to see the US basketballer come ruckman really succeed - Cox and Holmes are showing signs but - Mike Pyke is ironically the greatest story and he came to us. Perhaps the days of a 'mosquito fleet' are gone. But - so too are the days of boggy cricket pitches in the middle of the ground. And that was less to do with the AFL than it was to do with the modern era of stadium management and the removal of the MCG camber and improved drainage and sub-strata.
Pumping Dougie
Roar Guru
Good article Jamie.
Lroy
Guest
They had this debate in soccer at one point.. players in the 1970's began to go full time pro, were fitter could cover more ground. The Italian side AC Milan always maintained they chose footballers first, not athletes. In the end, it was easier to get a talented footballer fit than teach an athlete to play football. Its why I like guys like Hayden Ballantyne, good to see the little guys can still get a run ;-)
Trev
Roar Rookie
Hardly a new thing. Late 90's early 2000's there was Kouta, Goodes, Bruce, Embley running around the midfield at around the 190cm mark. For a while I agree athletes rather then footy players started to take over but they were more trying to be turned into key position players like O'hAplin and Tom Williams.... Now with VFL, SANAFL,WAFL players getting more chances it seems clubs are willing to give footballers a chance again, even though you still hear of some bloke from the US whose tall and run getting a rookie spot. Don't believe the little bloke who can play footy is lost though, just got to look the Doggies giving Daniel, Dahlhaus, Honeychurch ago.