The AFL has a long history of
sporting legends that have gone on to prove their worth for their teams. Each
legend has certain something have set them ahead of the pack when it comes to
physical and mental strength and focus. From the tallest AFL player in history,
to some of the fastest AFL players that you see in the modern game, here are a
few of the AFL player stats that have changed the way the modern game is
played.
The Oldest AFL Player
In some sports, age is just a
number, but in the aggressive, physically demanding world of the AFL age can be
a factor in determining your presence on the pitch. It may seem as though modern
players are getting younger with each season, but don’t tell that to DustinFletcher – currently the oldest active player in the AFL at 39 yrs.
Fletcher, who currently plays for
Essendon is one of the modern game’s finest defenders, having played in over
396 games for the club and 7 major games for the national side. Retiring from
international duty in 2014, Fletcher continues to show his wise head at the
back of the field for Essendon, running the game from the back and earning his
place in history as the oldest active player.
The oldest AFL player in history
was St. Kilda legend Vic Cumberland. Playing up to the age of 43 before
retiring, Vic was known for his ruthless style and passion for the game. He
died a few years after retirement from a motorcycle accident, but that didn’t
stop him from taking his place in the history books, and to this day is the
oldest ever player of professional AFL football.
The Highest Paid AFL Player
Due to the immense popularity
that AFL has always had, money in the sport has never been hard to come by. As
clubs get richer from the ticket sales and merchandise the price of players
also increases, with a number of high profile acquisitions taking place in
recent seasons. Although the number of $1m plus players has diminished over
previous seasons, more players are earning in the region of $500,000 a year.
It is believed that the two top
earners in AFL are Gold Coast’s Gary Ablett who is thought to be earning at
least $1m per season, Carlton’s Chris Judd and Nick Riewoldt of St. Kilda.
The Average AFL salary is thought
to increase to a whopping $300,000 this season based on previous figures, with
all teams spending roughly $181.5 million on players and wages. This trend is
expected to continue, but with salary caps and regulations coming into force,
it will take an impressive accountant to pick the perfect team.
The Shortest AFL Player
Though many people think that
size and strength is an important factor in determining your abilities at a
given sport, team sports such as AFL require a good balance of speed, power,
strength and intelligence to create the perfect side. Some players have what it
takes in the form of many of these factors, while others break the rules on
physical presence even at short statures.
The shortest player to ever play
in the AFL was Jim “Nipper” Bradford who played for North Melbourne and
Collingwood during the 1940s. He stood at a height of 153cm but didn’t let his
diminutive size hold him back as he was named as the rover in Camberwell
Football Club’s team of the century.
The shortest AFL player in the
modern game is Caleb Daniel who plays for Western Bulldogs. Again, not letting
his smaller size hold him back, in the draft combine he scored an equal best of
16.1 in the beep test.
The Tallest AFL Player
Height plays a part in certain
aspects of the game, but jumping ability proves even more important in the air.
If you combine those two attributes you get one of the best tactical advantages
in the fast, modern game. The title of the tallest AFL player in the modern
game goes to Fremantle player Aaron Sandilands at a whopping 211cm.
Sandiland’s height plays an
important factor in the way he plays, with his massive reach and leaping
ability, Sandilands controls the air in devastating form as ruckman. Sandilands
is the tallest AFL player ever along with Western Bulldogs player Peter Street.
Fastest AFL Player
Speed, agility and a tactical
mind set are what’s needed to play AFL at the very highest level, and a
combination of these abilities will set you in good form throughout your
career. Some of the fastest players to ever play in the AFL have appeared in
recent years, and are known for their lightning quickness.
Each year the AFL conducts a
series of tests on each player to determine their overall scores in a number of
skills including leap, sprint and a 3km run. These scores can help determine
the fastest AFL players in each of the sections. The best ever agility run was
made by Stephen Hill of Fremantle, scoring a total of 7.7 in the tests.
The 20m sprint test is claimed by
Joel Wilkinson of Gold Coast with a score of 2.75 seconds. This lightning speed
over short distances has helped Joel Wilkinson to become an essential pick in
the draft. The beep test, or shuttle run is a good test of a player’s speed and
agility, with Billy Hartung scoring an impressive 16.06 to be the fastest AFL
player ever.
Youngest AFL Player
In the AFL, many older players
have become essential in a team pick due to their wise decisions and playmaking
abilities. Whilst the younger players have fresh agility, speed and physical
prowess, some of the youngest players to ever play for a senior squad have
arrived in recent seasons.
The youngest AFL player ever was
Claude Clough who made his debut for St. Kilda at the young age of 15 years and
209 days old. Back in 1900, much was put on the athleticism of younger players,
who had a penchant for speed, agility and dynamism within the early game.
Sports records are fun to look
back on as part of the history of the game, as well as learning new things
about your favourite players and games. Some of the best AFL athletic sports records have been made in recent times and some think that with the current
crop of players and teams, those records will surely be broken in the not too
distant future.
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