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The fluid nature of the game gives AFL teams the opportunity to innovate around defined positions. Adjustments to tactics may require players to step into multi-positions they are not used to before or during the game.
The skill set needed to play each position differs from each other in the AFL. Players that can easily move from position to position without significant drop in their quality of play are called utility players. This article talks about the top five utility players in AFL history.
5 best multi-position players in AFL history
#5 Leigh Brown
Brown debuted in the AFL for Fremantle in 2000 and played 21 out of 22 games that season. He played 63 games for them and kicked 20 goals before moving to North Melbourne.
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He was traded for pick 13 in 2002, a deal that saw Byron Schammer move the other way. He played 118 games and scored 64 goals for North Melbourne before he was deregistered in 2008.
Collingwood recruited him during the National Draft as pick 73. He played 23 games in his first season with the Magpies and scored 10.
He has played numerous roles, earning him the nickname "Mr Fix It" from Malcolm Blight and numerous commentators. He was instrumental in Collingwood's 2010 AFL premiership which was their 15th at the time.
#4 Shaun Burgoyne
After being drafted as the 12th pick in the 2000 National Draft by Port Adelaide, he made his debut in the round three match again St kilda in 2002. He started off as a forward with steady contributions before he was moved to defense.
In 2004, he played every game in Port Adelaide's first season, winning the flag. His midfield performances led to his selection in the 2006 All-Australian team.
In 2008, he finished fourth in the best and fairest and was second at the club in centre clearances, tackles and inside 50s, and fourth in goals - 23.
He was traded to Hawthorn in 2011. He was part of the team that lost the 2012 grand final. He won the grand final with the Hawks in 2013, 2014, 2015.
He retired in 2021. He ranks third for most AFL appearances with 407 games behind Brent Harvey, 432 games, and Michael Tuck, 426 games.
#3 Malcolm Blight
Blight remains the only player to score 100 goals in a season in both the VFL, now AFL and the SANFL. He is also one of only three players to have won the Brownlow and Magarey Medal and was an inaugural inductee in the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 1996, then elevated to Legend status in 2017.
Blight had his breakout year in 1972, playing mainly as a ruck-rover. He played 178 for North Melbourne between 1974 and 1982.
He was known for taking spectacular marks and was also a prolific goalkicker, known for his ability to kick the torpedo punt. In 1982, Blight won the Coleman Medal for leading the VFL in goalkicking. He led Melbourne goalkicking four times during his career.
#2 Matthew Pavlich
Pavlich was recruited in the fourth selection of the 1999 AFL National Draft by Fremantle. He scored two goals with his first two kicks in the AFL.
The 2001 season was disappointing for Fremantle in the AFL but a good one for Pavlich. In the 21 games he played that season, he score 28 goals.
In the 2002 season, new Fremantle coach Chris Connolly moved Pavlich to defense. He earned his first All Australian selection at fullback by shutting down opponents, while gathering plenty of possession and setting up play.
In 2003, his position was changed again to midfield. He scored 37 goals in the 23 games he played and earned another All-Australian selection at the half forward flank position.
He moved to centre half forward in the 2005 season and led the goalkickers list with 61 goals. He was selected in the All Australian team three more times with each position different from that of the year before; 2006 (interchange), 2007 (full forward) and 2008 (interchange).
He scored his 500th goal for Fremantle in 2012 against Adelaide. In August 2016, Pavlich played his 353rd and final game against the Western Bulldogs. He scored a goal in the first quarter to reach 700 career goals.
#1 Adam Goodes
Goodes was drafted by Sydney in the 1997 Draft as the 43rd pick. He broke into the first team in the 1999 season and won the league's Rising Star Award.
He played every game in 2000 and 2001 season but a slump in form almost saw him dropped in 2002. The appointment of Paul Roos moved him to the ruck where his form improved. However, his injuries allowed him shift to the wing where he won two Brownlow medals.
In the 2003 season, he returned to the ruck and was integral in Sydney's journey to the finals. He won the club's best and fairest award - the Bob Skilton Medal and was selected in the All-Australian team for the first time. He won the AFL's Brownlow Medal, alongside Collingwood's Nathan Buckley and Adelaide's Mark Ricciuto. This was the first time since 1930 it was shared by three players.
He was part of the team that ended Sydney premiership drought in 2005. He won the Brownlow Medal again in 2006 and was selected in the All-Australian team.
He won one more premiership with Sydney and was selected in the All-Australian team two more times. He retired after the 2015 season.
