Centre Line (football) - Wing

Wing

The two wingmen control the open spaces in the middle of the ground. They can vary in size, depending on team balance or opposition match-ups, but in general they need to be highly skilled, especially in kicking. Wingmen also require considerable pace and stamina, as they run up and down the ground linking play between defence and attack. The Victorian Football Association (VFA) abolished the wing role for many years, which sped up play and increased the average team score. However, this was not copied in other leagues.

Notable wingmen in Australian football over the years include:

  • Wilfred "Chicken" Smallhorn (Fitzroy, 1930-1940), Brownlow Medallist 1933
  • Herb Matthews (South Melbourne, 1932-1945), Brownlow Medallist 1940
  • Thorold Merrett (Collingwood, 1950-1960)
  • Stan Alves (Melbourne and North Melbourne, 1965-1979)
  • Dick Clay (Richmond, 1966-1976)
  • Keith Greig (North Melbourne, 1971-1985), Brownlow Medallist 1973, 1974 and also named on wing in AFL Team of the Century (1996)
  • Bryan Wood (Richmond and Essendon, 1972-1986)
  • Robbie Flower (Melbourne, 1973-1987)
  • Russell Greene (St Kilda and Hawthorn, 1974-1988)
  • Michael Turner (Geelong, 1974-1988)
  • Robert DiPierdomenico (Hawthorn, 1975-1991), Brownlow Medallist 1986
  • Doug Hawkins (Footscray and Fitzroy, 1978-1995)
  • Dennis Carroll (Sydney, 1981-1991)
  • Darren Millane (Collingwood, 1984-1991)
  • Chris Mainwaring (West Coast, 1987-1999)
  • Nicky Winmar (St. Kilda and Western Bulldogs, 1987-1999)
  • Peter Matera (West Coast, 1990-2002) Norm Smith Medallist 1992
  • Peter Riccardi (Geelong, 1992-2006)

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Famous quotes containing the word wing:

    “The evils of mortals are manifold; nowhere is trouble of the same wing seen.”
    —Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)

    “I come to one bush of berries so ripe it is a bush of flies,
    Hanging their bluegreen bellies and their wing panes in a Chinese
    screen.
    The honey-feast of the berries has stunned them; they believe in
    heaven.”
    —Sylvia Plath (1932–1963)

    “Ignorance is the curse of God,
    Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.”
    —William Shakespeare (1564–1616)