Taggers
Taggers, also known as "run-with" players. Their role is to shut down, follow, run with, mark and sometimes "scrag" (illegally hold) their chosen opponent. They are considered "negative" players, and are often used on players that are deemed to be the most dangerous and have the most impact in a game. Taggers have only really been used in recent years, and such players to have earned "tag" status include Ben Cousins, Chris Judd, James Hird, Nathan Buckley, Jason Akermanis, Gary Ablett, Jr. and Jimmy Bartel, all players who are capable of destruction if they are not tightly manned. Jason Akermanis criticised one of his most frequent tagging opponents, Jared Crouch, for the negative influence he had, not so much on Akermanis' game, but the game of Australian rules football in general.
Taggers possess a high level of fitness and can run with such star players all day and often players from an athletic background who do not possess silky skills will be assigned to tag a player. Some players, such as Cameron Ling, who made a name for themselves as taggers have "stepped up" and become players who are frequently tagged themselves.
Notable taggers:
- Cameron Ling
- Brad Sewell
- Steven Baker
- Josh Carr
- Brady Rawlings
- Tyson Stenglein
- Kane Cornes
- Damien Peverill
- Robert Shirley
- Aaron Joseph
- Clinton Jones
- Andrew Raines
Read more about this topic: Australian Rules Football Positions