Old school positions

[aflcliche]

Positions you don't really hear about these days?

Ruck rover or first rover? Is there a difference? There role was?

Never really knew what 'utility' was. Any players classify as that currently?

Is 'wing' still a position?

Why back pocket "plumber"?

Forward flank or pocket

Used to be 'bench' now it's 'interchange' and you do get on if fit

Any others?

 

[Sttew]

Centreman - they're all midfielders now

 

[Demonic Ascent]

A utility is someone who plays in multiple positions, it wasn't a designated position

 

[STFU Donnie]

Wasn't "back pocket plumber" a specific reference by Tom Hafey on Kevin Sheedy, whose daytime job during his Richmond playing days was, obviously, a plumber.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Ruck rover was different to rover

 

[rdhopkins2]

I heard there was once a position called full forward.

This person would stand in the goalsquare, lead to space inside their 50m to greet the ball on his chest, which was passed with pinpoint accuracy from one of his midfield team mates.

So fine was this art, that players could kick 10 goals a game and 100+ goals a year.

 

[Randall Stevens]

First rover was basically the 'best' rover (small on baller) in your team. Would play maybe 75% or more of the match on ball. He would then go to the forward line for a 'rest', and the second rover would take a turn 'on ball'.
Kevin Sheedy was the original back pocket plumber. Very simple, he played footy as a backet pocket, and worked as a plumber.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Wasn't "back pocket plumber" a specific reference by Tom Hafey on Kevin Sheedy, whose daytime job during his Richmond playing days was, obviously, a plumber.

Yes. He didn't want Sheedy 'finessin'

 

[aflcliche]

Wasn't "back pocket plumber" a specific reference by Tom Hafey on Kevin Sheedy, whose daytime job during his Richmond playing days was, obviously, a plumber.

That's what I thought

 

[aflcliche]

Ruck rover was different to rover

How so?

 

[Bokonon_]

Positions you don't really hear about these days?

Ruck rover or first rover? Is there a difference? There role was?

Never really knew what 'utility' was. Any players classify as that currently?

Is 'wing' still a position?

Why back pocket "plumber"?

Forward flank or pocket

Used to be 'bench' now it's 'interchange' and you do get on if fit

Any others?

Ruck Rover was Blicavs and possibly Bontempelli. Traditionally Mid who is tall enough to take the tap if the first choice ruck doesn't turn up, rarely happens with more mobility these days and tall mids were used as third man up. With the rule change they seem to be history.

Wingman is now called outside mid.

Look at Devon Smith and you see an old school half forward flanker, but really he could also be called an outside mid.
Forward pocket is more your deep small forward although it was used to rest rucks a lot.

 

[Milux]

Loved my position on the team. Left Right out was always good.

 

[Gavin Excell]

How so?

Really dont know. But on team sheets in the 70s they were distinct positions

 

[STFU Donnie]

Really dont know. But on team sheets in the 70s they were distinct positions

From wikipedia:

Ruck rover
Before the 1950s, the role of the ruck-rover was known as the follower. His role was to assist the ruckman and rover at centre bounces by blocking and shepherding them from opposition players.[3] This position disappeared in the 1950s with the success of Ron Barassi, Jr. in a role designated for him by Melbourne coach Norm Smith.[3] The closest equivalent of the follower position in today's game is known as a tagger.[3]

The ruck rover's job 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, typically ranging from 170–190 cm in height.

Rover
The rover is a player who lurks around centre bounces and stoppages to receive the ball from a ruck rover and complete a clearance. Rovers are typically the smallest player on the ground.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

Full Forward and Centre Half Forward = Key Position Forward

Full Back and Centre Half Back = Key Position Back

Rover, Ruck Rover and Centre = Inside Mids

Wing = Outside Mid

Back Pocket = Small Defender

Forward Pocket = Small Forward

Half Back Flank = Running Defender / Attacking Defender / Quarterback

 

[Gavin Excell]

Was their transition and overlap back then?

 

[Gavin Excell]

 

[Blackas87]

Wing isn't a position anymore. Outside midfielders have taken over

 

[The full package]

Im glad someone inter-netted the meaning of these positions, Ruck rover roves directly off the ruck and should feed the ball out to the rover or centerman. Half forward/back flanks used to crumb off the center half forward/back, forward and back pockets like wise crumbing the key position players. One back pocket player would normally specialize in nullifying the rover, resting in the forward pocket. Wingers would either play a defensive or attacking role and the centerman would try and transition/create play.

Finally Tom Hafeys reference to back pocket plumber was for Sheedy to stop trying to be so flashy and get back to basics of see ball, get ball and give it the more skillful players. Back then plumbing was a basic profession.

 

[gangsta deluxe]

Missionary?

 

[morsie]

A lot of teams in 50s and early 6ps did not have a ruck rover but often played 4 ruckmen or followers .2 on the ball changing with their counterparts in back and forward pockets.
I think Norm Smith changed this with graeme Wise who would basically ruck all day.
Players like Dyer and Barassi played as ruck rovers.

 

[Crabman]

You don't hear of either of my former specialist positions - 19th man or 20th man.

 

[Sttew]

How so?

He was taller for one thing.

 

[sherb]

How so?

In size, certainly.
Ruckman = tall bloke
Ruck Rover = medium bloke
Rover = small bloke

 

[Sttew]

You don't hear of either of my former specialist positions - 19th man or 20th man.

Now known as "trade bait"