toughest AFL players

[fasteddie]

My rugby loving girl friend keeps going on about how afl is soft, and no afl player would stand a chance against any rugby player. I tried to explain to her there is a lot more to afl than just being big, and heavy, but she's stubborn when it comes to rugby

It got me thinking about who the toughest AFL players actually are, both current and past.

I remember years ago they had a charity boxing match between AFL players and NRL players, from memory most of the AFL players got walloped.

If there was to be a similar event, who would be the best AFL players you would pick?

Some that come to mind are:

Obviously Barry Hall with his boxing background

Jonathan Brown - He is a giant

Setanta O'hailpin - crazy Irish

Mitch Robinson - not the biggest bloke, but does not feel pain and he is a psycho

 

[Hammers_Saints]

Crazy isn't tough

 

[TheLoungeLizard]

Byron Pickett.

 

[dylan123]

He doesn't exactly clean people up/use his body size that well but Josh Hunt from Geelong is massive!

 

[BarcaRulz]

Beau Waters. Has some massive hits and some very courageous plays.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Luke Hodge

 

[vWestCoast]

When was this charity boxing match ? What were the results

 

[Poseidon]

I think the toughness of the 'elite' group of players often goes unnoticed. Judd, Hodge, Riewoldt etc etc

All guys who never shirk any work, never back out of a contest, always willing to do the hard stuff.

 

[the dog's kennel]

My rugby loving girl friend keeps going on about how afl is soft, and no afl player would stand a chance against any rugby player. I tried to explain to her there is a lot more to afl than just being big, and heavy, but she's stubborn when it comes to rugby

I think your girlfriend is right.

Well maybe not ANY rugby player. But most league players are way stronger and bigger than most AFL players.

But so what? League players wouldn't stand a chance against big, fat NFL blockers either. Who cares? Since when was it a strength contest?

For mine, AFL players show bravery way more regularly than NRL players do. And I think that's more impressive than how big their shoulders are.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

K. Hunt.

 

[JoondalupJ]

Carl Deitrich( spelling?)frightened everyone. The day he first ran onto a football oval.
Nothing more to say.

 

[Plugger35]

Lenny Hayes, he grew up in NSW and has probably played a bit of rugby going by the way he tackles and puts his body on the line in contests.

 

[GordonGecko]

Luke Hodge

Myth.

Gives off an outward vibe of being a tough man, very soft when leaned on.

The real toughmen of the game don't let you know they're hurt.

I think it's the blokes who smash into every contest are the ones who deserve praise, Judd, Black, Kerr, Ball, Deboer, Griffen, Hayes, Cothchin.

Love the way these guys go about it.

 

[HurlsMeister18]

Cale Morton.

End Thread/

 

[MVP_PaulRoos]

Myth.

Gives off an outward vibe of being a tough man, very soft when leaned on.

The real toughmen of the game don't let you know they're hurt.

I think it's the blokes who smash into every contest are the ones who deserve praise, Judd, Black, Kerr, Ball, Deboer, Griffen, Hayes, Cothchin.

Love the way these guys go about it.

Using these criteria it is pretty hard to look past Jude Bolton.

 

[GordonGecko]

Using these criteria it is pretty hard to look past Jude Bolton.

Yep toss him in, Joel Selwood, Cyril is capable loses points for the occasional snipe. A blonde mop from Adelaide who's name escapes me as well.

 

[SaintsManMat]

Lenny Hayes gets my vote....

and to the OP, Barry Hall isnt tough....Tough guys dont king hit blokes like Hall did to Staker

 

[tonk]

If you look up 'guts' in the dictionary it just say's Lenny Hayes.

 

[Dynamics]

Aussie Rules Football being "soft" is right up there with "gayfl" and "aerial ping pong" at the peak of the vocabulary of paranoid rugby league-following, AFL-hating goofballs.

I don't mind League and I enjoy Union so I have always found this stuff laughable and pointless. Interesting that the OP says rugby (which is union, the original game, not rugby league). By and large this sort of silliness comes from league folk rather than union people.

League players are bigger and stronger. They run at each other in a high collision sport. Our sport also involves collision at high speed, less frequently and with less direct intent but the contact can come from any direction and can't always be braced for. Different sports, different requirements.

If you really care about the comparative "hardness" of sports, you probably stay up at night wondering who would win a fight between Batman and Spiderman.




(Batman)

 

[OnceWeWereKings]

Yep toss him in, Joel Selwood, Cyril is capable loses points for the occasional snipe. A blonde mop from Adelaide who's name escapes me as well.

Rory Sloane ?. Kid will be a gun

 

[strauchanie59]

Brett Kirk was one of the toughest till he retired. Jude Bolton is right up there.

 

[St 07]

Bulldogs player #1, but Bulldogs player #2 is right up there as well.

 

[Teffy]

Brett Kirk was one of the toughest till he retired. Jude Bolton is right up there.

You have the correct interpretation of "toughness". True "toughness" is a player that shows fearlessness, not some sniper that hangs outside of the packs.

My choices (North)


Historically: Pat Kelly
Witnessed: Archer, Stevens or Colbert
Present/Future: Jack Ziebell
Other clubs: Paul Kelly, Garry Hocking, Des Tuddenham

 

[Lawrst]

Rory Sloane,
Tackle Machine and finished a game with a broken jaw and thumb that kept him out for about 5 weeks.

Oh and Ricky Henderson.......... Lol JK.

 

[Dynamics]

Bah, what the hell...

Off the top of my head if I was picking what I consider to be a "tough" player I would think of the likes of Jude Bolton, Luke Ball, Lenny Hayes, Joel Selwood and Mitch Robinson. Borderline reckless determination to use your body to the advantage of your team, no matter the cost. Now that's tough.

Who I'd least like to meet in a dark alley (despite the fact that they both seem like gentle, affable blokes off field)? Jonno Brown and Travis Cloke. Bloody monsters, the pair of them. And Barry Hall based on striking power and rough nut alone.

Historically, Gavin Brown made an anvil look as soft as butter. Buddha Hocking too... I loved watching him play. And although hr doesn't fit my criteria above, Wayne Carey had an aura of physical invincibility about him that was awesome to see when in full flight. You could throw house bricks at him and he'd probably swat them away with contempt.