Strongest AFL player

[King Elvis]

Also heard that Modra could throw a javelin that almost would qualify for the Olympics.

Heard that a few places as well - I think it might've actually been that he could throw it the qualifying distance.

Ben Rutten or Graham Johncock would be the best bet from the crows. Rutten because he's huge, and Stiffy because he's short, and huge.

 

[PatrickBateman]

No, Hunt just stands in front of the mirror doing bicep curls 5 days a week. Nothing that actually contributes to strength as a footballer but they make him look buff.

Well, you obviously haven't had any weight lifting experience and know nothing on this topic. Look at the size of Hunt's legs at a game, in person... he is bloody huge! Not just stocky, but ripped. I'm not sure what he dead lifts/squats, but has the natural ability(size/shape) to smoke anyone if he so wished. He's known to be heavily into the gym, not sure if he lifts heavy or not. Is still one of the fastest sprinters at the club... while being 100kg+.

Not one of the better players at using his size to his advantage on-field though.

 

[PatrickBateman]

Don't know anything about his weightlifting abilities but Bradshaw has massive guns. Surprised that no-one has mentioned him.

It's a good thing footy socks can be pulled up... HIGH! Bradshaw's legs are in Brereton's league.

 

[mcuzzy]

Swan hardly looks like he is one of the strongest getting around... far from it in fact. 140kg+ would be what the strongest guy at most clubs would punch out. I don't believe it.

Source??

i can imagine he would be able to do it for 1 rep with a spotter

i have a friend who is 85kg and doesn't look that big but can push 135 for 1

 

[enosis7]

Swan hardly looks like he is one of the strongest getting around... far from it in fact. 140kg+ would be what the strongest guy at most clubs would punch out. I don't believe it.

Source??

He doesn't look strong, but if you watch him in any one-on-one contest its not surprising.

I don't have the primary source - I remember reading it in the Age - but I couldn't find it using Google.

It has been reported on BigFooty previously: http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?p=11474304

 

[mcuzzy]

It's a good thing footy socks can be pulled up... HIGH! Bradshaw's legs are in Brereton's league.

dermie has alright calves, but upper leg muscle looked inexistent

 

[jswan]

You show me someone who reps 15 of 170 and i'll show u a pig that can fly...

Considering the world record for a single lift bench press is 1084 pounds(489 kilos), a person doing 15 reps of 175 kilos(387 pounds) isnt impossible as your stupid comment of 'pig that can fly' quote states.

Still dont believe me, when you have a moment, go to youtube and take a look at this video....type in, '585 bench for 23 reps' and you'll see for yourself that it actually isn't that impossible. The man benches 585 pounds(264 kilos) for 23 repetitions easily, and he's not overly huge either. Unfortunatley, I'm not that computer savvy to upload the video myself here, if someone can do it for, I'll be grateful. Thanks.

 

[enosis7]

Considering the world record for a single lift bench press is 1084 pounds(489 kilos), a person doing 15 reps of 175 kilos(387 pounds) isnt impossible as your stupid comment of 'pig that can fly' quote states.

Still dont believe me, when you have a moment, go to youtube and take a look at this video....type in, '585 bench for 23 reps' and you'll see for yourself that it actually isn't that impossible. Unfortunatley, I'm not that computer savvy to upload the video myself here, if someone can do it for, I'll be grateful. Thanks.

175kg for 15 reps is definitely possible but
1) there's probably less than 5 people in Australia who would get close
2) that 585 bench for 23 reps vid is a known fake
3) the world record bench press is 1075lb and was done with a canvas double-ply bench shirt. The raw record is still around 700lbs / 320kg from memory.

 

[Hu$tler]

David Rodan would surely be up there!

Shannon Hurn must squat quite a bit with those massive tree trunks he claims are his legs too

 

[Shaymuhz]

i reckon the big man aaron sandilands would have to have a look in, just because of his size. mark jamar's looks like he'd hold his own as well..

 

[The Warden]

i reckon the big man aaron sandilands would have to have a look in, just because of his size. mark jamar's looks like he'd hold his own as well..

Not a chance. A guy with arms and legs that long has to shift the weight almost double the distance as someone who is comparatively shorter. Example, a 6'11 monster like sandilands (or whatever height he is) is going to have arms many inches longer than someone like cambell brown who's 5'11 or thereabouts. That's not to say Sandilands and Jamar aren't strong, they just wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the squatting/deadlifting/benching stakes.

Btw, there are some pretty ridiculous numbers going around in this thread. As one poster has stated, Gehrig may have thrown up 170kgs for 1 rep but there wouldn't be many naturals (i.e growth hormone/steroid free) strong men that could do upwards of those numbers.

We'll never really know the real numbers because football clubs would be stupid to permit their star players attempting 1 rep maximums as the risk of shoulder/knee/back injuries would be too great.

 

[kBuck]

I remember someone telling me a couple of years ago that cameron ling could bench press 170kg, but i have no proof to back this up.

 

[skywalker1977]

lots to choose from in my personal opinion
from memory there were
roger merret
sav rocca
alastair lynch
terry daniher
stewart loewe had the biggest hands
barry stoneham

strength isnt determined by how much u can press, hard to determine what is natural strength and weighted strength

to work out ones strength is all based on in strength training and holding themselves according to their own weight level.

for instance should a barry hall try holding himself with chin ups and then comes along a gary ablett junior who can pull a lot more, then gary would have more natural strength pound for pound that is

people are so easily impressed by size and power, forgetthing that take away all the unnatural added weight and then determine for strength ratio and weight

I would say lockett modra carey and ablett

the things those guys could do on occassion meant great stregth and even at times agility

 

[skywalker1977]

by the way im surprised that troll hodgepodge hasnt come on this thread and posted his super opinion that hodge and dunstall and franklin arent the strongest players ever.

im still waiting for his comments at some point.

 

[SleepingGiant]

Ben Griffiths will be. At only just turning 19 he weighs 100kg and is 200cm. Similar to a young Plugga. Watch this space... he will be a beast.

Angus Graham should get a mention... he is a very big unit. Height should be taken into account. The strongest players would be the taller ruckman... Ottens would have to be up there.

 

[MF]

Btw, there are some pretty ridiculous numbers going around in this thread. As one poster has stated, Gehrig may have thrown up 170kgs for 1 rep but there wouldn't be many naturals (i.e growth hormone/steroid free) strong men that could do upwards of those numbers.

I really hope there's a lot of exaggeration going on because it puts my work in the gym into a pretty dismal perspective.

 

[Falchoon]

The Saints boxing sessions involving Gehrig and Hall and the stories arising were legendary.

Basically anything Barry could do, Gehrig would do better, quicker, faster, stronger etc.

In a free for all I'm not sure Gehrig's jaw would stand up to the same punishment as Hally's though , but god was he a natural athlete.

 

[dylan123]

Also heard that Modra could throw a javelin that almost would qualify for the Olympics.

What couldn't Modra do?

Someone else beat me to it but Mal Michael in his prime was one solid unit.

I am sure C.Bock would be able to lift a decent amount.

 

[lionsrules]

Not a chance. A guy with arms and legs that long has to shift the weight almost double the distance as someone who is comparatively shorter. Example, a 6'11 monster like sandilands (or whatever height he is) is going to have arms many inches longer than someone like cambell brown who's 5'11 or thereabouts. That's not to say Sandilands and Jamar aren't strong, they just wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the squatting/deadlifting/benching stakes.

Btw, there are some pretty ridiculous numbers going around in this thread. As one poster has stated, Gehrig may have thrown up 170kgs for 1 rep but there wouldn't be many naturals (i.e growth hormone/steroid free) strong men that could do upwards of those numbers.

We'll never really know the real numbers because football clubs would be stupid to permit their star players attempting 1 rep maximums as the risk of shoulder/knee/back injuries would be too great.

Daniel Rich is going to love you now!

 

[FrankenLynch]

I went to this special Eagles corporate thing when I used to work in a phone shop a few years back and we did a tour of the weight rooms. The guide showed us the leg squat machine thing and how they had to weld extra bar onto it to put enough weight for the Q-Stick to use it. They also mentioned that Gehrig had the bench press record for the club.

 

[Pj.Rj.Hj]

Interesting.

Will Genia is reportedly one of the strongest players in the Wallabies team (Rugby) and he benches 172 kg. Most forwards would bench 150 or more.

Several of the England forwards have been reported to bench over 200kg. They are big guys though.

George Gregan put Glen Jakovich to shame on the bench on a tour of the Eagles facilites before a Perth match against the Springbok. I think it was 162 kg.

Strongest Eagles would probably have been Gehrig and Ashley Macintosh.

 

[Edward Teach]

To answer a previous question, most AFL strength and conditioning programs prescribe high bar half-squatting, not down to hip-crease-below-top-knee which is what defines a legal depth competition squat. Although every club is different - it comes down to who the S&C coaches are and their training and athletic background.

A 200kg squat is meaningless without context. Every inch of depth makes the lift harder.

AFAIK
Gehrig benched 170kg for a single.
David Neitz was in similar territory.
Barry Hall benched 155kg for a single this year at the bulldogs.
Dane Swan can bench over 140kg. **

This isn't bad considering strength training isn't as integral to AFL training programs as other sports such as rugby.

FWIW the best raw drug-tested bench pressers in the country right now have a best bench around the 220-230kg mark (500lb). This translates roughly to 170kg for around 10 reps. All are around 125kg+ - much heavier than any AFL players.

**F'n bollocks.

 

[melbournemartin]

Given that no one has shown this picture so far, I figure I may as well remind you of:

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Joel Smith and Daniel Chick destroyed some bench press ratios when Bohdan Baba was in charge of fitness down at the Hawks. From memory, Chicky bench pressed 150+ kgs and then went out and ran a 400 time quicker than anything Cathy Freeman had run.

 

[mcuzzy]

Given that no one has shown this picture so far, I figure I may as well remind you of:

why are you bagging your own player?