Australian rules football positions

In the sport of Australian rules football, each of the eighteen players in a team is assigned to a particular named position on the field of play.

[3] The full-back position has always been a purely defensive role, with the aim of stopping the full-forward from getting the ball and scoring.

But, in recent times, where the ability to move the ball out of the back and down the field quickly has become a more important tactic, the full-back 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.

Back pocket players need to have good spoiling skills and usually, quality back-pockets are noted for their hardness.

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.

Numerous back pocket players have gone on to coach successfully, including Kevin Sheedy, Mick Malthouse, Tom Hafey, Denis Pagan and David Parkin.

[5] The centre half-back dominates play to a significant extent, and hence is considered a key position in defence.

Notable half-back flankers: 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.

Full-forwards are good at one-on-one contests with the opposition and are the main target in the forward line when attacking.

In the case of Mark Williams (Hawthorn) and Brad Johnson (Western Bulldogs), this has been extremely successful.

With modern Australian rules football there is a decreased emphasis on set positions, but followers generally cover much more ground than other players on the field.

Ruck—their role is to contest with the opposing ruck at centre bounces which take place at the start of each quarter or after each goal and also at stoppages (i.e., boundary throw-ins, ball-ups).

Historically, it was more common to punch the ball, but the advent of Graham "Polly" Farmer popularised a more precise level of directional tapping.

The tallest AFL players ever are rucks Mason Cox (Collingwood), Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle), Peter Street (Western Bulldogs) and Ned Reeves (Hawthorn), all of whom measure 2.11 metres (6 ft 11 in).

Before them the record was held by Matthew "Spider" Burton (Fremantle and North Melbourne) at 2.10 metres (6 ft 11 in).

Rover—their role is to lurk around centre bounces and stoppages to receive the ball from a ruck or ruck-rover and complete a clearance.

[6] Physically, centre line players need to have good turning agility, above-average ability to read the play and, as they are involved in both attack and defence, a high level of stamina and teamwork.

[10] They must be strong enough to keep their position in stoppages and contested play (without conceding free kicks), yet fast enough to match their opponent's spread.

[11] Notable taggers include Ryan Crowley, Steven Baker, Brett Kirk, Cameron Ling, Kane Cornes,[10] Ben Jacobs,[12] Brady Rawlings, Shane Heard, Matt de Boer and Finn Maginness.

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 many different positions.

Some of these players do not receive the recognition they deserve, while others, such as Matthew Pavlich, Jimmy Bartel, and Adam Goodes, are praised for their versatility and ability to influence a game from any position.

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.