Answer Man

ANSWER MAN with COL HUTCHINSON ROUND 7, 2021

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? 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.

ELDER STATESMEN: Essendon’s Dustin Fletcher and ex-Demon and Saint Vic Cumberland (inset) both played into their 40s.

PLAYERS AGED 37 OR OLDER ON FAREWELL: 1897-2021

PLAYER CAREER GMS AGE LAST GAME

Vic Cumberland (Melb/StK) 1898-1920 176 43y, 48d Dustin Fletcher (Ess) 1993-2015 400 40y, 23d Jack Leith (Melb) 1897-1912 133 39y, 295d Syd Barker snr (Rich/Ess/NM) 1908-27 68 39y, 239d Jim Flynn (Geel/Carl) 1897-1910 149 39y, 180d Ted Rowell (Coll) 1901-15 189 39y, 94d Shaun Burgoyne (PA/Haw) 2002-21 407 38y, 304d Craig Bradley (Carl) 1986-2002 375 38y, 291d Les Hughes (Coll) 1908-22 225 38y, 143d Charlie Hardy (Ess) 1921-25 36 38y, 122d Brent Harvey (NM) 1996-2016 432 38y, 119d Teddy Rankin (Geel) 1897-1910 180 38y, 105d Michael Tuck (Haw) 1972-91 426 38y, 95d

PLAYER CAREER GMS AGE LAST GAME

Bill Proudfoot (Coll) 1897-1906 108 38y, 74d Paul Salmon (Ess/Haw) 1983-2002 324 37y, 236d Alby Morrison (Foots) 1928-46 224 37y, 221d Rod McGregor (Carl) 1905-20 236 37y, 195d Alec Hall (Ess/StK) 1898-1902 20 37y, 191d Jock McHale (Coll) 1903-20 261 37y, 141d Charlie Forbes (Ess) 1897-1902 52 37y, 86d Henry Young (Geel) 1897-1910 167 37y, 82d Bill Fraser (SM) 1897-1904 88 37y, 54d Robert Harvey (StK) 1988-2008 383 37y, 31d Arthur Hiskins (SM) 1908-23 185 37y, 27d Joe Powell (Geel/StK) 1900-01 45 37y, 22d Charlie Norris (Coll/Fitz) 1910-11 124 37y, 18d

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, 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. 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.