Gentlemen – I am new to this forum and to blogs generally but not to devotion to the red and blue.

I understand that the average height and weight profile of all AFL players is 188cm 87kg (see http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/the-af...237738878.html).

It used to be that that size player would typically play key position. Now that is a midfielder. I will use the term “tall” to denote any player over this mark.

Much has been made of our new and developing onballers but we are also developing some taller talent.

My thought starter is in the age of highly mobile big guys like Buddy Franklin (196 / 90), Kurt Tippett 201 / 100 have we recruited well for big men? Jack Watts 196/83, Max Gawn 206/97, Jack Fitzpatrick 201/85 are undeveloped but I like the look of Jack Fitzpatrick (speed in particular). Watts credentials are well documented. Other more developed talls since 2006 include Garland 191/85, Frawley 193/98, Cale Morton 192/83, Stefan Martin 198/100. Martin is probably the one I am unsure of.

Rucks of 198 to 201cm (Jamar 198/100 and Johnson 198/103) without an alternative option (run like Krueser or go forward) seem to be doomed. Your thoughts?

I calculated the average size of our list at 186 and noted some Richmond site which identified theirs was the smallest list going round. What is the average height of other clubs? All sorts of problems with averages and we are not talking the game team and all but I have some concerns that we don’t have the height the modern game demands.

Cheers

Big mocka

Gentlemen – I am new to this forum and to blogs generally but not to devotion to the red and blue.

I understand that the average height and weight profile of all AFL players is 188cm 87kg (see http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/the-af...237738878.html).

......

Using the data currently on the MFC site for senior list players (not rookies), and rounding to the nearest whole number,

our ave ht is 188; ave wt is 85.

You would expect these numbers to grow a bit, with young players still growing, and filling out. I think we will end up playing fairly tall.

Personally I reckon this may be one of those stats that misrepresents more than it helps.

I would say there's a number of players that are needed to "play tall." And then there's a number of positions where height is less of an issue. Jones 'aint that big and he's a very good player who would likely find his way onto any list at this stage. Likewise Scully will bring our average down whilst bring the quality of our list up.

Now that said, I don't mean to minimise the importance of height. The Cats do it VERY well with players like Corey. I was watching the Freo game from late last season a couple of days ago and felt bad for Valenti. I reckon his height may have been the major reason he was let go. In fact, it may have been the ONLY reason.