Royce Hart - Hart V Carey

Hart V Carey

Hart was an inaugural inductee to the AFL Hall of Fame in 1996 and was also named at centre half-forward in the AFL Team of the Century. At that time, some commentators made the point that had the vote been taken a few years down the track, then North Melbourne skipper Wayne Carey would've got Hart's place. In the 2001 book Heart Of the Game a large panel of experienced commentators voted for a team of the television era (i.e. 1956 to 2001) and gave the position to Carey, with Hart on the bench. Now that Carey is also retired, the debate arises, who was the best centre half forward?

According to Hart's former teammate Barry Richardson, the centre half-forward has the toughest role in the team primarily because he nearly always has to take on at least two opponents - the centre half-back and the opposition ruckman. The centre half-forward must not only be able to compete in the air, but also bring the ball to ground if he doesn't take a mark and keep the ball in the forward line until his smaller and more agile teammates arrive. This requires height, strength and spring, all of which Hart possessed in abundance in his prime.

In the years between the careers of Hart and Carey, the only man to come close to their level of centre half-forward play was Dermott Brereton from Hawthorn. It is no coincidence that all three played in the team considered the best of their respective eras. It is also worth noting that all three instantly lifted their teams from the middle order of the ladder to regular finalists (and ultimately premiers) and when all three departed, their clubs went back to struggling. Another common factor is the shortened nature of their careers, due to the stress that playing centre half forward places on the body.