Football (Australian rules) positions

In the sport of Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

, each of the eighteen players in a team are assigned to a particular named position on the field of play. These positions describe both the player's main role and by implication their location on the ground. As the game has evolved, tactics and team formations have changed, and the names of the positions and the duties involved have evolved too. In total there are 18 positions in Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

, not including 4 (sometimes 6 - 8) interchange players who may come onto the ground at any time during play to replace another player.

The fluid nature of the modern game means the positions in football are not as formally defined as in sports such as rugby

Rugby football

Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

or American football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

. Even so, most players will play in a limited range of positions throughout their career, as each position requires a particular set of skills. Footballers who are able to play comfortably in numerous positions are referred to as utility players.

Full Back

The fullback position has traditionally been a purely defensive role, with the aim of preventing the full-forward from marking the ball and scoring. However, in recent times, where the ability to move the ball out of defense and down the field quickly has become a more important tactic, the fullback often starts a chain of passes up the ground. The defensive aspect of the position remains important, with the ability to accelerate and change direction quickly. Spoiling the ball is also of utmost importance. The fullback often kicks the ball back into play after a point has been scored, although some teams prefer a midfielder or the small back pockets for this role, freeing the (typically taller) fullback player to attempt to mark the kick in.

Notable Full Backs:

Simon Prestigiacomo
Simon Prestigiacomo
Simon 'Presti' Prestigiacomo is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.-Early career: forward line:...
Matthew Scarlett
Matthew Scarlett
Matthew Scarlett is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A fullback, tall and weighing , Scarlett is the eldest son of former Geelong footballer John Scarlett....
Stephen Silvagni
Stephen Silvagni
Stephen Silvagni is a former Australian rules footballer for the Carlton Football Club.During his long VFL/AFL career, from his debut in 1985, until his retirement in 2001, he gained the reputation as one of the greatest ever full-backs to play the game and was named as full-back in the AFL Team...
Ashley McIntosh
Ashley McIntosh
Ashley McIntosh was an Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League. He played a total of 242 games for the club and is the son of former St Kilda and Claremont player John McIntosh....
Jack Regan
Jack Regan
Jack Regan was an Australian rules footballer, who played 196 games with the Collingwood Football Club.Regan was known as The Prince of Fullbacks. He was regarded by many as the greatest fullback of all time but, controversially, was denied a position in the Australian Football League's Team of...
Ben Rutten
Ben Rutten
Benjamin "Truck" Rutten is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League . He is known for his size, strength and ability to contain some of the game's best forwards....
Darren Glass
Darren Glass
Darren Glass is an Australian rules footballer for the AFL's West Coast Eagles. He wears number 23 guernsey.He was recruited as the number 11 draft pick in the 1999 AFL Draft from Perth...
Mick Martyn
Chris Langford
Chris Langford
Chris Langford is a former professional Australian rules footballer who is currently a game administrator.Langford is best known for his 303 game career for the Hawthorn Hawks between 1983 and 1997. He captained the club in the 1994 season and earned All-Australian selection. It was his second...
Mal Michael
Mal Michael
Malcolm Roberto "Mal" Michael is a former Australian rules footballer. He is notable for his successful professional Australian Football League career. Following a career spanned 238 games and three clubs in two Australian states he is best known as a triple premiership full-back with the...
Dustin Fletcher
Dustin Fletcher
Dustin Fletcher is an Australian rules footballer with the Essendon Football Club. He is renowned as one of the finest defenders in the AFL, and has played at full-back for his team for many years. He is the son of former Bombers captain Ken Fletcher...
Darren Gaspar
Darren Gaspar
Darren Gaspar is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League .-Sydney Swans career :...
Gary Malarkey
Gary Malarkey
Gary Malarkey is a former Australian rules footballer.He began his professional career with East Perth where he played 101 games and was a member of their 1972 premiership team. He was awarded the club fairest and best in 1973....
David Dench
David Dench
David Dench is a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League. He played his whole career with North Melbourne Football Club at one of its most successful periods....
Shane Wakelin
Shane Wakelin
Shane Wakelin is a former Australian rules footballer for St Kilda and Collingwood in the Australian Football League.-AFL career:...
Brian Lake

Back Pocket

The back pocket refers to a position on the field deep in defence.

Back pocket players need to have good spoiling skills and usually, quality back-pockets are noted for their hardness. Back pockets generally play on the smaller, faster forward pockets and let the fullback play on the stronger full forward.

Some back-pockets are small, fast players, whose role is to clear a loose ball from defence or play on a forward of similar size and speed. Others are 'mid-sized' defenders, with enough height and strength to contest or spoil marks and enough mobility to fulfil the first role.

Back pocket is not an exclusive position. Tall defenders (i.e. full back/centre half-back) may play in the back pocket to match up effectively on a tall forward playing in the forward pocket.

Notable Back Pockets:

Bernie Smith
Bernie Smith
Bernard Keith "Bernie" Smith was an Australian rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League and VFL, who is perhaps best remembered as one of the greatest back pockets in the history of the game.-SANFL career:Smith commenced his career with West Adelaide in the SANFL as a 16...
John Worsfold
John Worsfold
John Worsfold is a former Australian rules footballer who represented in the West Australian Football League and the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League . He also represented Western Australia in State of Origin matches...
Glenn Archer
Glenn Archer
Glenn Archer is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played his entire career with the North Melbourne Football Club.Archer had a reputation as one of the most courageous players ever to play the game...
James Clement
James Clement
James Clement is a former professional Australian rules footballer for Collingwood and Fremantle in the Australian Football League...
Shane Parker
Shane Parker (footballer)
Shane Parker is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club. He made his debut in 1995, Fremantle's inaugural year in the Australian Football League....
David Wirrpanda
David Wirrpanda
David Selwyn Wirrpanda is a former Australian rules footballer, who played for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League between 1996 and 2009...
Chris Johnson
Ang Christou
Ang Christou
Ang Christou is a former Australian rules footballer for Carlton in the Australian Football League.-Football career:Christou played for the Carlton Football Club and along with Anthony Koutoufides was a popular figure as a Greek Australian.In 2001, Christou had a solid pre-season, but missed the...
Gavin Wanganeen
Gavin Wanganeen
Gavin Adrian Wanganeen is a retired Australian rules footballer, playing in two Australian Football League premierships with Essendon and Port Adelaide. Wanganeen is a Brownlow Medallist and is considered one of the finest indigenous players ever...
Darren Milburn
Darren Milburn
Darren Milburn , is an AFL assistant Coach for the Adelaide Crows and a retired Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
Campbell Brown
Campbell Brown (footballer)
Campbell Brown is an Australian rules footballer who has previously won a premiership with the Hawthorn Football Club and currently plays for the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League .-AFL career:...
Ben Hart
Ben Hart
Benjamin "Ben" Hart is a retired Australian rules footballer, who played with the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League...

Centre Half-Back

The centre half-back ideally needs to be considerably strong, tall, fast and courageous. Centre half-back is considered a key position in defence.
There are two main styles of centre half-back. The more defensive, one-on-one centre half-backs, stick to the centre half forwards and try to take them out of the game. Other teams use a more attacking and loose (i.e. not marking his man closely) player at CHB that will try and rebound the ball out of defence and make the transition into attack a lot quicker.
A traditional centre half-back is a mixture of the two, however in the modern game there is not much difference between a centre half-back and a full-back. A full-back will often play against the centre half-forward if they suit their opponent.

Notable Centre Half-Backs:

Glen Jakovich
Glen Jakovich
Glen Jakovich is a former Australian rules footballer for the West Coast Eagles.Glen was recruited from South Fremantle in Western Australia and debuted in 1991 and played most of his career at the Centre Half Back position, in the number 27 gernsey...
Justin Leppitsch
Justin Leppitsch
Justin "Leppa" Leppitsch is a former Australian rules footballer who was a key defender for the Brisbane Lions.Leppitsch played with the Hawthorn Under 19s as a 16-year old in 1991, however did not make the Hawks' senior list...
Tom Harley
Tom Harley
Thomas 'Tom' Harley is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
Chad Cornes
Chad Cornes
Chad Studley Cornes is a Australian rules footballer, who is contracted to play for Greater Western Sydney in 2012, in the Australian Football League...
Chris Mew
Chris Mew
Chris Mew is a former Australian rules footballer who was a permanent member of the Hawthorn Hawks side during the 1980s.A defender, Mew usually played at centre half back and was a premiership player in 1983, 86, 88, 89 and 1991....
Peter Knights
Peter Knights
Peter Knights is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the finest centre half-backs to have played the game, despite suffering numerous injuries...
Sean Wellman
Sean Wellman
Sean Wellman is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Wellman was a tall key position player who arrived at the AFL's Adelaide Football Club from North Adelaide. He played 34 games across his first two seasons in 1994 and 1995, before moving to Essendon in 1996...
Nathan Bock
Nathan Bock
Nathan Bock is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League . He played for the Adelaide Football Club between 2002 and 2010, and announced in August 2010 that he would join the new Gold Coast Football Club in 2011.-Adelaide career:He was elevated off the Adelaide Football...

Half-Back Flank

The half-back flank is very similar to the back pocket position. However, a true half-back flanker is more attacking and concentrates on rebounding the ball out of the defensive 50. Sometimes half-back flankers even forgo their defensive duties in order to be more attacking. When a half-back flanker is attacking, they play like a wing-back in soccer (or an attacking full-back), and if they are more defensive then they play like a traditional full-back in soccer.

Notable Half-Back Flankers:

Guy McKenna
Guy McKenna
Guy Lindsay McKenna is an Australian rules football coach and former player. He is the current coach of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League . McKenna also played 267 games for the West Coast Eagles, including the 1992 and 1994 premiership wins...
Andrew McKay
Andrew McKay
Dr Andrew Ian McKay is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.McKay grew up in eastern South Australia, and played junior football for Lucindale in the Kowree-Naracoorte Football League. He moved to Adelaide and played senior SANFL football for Glenelg between 1991...
Bruce Doull
Bruce Doull
Bruce Doull is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Carlton Football Club....
Kevin Murray
Aussie Jones
Rohan Smith
Rohan Smith
Rohan H. Smith is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Debuting in 1992 after being recruited around 1990, Smith has long been one of the Bulldogs' favourite sons, with his reputation rising during the mid-1990s when he became one of the best half-backs in the league...
Andrew McLeod
Andrew McLeod
Andrew Luke McLeod is a former Australian rules footballer for the Adelaide Football Club. He is the games record holder for Adelaide, having played 340 games....
Peter Burgoyne
Peter Burgoyne
Peter Gabriel Burgoyne is a former Australian rules footballer with Port Adelaide in the Australian Football League. He played primarily in midfield and on the half back flank.-Early life:...
Ryan Lonie
Ryan Lonie
Ryan Lonie is a former Collingwood footballer in the Australian Football League. Lonie is a hard-running back flanker who over the duration of his seven years at the club threatened to become a game-breaking wingman, however he did not make the transition.-Early career :Lonie starred as a junior...
Nigel Smart
Nigel Smart
Nigel James Smart was an Australian rules footballer with the Adelaide Crows from 1991 to 2004. He was a defender who was a crowd favourite with his bald head and goatee....
Graham Johncock
Graham Johncock
Graham Johncock is an Australian rules football player with the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League.Graham is an indigenous Australian from near Port Lincoln in South Australia.-Career highlights:...
Luke Hodge
Luke Hodge
Luke Hodge is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
Brendon Goddard
Brendon Goddard
Brendon James Goddard is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League...
Josh Drummond
Josh Drummond
Josh Drummond is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League. He is a rebounding defender with a raking and pin-point left shoe. He is also capable of playing on a wing....
Corey Enright
Corey Enright
Corey Enright is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

Midfield

The midfield consists of the centre and the two wingmen. Centres are normally able to obtain the ball, be a link between defence and attack and possess very good kicking or hand-ball skills (usually on both sides of the body). They are also usually considered the "inside" midfielders, due to their responsibility in retrieving the football in close. Wingmen (of which there are two, on the left and right side) have a high level of stamina whilst having similar skills to that of a centre. They are usually considered the "outside" midfielders, due to the extra space and freedom they create for themselves. They often wait outside clearance situations for the ball to be 'fed' to them.

Notable Centres:

Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart (Australian rules footballer)
Ian Harlow Stewart , son of Aldo Liberale Cervi and Anita Cervi who separated three years after his birth, is a former Australian rules footballer with Hobart in the Tasmanian Football League , and in the Victorian Football League with St Kilda and Richmond...
Nathan Buckley
Nathan Buckley
Nathan Charles Buckley is a former professional Australian rules football player, commentator and coach, best known for his time as captain of the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
Michael Voss
Michael Voss
Michael Voss is the senior coach of the Brisbane Lions Australian Football League team and a former professional Australian rules footballer....
Greg Williams
Chris Judd
Chris Judd
Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
Maurice Rioli
Maurice Rioli
Maurice Rioli was an Australian rules football player best known for his time spent with the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League...
Mark Ricciuto
Mark Ricciuto
Mark Anthony Ricciuto is a former Australian rules football player, who played for the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League...
Ben Cousins
Ben Cousins
Benjamin Luke "Ben" Cousins is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his 270-game career with and in the Australian Football League ....
James Hird
James Hird
James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....
Shane Crawford
Shane Crawford
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
Scott West
Scott West
Scott West is a former Australian rules football player who played for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League...
Paul Couch
Paul Couch
Paul Couch is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for Geelong in the Australian Football League.Prior to playing with Geelong, Couch initially tried out with Fitzroy, but was rejected for being too slow....
Jimmy Bartel
Jimmy Bartel
James 'Jimmy' Bartel is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A midfielder at and , Bartel is a Brownlow Medallist, two-time All-Australian, and was part of the Cats' AFL premiership-winning teams in 2007, 2009 and 2011, being named the...

Notable Wingmen:

Jason Akermanis
Jason Akermanis
Jason Dean Akermanis is an Australian rules football player. He is a Brownlow Medallist and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bears, Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs...
Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr. is a professional Australian rules football player and current captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
Francis Bourke
Francis Bourke
Francis William Bourke is a former Australian rules football player who played in the Victorian Football League between 1967 and 1981 for the Richmond Football Club and coached the club between 1982 and 1983. One of the most respected Australian footballers of any era, Bourke was nicknamed "St...
Robert DiPierdomenico
Robert DiPierdomenico
Robert "Dipper" DiPierdomenico is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL of Italian descent and a member of the VFL/AFL Italian Team of the Century...
Robbie Flower
Robert Flower
Robert Flower is a former Australian rules footballer with Melbourne Football Club. His first game was against Geelong in 1973 and he captained the team from 1981 until his final game in 1987...
Keith Greig
Keith Greig
Keith Greig played on the wing for the Australian rules football North Melbourne Football Club from 1971 to 1985. He is considered as one of the most exciting players of the era, earning the nickname "Racehorse" because of his blistering speed on the field.Greig was recruited from Brunswick in 1971...
Doug Hawkins
Doug Hawkins
Doug Hawkins is a former Australian rules footballer in the VFL/AFL who made a name for himself in the media in his post-football career.-Early career:...
Peter Matera
Chris Mainwaring
Chris Mainwaring
Chris Douglas Mainwaring was an Australian rules footballer. He played for the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League and East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League...
Darren Millane
Darren Millane
Darren "Pants" Millane was an Australian rules football player in the VFL/AFL for the Collingwood Football Club between 1984 and 1991.-AFL career:...
Peter Riccardi
Peter Riccardi
Peter Riccardi is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early career:...
Nicky Winmar
Nicky Winmar
Neil Elvis "Nicky" Winmar is a former Australian Footballer of an indigenous background who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League.- AFL career :...

Centre Half-Forward

The Centre half-forward's role is usually the most demanding of any player on field, with a tall frame, good marking skills, strength and most importantly, athleticism, required.

A Centre half-forward that is strongly built and specialises in charging packs is often categorised as a power forward.

Notable Centre Half-Forwards:

Wayne Carey
Wayne Carey
Wayne Carey is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne and Adelaide Football Clubs in the Australian Football League ....
Chris Grant
Chris Grant
Christopher Lee "Chris" Grant is a former Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League, and a legend of the Western Bulldogs Football Club...
Royce Hart
Royce Hart
Royce Desmond Hart is a former Australian rules football player and coach who played for the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1967 and 1977, and coached Footscray between 1980 and 1982.Hart was a supremely gifted, determined player who was acknowledged by all in his...
Dermott Brereton
Dermott Brereton
Dermott Hugh Brereton is a former Australian rules football player in the Australian Football League, regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation. Of Irish descent , he is known for his aggressive style of play. Brereton kicked 464 goals and played in five Premierships for during...
John Longmire
John Longmire
John Longmire is the current coach of the Sydney Swans. As a player, he represented the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League from 1988 to 1999.-Early years:...
Stewart Loewe
Stewart Loewe
Stewart Loewe is a former Australian rules football champion of the St Kilda Football Club.Nicknamed "Buckets" for his big hands and the way he was able to mark the ball with ease, Loewe debuted in 1986 for the St Kilda Football Club after being recruited from Mount Eliza...
Stephen Kernahan
Stephen Kernahan
Stephen Scott Kernahan is a former Australian rules footballer best known for his career with the Carlton Football Club of the Australian Football League and the Glenelg Football Club of the SANFL from 1981 until 1997...
Josh Kennedy
Barrie Robran
Barrie Robran
Barrie Charles Robran MBE is a former Australian rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League , widely acknowledged as a champion in his sport....
Nick Riewoldt
Nick Riewoldt
Nick Riewoldt is an Australian rules footballer who is the current captain of the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League . He was the first draft selection in the 2000 AFL Draft.-Early life:...
Matthew Pavlich
Matthew Pavlich
Matthew Pavlich is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing with the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
Warren Tredrea
Warren Tredrea
Warren Gary Tredrea is retired Australian rules footballer with the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League . A forward, tall and weighing , Tredrea is the son of former Collingwood and Port Adelaide player Gary Tredrea.Tredrea was zone selected for the inaugural Port...
Jonathan Brown
Cameron Mooney
Cameron Mooney
Cameron Mooney was an Australian rules footballer who played with the North Melbourne and Geelong Football Clubs in the Australian Football League...
Scott Lucas
Scott Lucas (footballer)
Scott Lucas is a former Australian rules footballer for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League, and is noted as the other major forward for the Bombers, along with Matthew Lloyd...
Matthew Richardson
Matthew Richardson (Australian rules footballer)
Matthew "Richo" Richardson , is a retired professional Australian rules footballer who played for Richmond in the Australian Football League...

Half-Forward Flank

Standing wide of the Centre Half-forward, the Half-Forward flankers provide an alternate target for balls coming from the midfield.

Half-Forward flankers usually move the ball into the forward line along the flanks. They might kick the ball into the forward line, pass the ball to another running player, or have a shot at goal themselves. Nowadays, Half-Forward flankers usually push into the midfield, and rather than being a specialist position, Half-Forward flank can be played by centres, wingers, rovers/ruck rovers, or even attacking Half-Back flankers.

Notable Half-Forward Flankers:

Past

Alex Jesaulenko
Alex Jesaulenko
Alex 'Jezza' Jesaulenko MBE is a former Australian rules footballer and coach. He is regarded as one of the game's greatest-ever players and is an official Legend of the Australian Football Hall of Fame...
Dick Reynolds
Dick Reynolds
Richard Sylvannus 'Dick' Reynolds was an Australian rules footballer and coach who represented Essendon and Victoria with great distinction....
Malcolm Blight
Malcolm Blight
Malcolm Jack Blight AM is a former champion Australian rules football player and coach, and current television commentator. During the 1970s and 1980s Blight played for the Woodville Football Club in the South Australian National Football League and the North Melbourne Football Club in the...
Brett Burton
Brett Burton
Brett Burton is a retired Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League. He was picked up at Pick 16 in the 1998 AFL Draft by the Adelaide Football Club...
Jason Akermanis
Jason Akermanis
Jason Dean Akermanis is an Australian rules football player. He is a Brownlow Medallist and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bears, Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs...
Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (Australian rules footballer)
Brad Johnson is a former Australian rules footballer who was the captain of Australian Football League team Western Bulldogs...

Present

Steve Johnson
Alan Didak
Alan Didak
Alan Didak is a professional Australian rules footballer of Croatian descent playing for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League.- Early life :...
Justin Sherman
Justin Sherman
Justin Sherman is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League for the Western Bulldogs.He was recruited as the number 45 draft pick in the 2004 AFL Draft from Clarence...
Brent Harvey
Brent Harvey
Brent "Boomer" Harvey is an Australian rules footballer and the current captain of the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
Daniel Giansiracusa
Daniel Giansiracusa
Daniel Giansiracusa is an Australian rules football player for the Western Bulldogs who plays in various positions such as the midfield, half back flanks and half forward flanks....

Full Forward

Full Forwards are good at one-on-one contests with the opposition and are the main target in the forward line when attacking. This means they can produce mass amounts of goals in a season or match. Contests in the goalsquare require the strength and weight to be able to jostle or wrestle opponents to front position and keep fullbacks at bay and not as much running is required as midfielders. As a result, full-forwards are typically both tall and powerfully built. A full-forward that is strongly built and specialises in charging packs is often categorised as a power forward.

As well as contesting marks with their strength, Full Forwards will try to run into space to shake off their defender and take an uncontested mark (this is known as 'leading', 'leading for the ball' or 'leading into space'). This means that the Full Forward needs to be fast, but only in short bursts. In modern times, some teams have experimented by playing a smaller, faster player (possibly a former forward pocket or flanker) at Full Forward, in order to beat the defender with speed rather than strength. In the case of Mark Williams (Hawthorn) and Brad Johnson (Western Bulldogs), this has been extremely successful.

Notable Full Forwards:

Gary Ablett, Sr.
Jason Dunstall
Jason Dunstall
Jason Hadfield Dunstall is a former Australian rules football player for the Hawthorn Football Club of the AFL. He is the third greatest goalkicker in the history of the VFL/AFL. Dunstall is regarded as one of the greatest full-forwards to have ever played, kicking 1254 goals, a feat only...
Gordon Coventry
Gordon Coventry
Gordon "Nuts" Coventry was an Australian rules footballer who played for Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League . With 1,299 goals over 18 seasons, Coventry remains one of the greatest full forwards the game has ever seen...
John Coleman
Alastair Lynch
Alastair Lynch
Alastair Graeme Lynch is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League . He is best known as a three time premiership full-forward for the Brisbane Lions....
Peter Hudson
Peter Hudson
Peter John Hudson AM is a former Australian Rules Football player, considered one of the greatest full-forwards in the game's history....
Tony Modra
Tony Modra
Anthony 'Tony' Dale Modra is a former Australian rules football player, known for his spectacular marks. He played for the Adelaide Football Club and Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League, mainly at full forward. Modra had the physical strength and size to match the best...
Peter Sumich
Peter Sumich
Peter Lori Sumich is a former Australian rules footballer who played for in the West Australian Football League and the West Coast Eagles in the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League...
Bob Pratt
Bob Pratt
Harold Robert "Bob" Pratt was a former Australian rules footballer from Mitcham, Victoria.Pratt played with South Melbourne Football Club in the Victorian Football League from 1930–1939 and again in 1946, and with the Coburg Football Club in the Victorian Football Association from 1940 to 1941...
Peter McKenna
Peter McKenna
Peter McKenna is a former Australian rules footballer, who played 180 games and kicked 838 goals with the Collingwood Football Club between 1965 and 1975, where he spent the majority of his career...
Saverio Rocca
Saverio Rocca
Saverio "Sav" Giovanni Rocca is a punter for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League and former Australian rules footballer for both and in the Australian Football League. He has also played for the Philadelphia Eagles.He is one of a few players who have converted from...
Brendan Fevola
Brendan Fevola
Brendan Fevola is a professional Australian rules footballer. He played with the Carlton and Brisbane Lions football clubs in the Australian Football League....
Matthew Lloyd
Matthew Lloyd
Matthew James Lloyd is a former Australian rules footballer who played for and was the captain of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League...
Anthony Rocca
Anthony Rocca
Anthony Rocca is a former Australian rules footballer who has played with the Sydney Swans and Collingwood in the Australian Football League...
Jarryd Roughead
Jarryd Roughead
Jarryd Roughead is an Australian rules footballer playing for Hawthorn in the Australian Football League .-Early life:Born in Leongatha in southern Gippsland, Roughead played Gippsland Power...
Jonathan Brown

Forward Pocket

The forward pocket is designed as either a role for a second full forward (also known as a third key forward) or for players who are smaller but faster and more agile and capable of kicking brilliantly on the run (this is the more traditional forward pocket). Many forward pockets, like rovers, are quick thinking and opportunistic crumbing players. This means that they need to be short enough to pick up after it hits the ground from a contest, think and move quickly to evade potential tackles, and kick or set up a goal.

Like some Back Pockets, some Forward Pockets are like medium sized Full Forwards- tall and strong enough to contest marks, and mobile enough to crumb the ball. Some players in this mould, such as Russell Robertson

Russell Robertson

Russell "Robbo" Robertson is a professional Australian rules footballer, who last played for the Melbourne Football Club....

, are capable of playing Full Forward outright.

Crumbing Forward Pockets don't exclusively crumb the ball. Sometimes, they lead for the ball like Full Forwards, so they have to be competent at marking the ball. Some Forward Pockets can even jump so high that they can contest marks, despite their lack of height.

Notable Forward Pockets:

Peter Daicos
Peter Daicos
Peter Daicos is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played his entire 250 game career with the Collingwood Football Club in the VFL/AFL....
Leon Davis
Leon Davis (footballer)
Leon Davis is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.Drafted to Collingwood in 1999 as a small forward, Davis is of Aboriginal heritage. Davis made an early impression at the Pies and played Round 1 in his debut season. He showed that he was capable of turning a match but...
Phillip Matera
Phillip Matera
Phillip "Phil" Matera is a former Australian rules footballer of Italian-Aboriginal heritage.-Career:Beginning his career in 1996, the 171 cm forward pocket was one of the Australian Football League's best small forwards....
Haydn Bunton, Sr.
Haydn Bunton, Sr.
Haydn William Bunton was an Australian rules football player and coach. He is regarded by some historians and observers of Australian rules as its greatest-ever player.-Playing career:...
Jeff Farmer
Jeff Farmer (footballer)
Jeff Farmer is a former Australian rules footballer of Aboriginal descent. He was the first indigenous player to kick 400 goals in the Australian Football League .-Melbourne career:...
Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (Australian rules footballer)
Brad Johnson is a former Australian rules footballer who was the captain of Australian Football League team Western Bulldogs...
Nathan Brown
Brad Hardie
Brad Hardie
Bradley John "Brad" Hardie is a former Australian rules footballer and current radio commentator. He began his career as an attacking back pocket player, but ended as a dangerous goal kicking forward pocket...
Eddie Betts
Eddie Betts
Eddie Betts is an Australian rules footballer playing for Carlton in the Australian Football League .-Early life:Betts grew up in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and played for the Mines Rovers Football Club...
Brett Ebert
Brett Ebert
Brett Ebert is an Australian rules footballer. He is the son of Port Adelaide legend Russell Ebert and cousin of Port Adelaide's Brad Ebert.-Early career :...
Stephen Milne
Stephen Milne
Stephen Milne is a professional footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-AFL career:...
Mark LeCras
Mark LeCras
Mark LeCras is an Australian rules footballer, currently playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League. Mainly playing as a small forward, he led the West Coast's goalkicking in 2009 and 2010, and was named in the All-Australian team in 2010.-Early life:LeCras was born to...

Followers

The followers are 3 different roles, the ruck, rover and ruck-rover.

Also known as the on-ball division, the followers consist of three players - a ruckman, ruck rover, and rover. They are known as followers because they have traditionally been used as players that follow the ball all around the ground, as opposed to playing in a set position (although with modern Australian rules football, there is a decreased emphasis on set positions. That said, followers do cover much more ground than any other player on the field).

Ruckman
Ruckman (Australian rules football position)
In Australian rules football, a ruckman is typically a tall and athletic player who contests at centre bounces and stoppages . The ruckman is one of the most important players on the field...

- his role is to contest with the opposing ruckman at centre-bounces that take place at the start of each quarter or after each goal, and at stoppages (i.e., boundary throw ins, ball ups). The ruckman usually uses his height (typically players are over 195 cm tall) to palm/tap the ball down so that a ruck rover or rover can run onto it - similar to an NBA center at the tip-off. Traditionally, ruckman have simply been tall players with limited skill and speed, whose only job was to provide a contest in the ruck. However, in recent times ruckmen have become faster and more skilled, so they can play as an extra midfielder in between ruck contests.

The tallest AFL players ever are ruckmen Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle) and Peter Street (Western Bulldogs), who both measure in at 211cm. Before them, the record was held by Matthew 'Spider' Burton (Fremantle/North Melbourne) at 210cm.

Ruck-rover - his role is to be directly beneath the flight of the ball when a ruckman taps the ball down, allowing an easy take away, or clearance, from a stoppage. Typically, players are not as tall as the ruckman, ranging from 170-190cm in height.

Rover - his role is to lurk around centre bounces and stoppages to receive the ball from a ruckman or ruck rover and complete a clearance. Rovers are typically the smallest player on the ground. In modern football, the rover, ruck rover, centreman and wingmen are often grouped together as midfielders.

Notable Ruckmen:

Graham Farmer
Graham Farmer
Graham Vivian "Polly" Farmer, MBE is a retired Australian rules football player and coach. Born in Western Australia, he joined the East Perth Football Club as a ruckman in 1953, where he won several awards and contributed to the team winning three premierships...

(nicknamed Polly Farmer)
John Newman
Sam Newman
John Noel William "Sam" Newman is a retired Australian rules football player and current television personality. He is a featured presenter on the AFL version of The Footy Show.-VFL career:...

(nicknamed Sam Newman)
Simon Madden
Simon Madden
Simon Madden was an Australian rules footballer for the Essendon Football Club from 1974 until 1992. He was also president of the AFL Players Association from 1985 until 1989....
Justin Madden
Justin Madden
Madden was 206 cm tall, and one of the tallest men ever to play Australian Rules football, and his potential in this area was fully utilized by Carlton, who used him as their main ruckman. Over the next fifteen seasons, Madden became a mainstay of the Carlton side, and one of the most...
Paul Salmon
Paul Salmon
Paul Salmon is a former Australian rules footballer. Recruited from North Ringwood, the 206 cm Salmon was, at the time, along with Carlton's Justin Madden, the tallest man to play AFL football...
Jim Stynes
Jim Stynes
James "Jim" Stynes OAM is an Irish former professional Australian rules footballer who is currently a businessman, philanthropist, writer, youth worker, qualified teacher and chairman of Melbourne Football Club since 2008....
Scott Wynd
Scott Wynd
Scott Wynd is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League, playing with Footscray.-Footscary/Western Bulldogs :...
Peter Everitt
Peter Everitt
Peter "Spida" Everitt is a former Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda, Hawthorn Hawks and the Sydney Swans in the AFL. He made his debut for St Kilda in 1993 and in 2003 began playing for Hawthorn. Everitt was traded to the Sydney Swans at the end of 2006. Following the club's 2008...
Dean Cox
Nic Naitanui
Matthew Primus
Matthew Primus
Matthew Richard Primus is the current coach of the Port Adelaide Football Club and a former Australian rules footballer, captain and All Australian ruckman.-Early career :...
Jeff White
Jeff White
Jeffrey Newman "Jeff" White is an Australian rules footballer who had a distinguished career in the Australian Football League spanning 14 years. He played most recently and notably for the Melbourne Football Club, following a move from the Fremantle Dockers at the end of 1997...
Aaron Sandilands
Aaron Sandilands
Aaron Sandilands is an Australian rules footballer. At 211 cm tall and weighing 122 kg , he is the heaviest and equal tallest player in the history of the game...
Gary Dempsey
Gary Dempsey
Gary Dempsey is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Footscray and North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League....

Notable Rovers:

Haydn Bunton, Sr.
Haydn Bunton, Sr.
Haydn William Bunton was an Australian rules football player and coach. He is regarded by some historians and observers of Australian rules as its greatest-ever player.-Playing career:...
Tony Liberatore
Tony Liberatore
Anthony "Tony" Liberatore is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Footscray in the Australian Football League ....
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Matthews
Leigh Raymond "Lethal Leigh" Matthews AM is a former player and coach of Australian rules football. He played for Hawthorn in the Victorian Football League from 1969 to 1985, coached Collingwood from 1986–1995, and coached the Brisbane Lions from 1999 to 2008...
Ross Smith
Ross G. Smith
Ross G. Smith is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League .Smith played with St Kilda as a courageous rover. He won the Brownlow Medal in 1967 and captained Victoria at the 1972 Perth Carnival...
Peter F. Bell
Peter F. Bell
Peter Francis Bell is a former Australian rules footballer for the Fremantle Football Club and the North Melbourne Football Club. He played as a rover . A former captain of the Fremantle Football Club, Bell was twice named as a member of the All-Australian Team...
Kevin Bartlett
Shane Crawford
Shane Crawford
Shane Barry Crawford is a former Australian rules footballer, having played for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...

Notable Ruck-Rovers:

Ron Barassi
Ron Barassi
Ronald Dale Barassi, Jr AM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. During a long and decorated career, Barassi has been one of the most important figures in the history of Australian football. His father, Ron Barassi, Sr., was the first Australian footballer killed at Tobruk during...
Jack Dyer
Jack Dyer
John Raymond Dyer Sr. OAM , always known as Jack Dyer, was one of the colossal figures of Australian rules football during two distinct careers, firstly as a player and coach of the Richmond Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1931 and 1952, and later in the broadcast media for...
Robert Harvey
Robert Harvey (footballer)
Robert Jeffrey Harvey is a former Australian rules football player for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League...
Gerard Healy
Gerard Healy
Gerard Healy is a former Australian rules footballer and commentator.Healy attended St Bede's College in Mentone, where he was the Senior Football Captain.-Melbourne Demons:...
Chris Judd
Chris Judd
Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
Daniel Kerr
Daniel Kerr
Daniel Matthew Kerr is an Australian rules footballer.Kerr was recruited from East Fremantle Football Club and made his AFL debut in 2001 with the West Coast Eagles. He is a hard-running midfielder who is a vital part of the midfield at the Eagles.-Background:Kerr is of Anglo-Indian descent...
Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr.
Gary Ablett, Jr. is a professional Australian rules football player and current captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League ....
Bob Skilton
Bob Skilton
Robert John "Bob" Skilton was an Australian rules football player who played as a rover for South Melbourne and Victoria between 1956 and 1971....
Simon Goodwin
Simon Goodwin
Simon Goodwin is a former Australian rules footballer, who is a dual premiership player with the Adelaide Football Club and is now an assistant coach at the Essendon Football Club.-Early career :...
Brad Sewell
Brad Sewell
Brad Sewell is an Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . He was selected with pick number 6 in the Rookie Draft in 2003...

Taggers

Taggers, also known as "run-with" players, are not as highly skilled as other players on the field, nor do they have any set position. Their role is to shut down, follow, run with, mark and sometimes 'scrag' (illegally hold) their chosen opponent. They are considered "negative" players, and are often used on players that are deemed to be the most dangerous and have the most impact in a game. Taggers have only really been used in recent years, and such players to have earned "tag" status include Ben Cousins

Ben Cousins

Benjamin Luke "Ben" Cousins is a former Australian rules footballer, best known for his 270-game career with and in the Australian Football League ....

, Chris Judd

Chris Judd

Christopher Dylan "Chris" Judd is a professional Australian rules footballer and current captain of the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

, James Hird

James Hird

James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....

, Nathan Buckley

Nathan Buckley

Nathan Charles Buckley is a former professional Australian rules football player, commentator and coach, best known for his time as captain of the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

, Jason Akermanis

Jason Akermanis

Jason Dean Akermanis is an Australian rules football player. He is a Brownlow Medallist and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bears, Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs...

, Gary Ablett, Jr.

Gary Ablett, Jr.

Gary Ablett, Jr. is a professional Australian rules football player and current captain of the Gold Coast Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

, and Jimmy Bartel

Jimmy Bartel

James 'Jimmy' Bartel is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League . A midfielder at and , Bartel is a Brownlow Medallist, two-time All-Australian, and was part of the Cats' AFL premiership-winning teams in 2007, 2009 and 2011, being named the...

, all players who are capable of destruction if they are not tightly manned. Jason Akermanis

Jason Akermanis

Jason Dean Akermanis is an Australian rules football player. He is a Brownlow Medallist and triple premiership player who played for the Brisbane Bears, Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs...

has criticised one of his most frequent tagging opponents, Jared Crouch

Jared Crouch

Jared Crouch is a South Australian former Australian football player with the Sydney Swans of the AFL, who is colloquially known as “Crouchie” to Swans fans and media....

, for the negative influence he has, not so much on Akermanis' game, but the game of Australian rules football in general.

Taggers possess a high level of fitness and can run with such star players all day, and often players from an athletic background that do not possess silky skills will be assigned to tag a player. Some players, such as Cameron Ling

Cameron Ling

Cameron Ling is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...

, who made a name for themselves as taggers have 'stepped up' and become players who frequently get tagged themselves.

Notable taggers:

Brodie Holland
Brodie Holland
Brodie Holland is a former professional Australian rules footballer best known for his playing days at the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League....
Cameron Ling
Cameron Ling
Cameron Ling is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
Brad Sewell
Brad Sewell
Brad Sewell is an Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . He was selected with pick number 6 in the Rookie Draft in 2003...
Steven Baker
Josh Carr
Josh Carr
Joshua "Josh" Carr is a former Australian rules footballer who played as a midfielder for Port Adelaide and Fremantle in the Australian Football League. After originally being drafted by Port Adelaide and playing in their 2004 premiership side he returned to Western Australia to play with his...
Brady Rawlings
Brady Rawlings
Brady Rawlings is a former Australian rules footballer who played 245 games for the Kangaroos.He is the younger brother of former AFL footballer, and Richmond 2009 caretaker coach, Jade. Rawlings was recruited to the Kangaroos in the 1998 AFL Draft, with the 15th selection...
Tyson Stenglein
Tyson Stenglein
Tyson Stenglein is an Australian rules footballer, who played for the Adelaide Crows and the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League .- Adelaide career :...
Kane Cornes
Kane Cornes
Kane Graham Cornes in an Australian rules football player who plays for Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League.-Early life:...
Damien Peverill
Damien Peverill
Damien Peverill is an Australian rules footballer who played 144 senior games with Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League between 2001 and 2008...
Robert Shirley
Robert Shirley (footballer)
Robert Shirley is an Australian Rules footballer who is currently clubless after being delisted by the Adelaide Crows. He plays primarily as a tagger but is also adept as a contested possession winning midfielder...
Aaron Joseph
Aaron Joseph
Aaron Joseph is an Australian rules footballer with the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League .Joseph is a midfielder who played junior football in Tasmania with the Glenorchy Football Club and the Tassie Mariners...
Clinton Jones
Clinton Jones (footballer)
Clinton Jones is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-AFL career:...

Interchange Bench

Interchange, also often known as "the bench". Players named on the interchange bench are not permitted to enter the field of play unless substituting for a player during the game.

Up to four players can be named on the bench, this number has steadily increased over the decades from a single player in the 1930s. Representative teams (such as State of Origin

Interstate matches in Australian rules football

Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...

teams or honorific teams such as the AFL Team of the Century), practise and exhibition matches often feature an extended interchange bench of up to six or eight players.

Up until the 1970s, the single interchange player, known as the "nineteenth man" or the "reserve" acted only as a substitution for an injured or out of form player; the player substituted out of the game could take no further part. Since the 1970s, interchange has increased from two to three to four players, and substitutions may be made as often as the coach wishes, with players allowed to be moved onto and off from the ground for several rests during the game. As of 2011, the interchange has change from four interchange players to three and the fourth player becomes the substitute. See below for more information.

Substitute

From 2011 onwards, at AFL level, each team is permitted three interchange players (instead of four) and one substitute player.

The substitute is the fourth player that sits on the bench. He begins the game wearing a green vest over his playing guernsey. He may not enter the field of play, nor be interchanged while wearing the green vest. At any time during the game, he may be substituted for one of the other players in the team - either on the ground or on the bench. He takes off his green vest, and the player he substitutes puts on a red vest. The player in the red vest may take no further part in the game. Teams are limited to a single substitution per game. A player may be substituted for tactical reasons or to replace an injured player.

The three players named on the interchange bench and the one substitute named in the teamsheet, which is submitted ninety minutes before the commencement of the game, must be the three interchange players and the substitute who start on the bench, however they may be substituted immediately if the coach wishes.

Utility Players

There are very few players in the AFL league who possess the skill and poise to be able to consistently perform to a very high standard in a number of various positions. Some of these players do not receive the recognition they deserve, while others, such as Matthew Pavlich and Adam Goodes, are praised for their versatility and ability to influence a game from any position.

Traditionally, a Utility player is an unheralded, but nonetheless important player. He doesn't dominate one position, instead, he is like a 'spare parts' player because he can fill in at a variety of positions and do a very good job in each.

Nowadays, the need for more versatility in players has resulted in many players 'doubling up' their roles. Practically every midfielder can play Forward Pocket, Back Pocket, Half-Forward Flank or Half-Back Flank. Most, if not all, starting ruckmen can play as tall forwards, or in rarer cases, tall defenders. Some tall defenders can play as tall forwards and vice-versa. This means that most AFL players have a specialist position and one or two 'fill-in' positions.

One exception to this would be a player who is actually a specialist at two positions, not just a fill-in (i.e. Adam Hunter, the Eagles' best Centre-Half Back, is also one of their most dominant Full Forwards). Another exception would be midfielders, such as James Hird and Anthony Koutoufides, who have the height and strength to play key positions. This requires an extremely rare blend of skills and abilities.

Below are a number of players who are notable for their ability to dominate various positions.

Notable Players

Anthony Koutoufides
Anthony Koutoufides
Anthony Koutoufides is a former Australian rules footballer with the Carlton Football Club. One of the most powerful and athletic players of all-time, he played in almost every position and was often called the prototype of the modern footballer.Of Greek and Italian descent, Koutoufides has been...

Wing, Centre, Ruck, Ruck-rover, Rover, Centre-Half Back, Centre-Half Forward, Full-forward.
Matthew Pavlich
Matthew Pavlich
Matthew Pavlich is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing with the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

- Centre-Half Forward, Centre, Full Forward
Cameron Bruce
Cameron Bruce
Cameron Bruce is a professional Australian rules football player, who plays for the Hawthorn Football Club after being selected by the Hawks in the Pre-season Draft, as was widely speculated to occur after he quit playing for the Melbourne Football Club, with whom he had played for 11 seasons, and...

- began his career as a midfielder, but has enjoyed success playing at half-forward and half-back, and in recent years has performed various tagging roles as well.
Adam Hunter
Adam Hunter (footballer)
Adam Hunter is an Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League for the West Coast Eagles. He currently plays for Swan Districts in the West Australian Football League.-Early career:...

Centre-Half Back, Full Back, Centre-Half Forward, Full Forward, a designated 'swingman' for the Eagles in their GF days of 05-06, had a habit of scoring important goals in big matches.
Andrew Embley
Andrew Embley
Andrew Embley is an Australian rules footballer currently playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League.-Early life:Andrew Embley was born to Maurice and Anne Embley on 27 June, 1981, in Perth, Western Australia...

Wing, Centre, Centre-Half Forward, Full Forward, Half-Forward Flank
James Hird
James Hird
James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League....

Forward Pocket, Half Forward Flank, Wing, Rover, Half Back, Centre-Half Back, Centre-Half Forward
Chad Cornes
Chad Cornes
Chad Studley Cornes is a Australian rules footballer, who is contracted to play for Greater Western Sydney in 2012, in the Australian Football League...

Centre-Half Back, Half-Forward flank, Centre, Wing, Ruck rover, Back Pocket, Tagger
Anthony Rocca
Anthony Rocca
Anthony Rocca is a former Australian rules footballer who has played with the Sydney Swans and Collingwood in the Australian Football League...

Full Forward, Centre-Half Forward, Ruck
Peter Burgoyne
Peter Burgoyne
Peter Gabriel Burgoyne is a former Australian rules footballer with Port Adelaide in the Australian Football League. He played primarily in midfield and on the half back flank.-Early life:...

Back Pocket, Half-Back Flank, Wing, Ruck Rover, Half-Forward Flank
Jason Blake
Jason Blake (footballer)
Jason Blake is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League . He holds the record for most games played without accruing a single Brownlow Medal vote.-AFL career:Blake was recruited as the number 24 draft pick in the 1999 AFL Draft from the...

Back Pocket, Ruck, Forward Pocket
Quinten Lynch
Quinten Lynch
Quinten Peter Lynch is a West Coast Eagles Australian rules footballer. He mainly plays at full forward and centre half forward, and is a regular goal-kicker.-Career:...

Can play in all key positions- Full Forward, Ruck, Centre Half-Forward, Centre Half-Back and has even been used with some success as a midfielder.
Trent Croad
Trent Croad
Trent Eric Croad is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League .During his 222 game AFL career, he achieved some of the Australian Football League's highest honours including an AFL premiership medallion, All-Australian selection, representing...

Centre Half-Forward, Centre Half-Back. (He is more of a CHB now, bt played CHF in his earlier days)
Matthew Richardson
Matthew Richardson (Australian rules footballer)
Matthew "Richo" Richardson , is a retired professional Australian rules footballer who played for Richmond in the Australian Football League...

. Centre-Half Forward, Full-Forward, Wing
Ben Rutten
Ben Rutten
Benjamin "Truck" Rutten is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League . He is known for his size, strength and ability to contain some of the game's best forwards....

Started his career at Centre Half-Forward, but has since been transformed to a champion All-Australian Full-Back
Jarrad Waite
Jarrad Waite
Jarrad Waite is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League .Jarrad was born in Devonport, Tasmania. He was recruited as the number 46 draft pick in the 2001 AFL Draft from Benalla under the father-son selection rule...

Full Forward, Centre-Half Forward, Wing, Centre-Half Back, Full Back
Andrew Mackie
Andrew Mackie
Andrew John Mackie is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early career:...

Half Forward, Wing, Half Back
Brendon Goddard
Brendon Goddard
Brendon James Goddard is an Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League...

Half Back Flank, Centre-Half Forward, Wing, Half Forward Flanker, Forward Pocket, Back Pocket, Full Forward, Centre-Half Back, Center
Justin Sherman
Justin Sherman
Justin Sherman is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League for the Western Bulldogs.He was recruited as the number 45 draft pick in the 2004 AFL Draft from Clarence...

Half Forward, Half Back, Midfield
Brett Deledio
Brett Deledio
Brett Deledio is an Australian rules football player currently playing for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League.-Early life/career:...

Midfield, Half Forward, Half Back
Matthew Pavlich
Matthew Pavlich
Matthew Pavlich is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing with the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

Centre-Half Forward, Full Forward, Midfield, Centre-Half Back, Full Back
Bryce Gibbs Midfield, Half-Back flank, Half-Forward flank
Heath Scotland
Heath Scotland
Heath Scotland is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.-Background:Scotland grew up and played his junior football for the Darley Football Club, then in the Riddell District Football League, and he played TAC Cup football for the Western Jets. He also featured in the...

Midfield, Half-Back flank, Half-Forward flank
Chris Yarran
Chris Yarran
Christopher "Chris" Yarran is an Australian rules footballer with the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League ....

Forward Pocket, Half-Back flank, Wing
Leigh Brown
Leigh Brown
Leigh Brown is a former Australian rules football player who played for Fremantle, North Melbourne and finally Collingwood in the Australian Football League. He is a Collingwood premiership player...

Centre-Half back, Ruck, Centre-Half Forward
Patrick Ryder
Patrick Ryder
Patrick "Paddy" Ryder is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Essendon in the Australian Football League .-Early career:...

Ruck, Full-Forward, Centre-Half back
Sam Gilbert
Sam Gilbert
Sam Gilbert is a professional Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League .-Early life:Gilbert is a rugby league convert who didn’t start playing AFL until he was 16 years old...

Centre-Half Back, Centre-Half Forward, Wing
Robert Murphy
Robert Murphy (Australian rules footballer)
Robert "Bob" Murphy is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League. Renowned for his silky skills and leadership qualities, Murphy has also proven himself a versatile player, equally capable of playing in attack or in defence depending on the...

Half Forward, Wing, Half Back

Alternate Position/Grouping Names

Alternative name	Positions	Notes
Key Defenders or Tall Defenders	Full Back, Centre-Half Back
Rucks, On-Ballers, On-Ball Division On-Ball Brigade	Ruckman, Ruck-Rover, Rover	See Followers above
Centreline	Wingers, Centre	Term nowadays obsolete, positions considered part of the Midfield
Big Men	Ruckmen	(see "Tall Timber", below)
Key Forwards or Tall Forwards	Centre-Half Forward, Full Forward
Tall Timber	Ruckmen, Centre-Half Forward, Full Forward, Full Back, Centre-Half Back	This is a slang term, but it refers to all the players whose height may be more important than their speed
Crumber, Small Forward	Forward Pocket	Any small, fast Forward may sometimes called a 'crumber' or 'small forward'
Resting ruckman	Ruckmen	A ruckman playing in the forward line between stints in the ruck is a 'resting ruckman' (as in, he's taking a rest from ruck duties by playing up forward). Traditionally, as ruckmen couldn't be taken off (as they couldn't come back on), they may have rested in the back pocket instead. But in modern football, ruckmen are not as good as backmen and they don't need to "rest" in the backline as much anymore.
Rotating defender	Midfielder, defender	Midfielders and defenders who rotate through each other's positions. Often sees midfielders move to defense and play as creative defenders.
Rebounder, Mop-Up Player	Back Pocket, Half-Back Flank	A Back Pocket or Half-Back Flanker whose main job is to rebound the ball out of defence may be called a 'rebounder' or 'mop-up player'. A player who is really good at setting up attacks from defence, due to their quality ball skills and decision-making abilities, may be referred to as a Quarterback Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... (this slang term is a reference to American Football American football American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by... ).