Strongest Player in the AFL

[Superduperouzel]

I heard the commentators today saying Joel Wilkinson for the Gold Coast can bench press 160kg which is a whopping 350 pounds. I know Cloke can bench a massive amount but I was wondering who are the strongest players at your club and how much can they do ?

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Pound for pound or overall?

 

[Dan]

 

[Superduperouzel]

Pound for pound or overall?

Overall but pound 4 pound would be interesting to know too.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

Jimmy Bartel. Chuck Norris wears his undies.

 

[jimbler]

I heard the commentators today saying Joel Wilkinson for the Gold Coast can bench press 160kg which is a whopping 350 pounds.

He apparently holds the Suns 2km time trial record as well. I also didn't know that he only took up playing footy for the first time in 2008.

 

[Superstar swan]

Surely there's someone in the afl that can bench more than 160 kgs

 

[estibador]

Joel Wilkinson is listed at 86kgs in the latest article I could find, which also claimed his 160kg bench was for three reps, not just a one rep max..

Assuming they were legitimate benches and not half motion ego reps that's f**king strong by anyone's standards and I'd be surprised if any AFL player can better that pound for pound.

If you can bench 1.5x your bodyweight you're considered strong in bodybuilding circles, nearly 2x is very, very impressive for an AFL player who doesn't train for pure strength.

The highest (unconfirmed) bench I've heard of was Mal Michael at 180kg, but he had 15kgs of bodyweight on Wilkinson.

FWIW here's a graphic from a couple of years ago showing some of the the NRL strongmen. Of the benches that are mentioned not one of them is 2x their bodyweight.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

Weight training strength is useless in AFL without endurance, courage, a bit of talk and a bit of finesse.

Brute strength is much more important in Rugby though. It's kind of like circuit training eg. lifting a bloke up in a line out after playing 60 minutes on the field, pushing through a scrum in the second half etc...

Aussie Rules is about summoning the energy and oxygen to have the legs to run with the bloke you're shepherding in the final quarter and telling him in full flight that he has someone on his hammer about to tackle him, hip and shoulder him [No offside] etc...

Different games, different strengths.

 

[estibador]

Strength is useless in AFL without endurance, courage and a bit of finesse.

The article I read claimed he also owns the Suns 2km time trial record (as someone mentioned above).

Dude must be some kind of freak to be setting records in both areas, either that or the Suns might be doing a little creative accounting.

Weights records are particularly prone to inaccuracy because of the different range of motion you can get away with if you don't have professional judges watching you.

 

[ShaySwannies]

My guess at the Swans would be Josh Kennedy, I'd imagine Ryan O'Keefe benches a decent weight as well.

Pound for Pound for the Swans my money would be on Kieran Jack.

I'm pretty sure I've heard commentators claim that Dane Swan benches something ridiculous?

 

[Sunny_]

Wilkinson is a freak athletically. Holds the record for the 2km run and yeah, broke Hunt's record for the most weight benched over the last pre-season.

I'm also fairly sure that Wilkinson holds the record for the quickest 20m time at draft camp, clocking in at 2.75. He's lightning off the mark.

He's very fast over short distances, is very strong and has endurance to keep going and going.

With all that said though, he looks completely lost on the footy field. Has no smarts whatsoever and is still learning the game. Often given tagging roles. Certainly hope he picks his game up, since he has all the tools to do well. He was one of our worst last night in the NAB games.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Surely the deadlift weights in those articles are wrong. Kid weights. I know of a former Newcastle Knights winger who can deadlift 350kg.

 

[iBeng]

Im sure I read somewhere that Daniel Merrett was doing 175 and recently Rich also matched 175kgs.


170kg*

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Surely the deadlift weights in those articles are wrong. Kid weights. I know of a former Newcastle Knights winger who can deadlift 350kg.

Whoah who?

 

[footscore]

Podsiadly is reportedly strongest player at Geelong

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Strongest player in the AFL?

Give me Aaron Sandilands - good luck out-wrestling him under a high ball

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

At the 'Dogs it's Minson by a long shot. Hall just pipped him in his days but now Minson stands alone. I'd guess that Jack "The Unit" Redpath (see my avatar) would be close to him but I don't know numbers at all.

 

[lots_of_fun]

It'd be between Brad McKenzie and Ryan Bastinac over at Arden St. Though new recruit Mitchell Wilkins will give them both a run for their money.

 

[shinboner spiggs]

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

It'd be between Brad McKenzie and Ryan Bastinac over at Arden St. Though new recruit Mitchell Wilkins will give them both a run for their money.

Looking at Majak surely he's up there?

 

[Hard_to_Beat]

Jesse Hogan

 

[theboxmike]

Probably one the ruckmen in the AFL? Surely gotta be sandilands just on pure size.

Bigg mummy would go alright in a wrestle i bet to.

 

[The Swert]

Here's a post I found from 2006...back when Fraser Gehrig was king.

Article on the real footy website says that Gehrig has the AFL record of bench pressing 172.5kg


I cut and pasted this from the site.

ADELAIDE - Mark Ricciuto 160kg

BRISBANE - Alastair Lynch Chris Scott 155kg

CARLTON - Anthony Koutoufides 142.5kg

COLLINGWOOD - Nathan Buckley James Clement 160kg

ESSENDON - Damien Peverill 130kg

FREMANTLE - Does not use bench press. Troy Simmonds has lifted 135kg in "power clean" (Olympic weightlifting clean and jerk, minus the jerk)

GEELONG - Stephen King 145kg

HAWTHORN - Richie Vandenberg 155kg

KANGAROOS - Saverio Rocca 140kg

MELBOURNE - Unavailable

PORT ADELAIDE - Bench press used only to monitor progress of developing players. Uses a combination of tests, including medicine ball throwing and trolley pushing, to ascertain strength, with Chad Cornes and Warren Tredrea the strongest.

RICHMOND - Ty Zantuck Luke Weller 155kg

ST KILDA - Fraser Gehrig 172.5kg

SYDNEY - Barry Hall Craig Bolton 140kg

WESTERN BULLDOGS - Daniel Bandy (figure unavailable)

WEST COAST - Has not used bench press as a strength test for several seasons. When testing ceased, the club record was held by Fraser Gehrig at 170kg.

 

[HARKER]

Not sure which player it is but he must surely play for North.