Was thinking about players who were very good, or promising in one position only to transition to another very different role, that maybe wasn’t foreseen, and become as good if not better in the new role.
This would mean players like Simon Madden would not be considered here as he was a forward who was a capable ruckman before becoming a full time ruck. Players who start as a half forward (for example), and become onballers also wouldn’t qualify as they were likely projected to become an onballer once they got enough experience.
Players that come to mind for each club below;
Adel: Andrew McLeod, Rory Laird
Bris/Fitz: Alistair Lynch, Paul Roos Dayne Zorko
Car:
Coll: Darcy Moore, Leon Davis, Chris Tarrant
Ess: Mark Harvey, James Hird, Terry Daniher, Gavin Wanganeen, Anthony Daniher, Michael Hurley
Foots: Chris Grant,
Freo: Matthew Pavlich, David Mundy
Gee: Ablett Sr, Ken Hinkley, Michael Mansfield
GC:
GWS:
Haw: Leigh Matthews
Melb: David Neitz
North: Malcolm Blight, Ian Fairley, Jack Ziebel
Port: Chad Cornes, Peter Burgoyne,
Rich: Francis Bourke, Kevin Bartlett, Matthew Richardson
St Kilda: Brendon Goddard, Fraser Gehrig, Aussie Jones
Sydney/Sth: Adam Goodes, Ryan O’Keefe
WC: Ross Glendinning
These are the ones that come to mind and there would be many I’ve missed.
The best reinventions in my opinion would be as follows;
1/ Gehrig - a dashing, wiry rebound defender/winger at WC to then become a hulking century goalkicker at the Saints. I think his was the most impressive reinvention.
2/ Ablett Sr - a half forward who roamed up the wings to then become a century goal kicking full forward.
3/ Hird - began his career as a talented floating HF/CHF. Nobody expected him to then reinvent himself as a player who had the permission/autonomy to dictate where and when he would impose himself on the contest anywhere on the ground.
4/ Blight - the bloke who reinvented Ablett was himself reinvented from being a ruck-rover/HF to a century goal kicking full forward.
5/ Matthews - I wasn’t fully convinced he was eligible by my own criteria but to go from a rover with amazing goal sense to almost a target forward who nearly kicks the ton… yeah he was re-invented.
6/ McLeod - a clever forward/midfielder who actually changed the way a creative half back can influence the game.
7/ Roos - not because he could transition bewtween key back or key forward but more-so because he transitioned to being a mobile utility at Sydney as a ruck rover or HB.
8/ Pavlich - not dissimilar to Hird although he was more of a true key position player who developed into a mobile threat anywhere on the ground.
9/ Goodes - I watched him play his under 18s GF for Ballarat Rebels when he played FF and won the game for them. He came to Sydney and was being groomed for a forward role when he suddenly became a small ruckman who was essentially an extra midfielder.
10/ Harvey - a reinvention out of necessity that was quite remarkable. He was a gifted small forward who I thought would be a mainstay in the Bombers forward line kicking freaky goals. Then multiple serious injuries and bulimia saw his career almost end before becoming possibly the shortest premiership CHB and one of the most courageous straight ahead defenders you’ll ever see.
Special mentions to Bourke for becoming a full back after being a wingman, and Neitz for becoming the forward target the Dees had sought for so long when he looked destined to be their long term CHB.
Who have I overlooked?
This would mean players like Simon Madden would not be considered here as he was a forward who was a capable ruckman before becoming a full time ruck. Players who start as a half forward (for example), and become onballers also wouldn’t qualify as they were likely projected to become an onballer once they got enough experience.
Players that come to mind for each club below;
Adel: Andrew McLeod, Rory Laird
Bris/Fitz: Alistair Lynch, Paul Roos Dayne Zorko
Car:
Coll: Darcy Moore, Leon Davis, Chris Tarrant
Ess: Mark Harvey, James Hird, Terry Daniher, Gavin Wanganeen, Anthony Daniher, Michael Hurley
Foots: Chris Grant,
Freo: Matthew Pavlich, David Mundy
Gee: Ablett Sr, Ken Hinkley, Michael Mansfield
GC:
GWS:
Haw: Leigh Matthews
Melb: David Neitz
North: Malcolm Blight, Ian Fairley, Jack Ziebel
Port: Chad Cornes, Peter Burgoyne,
Rich: Francis Bourke, Kevin Bartlett, Matthew Richardson
St Kilda: Brendon Goddard, Fraser Gehrig, Aussie Jones
Sydney/Sth: Adam Goodes, Ryan O’Keefe
WC: Ross Glendinning
These are the ones that come to mind and there would be many I’ve missed.
The best reinventions in my opinion would be as follows;
1/ Gehrig - a dashing, wiry rebound defender/winger at WC to then become a hulking century goalkicker at the Saints. I think his was the most impressive reinvention.
2/ Ablett Sr - a half forward who roamed up the wings to then become a century goal kicking full forward.
3/ Hird - began his career as a talented floating HF/CHF. Nobody expected him to then reinvent himself as a player who had the permission/autonomy to dictate where and when he would impose himself on the contest anywhere on the ground.
4/ Blight - the bloke who reinvented Ablett was himself reinvented from being a ruck-rover/HF to a century goal kicking full forward.
5/ Matthews - I wasn’t fully convinced he was eligible by my own criteria but to go from a rover with amazing goal sense to almost a target forward who nearly kicks the ton… yeah he was re-invented.
6/ McLeod - a clever forward/midfielder who actually changed the way a creative half back can influence the game.
7/ Roos - not because he could transition bewtween key back or key forward but more-so because he transitioned to being a mobile utility at Sydney as a ruck rover or HB.
8/ Pavlich - not dissimilar to Hird although he was more of a true key position player who developed into a mobile threat anywhere on the ground.
9/ Goodes - I watched him play his under 18s GF for Ballarat Rebels when he played FF and won the game for them. He came to Sydney and was being groomed for a forward role when he suddenly became a small ruckman who was essentially an extra midfielder.
10/ Harvey - a reinvention out of necessity that was quite remarkable. He was a gifted small forward who I thought would be a mainstay in the Bombers forward line kicking freaky goals. Then multiple serious injuries and bulimia saw his career almost end before becoming possibly the shortest premiership CHB and one of the most courageous straight ahead defenders you’ll ever see.
Special mentions to Bourke for becoming a full back after being a wingman, and Neitz for becoming the forward target the Dees had sought for so long when he looked destined to be their long term CHB.
Who have I overlooked?
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