QUESTIONS?
Ask Col via email at col.hutchinson@afl.com.au or write to him at AFL House, PO Box 1449, GPO, Melbourne, VIC 3001
ANSWER MAN
Towards the end of this season, it is likely that Fremantle champion David Mundy will play beyond his 37th birthday. How many players have done that at the elite level?
with COL HUTCHINSON ELDER STATESMEN: Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher and ex-Demon and Saint Vic Cumberland (inset) both played into their 40s.
CHRIS McKAY, SEYMOUR, VIC CH: In round 14, 1902, Essendon’s Charlie ‘Tracker’ Forbes became the first 37-year-old to take the field. In the next 20 years, 14 others emulated his achievement. Since then, 11 more have done so, making 26 in total. The most recent case was Hawthorn’s Shaun Burgoyne at the start of the 2021 season. From 1947 until 1969, there were no players of that age. Hawthorn’s Michael Tuck broke the drought when, remarkably, he was runner-up in his club’s best and fairest in 1970. A year later, in his farewell match, he captained his team to a premiership. On three occasions, a pair of 37-year-olds have played in the same match – round 15, 1914: Ted Rowle (Coll) and Vic Cumberland (St K); round seven, 2002: Craig Bradley (Carl)
and Paul Salmon (Ess); and round seven, 2015: Dustin Fletcher (Ess) and Brent Harvey (NM). Following their 37th birthdays, Bradley polled six Brownlow Medal votes and Fletcher took the field 47 times – both records. In 1908, Carlton’s Jim Flynn became the oldest member
of a winning Grand Final team, while Cumberland remains the oldest ever player. In his farewell appearance at the Lake Oval in 1920, he was 48 days beyond his 43rd birthday. In an interrupted career, he had made his debut for Melbourne in 1898, aged 21.
PLAYERS AGED 37 OR OLDER ON FAREWELL: 1897-2021 PLAYER
CAREER
GMS
AGE LAST GAME
PLAYER
CAREER
GMS
AGE LAST GAME
Vic Cumberland (Melb/StK)
1898-1920
176
43y, 48d
Bill Proudfoot (Coll)
1897-1906
108
38y, 74d
Dustin Fletcher (Ess)
1993-2015
400
40y, 23d
Paul Salmon (Ess/Haw)
1983-2002
324
37y, 236d
Jack Leith (Melb)
1897-1912
133
39y, 295d
Alby Morrison (Foots)
1928-46
224
37y, 221d
Syd Barker snr (Rich/Ess/NM) 1908-27
68
39y, 239d
Rod McGregor (Carl)
1905-20
236
37y, 195d
Jim Flynn (Geel/Carl)
1897-1910
149
39y, 180d
Alec Hall (Ess/StK)
1898-1902
20
37y, 191d
Ted Rowell (Coll)
1901-15
189
39y, 94d
Jock McHale (Coll)
1903-20
261
37y, 141d
Shaun Burgoyne (PA/Haw)
2002-21
407
38y, 304d
Charlie Forbes (Ess)
1897-1902
52
37y, 86d
Craig Bradley (Carl)
1986-2002
375
38y, 291d
Henry Young (Geel)
1897-1910
167
37y, 82d
Les Hughes (Coll)
1908-22
225
38y, 143d
Bill Fraser (SM)
1897-1904
88
37y, 54d
Charlie Hardy (Ess)
1921-25
36
38y, 122d
Robert Harvey (StK)
1988-2008
383
37y, 31d
Brent Harvey (NM)
1996-2016
432
38y, 119d
Arthur Hiskins (SM)
1908-23
185
37y, 27d
Teddy Rankin (Geel)
1897-1910
180
38y, 105d
Joe Powell (Geel/StK)
1900-01
45
37y, 22d
Michael Tuck (Haw)
1972-91
426
38y, 95d
Charlie Norris (Coll/Fitz)
1910-11
124
37y, 18d
ROUND 7, 2021 u The heat was
starting to build on Collingwood and coach Nathan Buckley after the Magpies lost to Gold Coast at the MCG by 24 points. It was Collingwood’s fifth successive loss, with Josh Corbett kicking a career-high four goals for the Suns. The much-anticipated Friday night clash between Richmond and the Western Bulldogs saw the Tigers recover from a 19-point half-time deficit to dominate the unbeaten Dogs in the second half. Even without injured superstar Dustin Martin, Richmond showed its class kicking 9.3 to 2.4 after the main break, but the Tigers suffered more injuries to captain Trent Cotchin (hamstring) and key defender Dylan Grimes (concussion). Geelong forward Jeremy Cameron was denied a mark just before the final siren with the Cats trailing the Sydney Swans by two points. The controlling umpire deemed the ball had not travelled the required 15m, but the AFL later ruled it did. Melbourne lost key defender Adam Tomlinson to a season-ending ACL injury, while West Coast easily won its 11th successive Western Derby over Fremantle.
CAN YOU ASSIST? u The AFL is seeking the dates of death for the following players. Edward Page Heffernan played for Carlton in 1894 and 1896-97 after transferring from Fitzroy Juniors. He was born on May 16,
22 AFL RECORD
AR07 p22 Answerman.indd 22
1869. Originating from junior club Royal Park Crescent, Samuel Otto Buck was a teammate of Heffernan with the Blues in 1897. He celebrated his 21st birthday on November 15 of that year. Recruited
from Albert Park, Edmund Kirwin was born on March 31, 1876, and made one appearance for St Kilda in 1898.
If you can assist, contact Col Hutchinson at col.hutchinson@afl.com.au.
SEN.com.au
4/25/22 12:45 PM
