TOPIC:

Factor opinion wrote: Did Ian Miller play as key position player at Perth, went to Fitzroy and came back to EP as a ruck rover?

He sure did. Won a Sandover Medal 1972 as our Centre Half forward.

Without a doubt it has to be Brian France. At just on 6 foot he played 157 games at CHB for West Perth between 1958 & 1967. which included the 1960 Premiership!
Was a Breckler Medalist (West Perth Fairest and Best) in 1963 & 1965. He was also the runnner-up in the 1967 Sandover Medal missing by 3 votes after missing the last 9 games through injury.
He was a classic defensive player who often sacrificed his own game to completely blanket a dangerous rival forward. Brian never appeared on too many honour boards but as an example of France’s influence came in the 1966 Carnival in Tasmania, when he curbed the brilliant Darrell Baldock, keeping the key forward under wraps and giving Western Australia a leading edge against Victoria.
Unfortunately, Brian's career came to a premature end when he suffered a knee injury in round 14, of the 1967 season! Rival forwards regarded France as one of the toughest defenders in the game.
Extremely strong and fast, he had the capacity to nullify some of the greatest forwards the game has seen, with a combination of leading the play, outstanding marking and a close-checking style.
Newspaper critics of that era often hailed France as the best key-position defender in Australia and rated him accordingly.
His 1967 knee injury certainly brought a premature end to his career at the age of 27, with knee reconstructions an unknown treatment in those years.

A few from Swans that spring to mind are-

Stan Nowotny- held down the key CHF position and occasionally Full Forward for us in the late 70s early 80s after being a Ruck Rover/HBF early in his career despite being barely 6ft.

Tony Solin- can remember when Tom Mullooly was out injured he held down the Full Back role including some key shutdown jobs on the glamour Full Forward of the time Warren Ralph who was probably 5 inches taller.

Kim Hetherington- after starting his career at EF as a speedy lithe barely 6ft wingmen/half back flanker he like Solin played as a Full Back/Centre Half Back in many games for Swans and Toddy used to love to match him up against the far bigger and stronger Mick Rea to utilise his speed to curtail Stinger and run off him when the timing was right.

Troy Ugle- despite being only 5ft 9/10in was used as a Full Forward for the last 6 years of his career at Basso where he could utilise his speed off the mark, strength in a one on one wrestle and or leap onto his opponents shoulders if they dared stand in front of the great man with the long ball coming in to the top of the goal square.

Thanks for all the posts which make fine readding. Two more from Subi, at different ends of the gound, were Crutchfield and Breman, both of whom were under six feet.

Dempsey wrote: Without a doubt it has to be Brian France........ /quote]

May be a little bit of doubt, Demps ............. but he was certainly very, very good. Short(ish) and dour, but very effective off a left foot. From memory, he didn't kick very far,

Rod Alderton from WP played a fair bit at Full Forward in the late 70s early 80s even though he was more of a wingman than a key position player.
Paul Medhurst at Claremont was another undersized Full Forward but very clever both in the air, on the ground and in using his body in a one on one contest.

Some not mentioned would be:

Ken Hunter Claremont at CHB
Peter Bosustow Perth at FF
Sebastian Rioli South Fremantle at FF

Leigh Matthews as a rover at 5'11 (tall in those days for a rover) and then rounding out his career as a full forward and 915 goals.
Kevin Bartlett also a rover and taller than many think.

Dempsey wrote: Without a doubt it has to be Brian France. At just on 6 foot he played 157 games at CHB for West Perth between 1958 & 1967. which included the 1960 Premiership!
Was a Breckler Medalist (West Perth Fairest and Best) in 1963 & 1965. He was also the runnner-up in the 1967 Sandover Medal missing by 3 votes after missing the last 9 games through injury.
He was a classic defensive player who often sacrificed his own game to completely blanket a dangerous rival forward. Brian never appeared on too many honour boards but as an example of France’s influence came in the 1966 Carnival in Tasmania, when he curbed the brilliant Darrell Baldock, keeping the key forward under wraps and giving Western Australia a leading edge against Victoria.
Unfortunately, Brian's career came to a premature end when he suffered a knee injury in round 14, of the 1967 season! Rival forwards regarded France as one of the toughest defenders in the game.
Extremely strong and fast, he had the capacity to nullify some of the greatest forwards the game has seen, with a combination of leading the play, outstanding marking and a close-checking style.
Newspaper critics of that era often hailed France as the best key-position defender in Australia and rated him accordingly.
His 1967 knee injury certainly brought a premature end to his career at the age of 27, with knee reconstructions an unknown treatment in those years.

Hard to argue with you Demps, One of the very few who could have the great Austin Robertsons's measure, he and Noddy Macaulay were the 2 backmen that Ocker always mentions as his toughest opponents.

One fellow whom has played consistently out of position for years is Della Hunty -- bless him