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List of Indigenous Australian VFL/AFL and AFL Women's players

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List of Indigenous Australian VFL/AFL and AFL Women's players
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Since the Victorian Football League (VFL), which is now known as the Australian Football League (AFL), was formed in 1897, there have been 178 known players of Indigenous Australian heritage that have played in a senior VFL/AFL match, and 11 known players of in the AFL Women's since the inaugural season in 2017. A senior VFL/AFL or AFL Women's match is an Australian rules football match between two clubs that are, or have been in the past, members of the VFL/AFL or of the AFL Women's. A senior VFL/AFL or AFL Women's match is played under the laws of Australian football, and includes regular season matches, as well as finals series matches. It does not include pre-season matches, interstate matches or international rules football matches. The list is arranged in alphabetical order by surname.

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Current record-holders for most games by an Indigenous player in the VFL/AFL (Shaun Burgoyne, 407 games for Port Adelaide and Hawthorn)[1] and AFL Women's (Ally Anderson, 66 games for Brisbane)

The first recognised Indigenous Australian player to play in a senior VFL/AFL match was Joe Johnson who played 55 games for Fitzroy from 1904 to 1906, and was a member of Fitzroy's dual premiership-winning sides of 1904 and 1905. Gavin Wanganeen (Essendon and Port Adelaide) was the first Indigenous Australian player to play 300 games, and Shaun Burgoyne is the current record-holder of most games played by an Indigenous player with 407 games for Port Adelaide and Hawthorn from 2002 onwards.[1]

As of the 2025 AFL Season, there are 62 Indigenous players listed with an AFL club. In 2020, a record 87 Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players featured on AFL lists, a number which has annually declined since.[2]

The Fremantle Football Club, initially under inaugural coach Gerard Neesham, have been strong supporters of Indigenous players. They have had 34 Indigenous players represent their club in AFL matches,[3] and hold the record for most players in one game, with eight in Indigenous Round (Round 10), 2017.[4]

The two Western Australian teams, Fremantle and West Coast, have both had the most Indigenous players on their list, with 36 and 35 Indigenous players respectively.

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Players

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Players are listed in alphabetical order, and statistics are for VFL/AFL or AFL Women's regular season and finals series matches only. "Career span" years are from the season of the player's debut in the VFL/AFL or AFL Women's to the year in which they played their final game in the VFL/AFL or AFL Women's and have since been removed from the playing list. Currently listed players are shaded in green and their career span is listed as "(year of debut)present". Statistics are correct to round 10 in the 2024 AFL season and the end of the 2024 AFL Women's season.
Legend

Players named in the Indigenous Team of the Century are indicated by a # next to their name.
   Currently listed players

VFL/AFL

More information Name, Club(s) ...

Most Indigenous Players by Club

More information Club, Number of Indigenous Players ...

AFL Women's

More information Name, Club(s) ...
  1. Howarth was also on Brisbane's list in 2018, but did not play a game for the club.
  2. Tester was also on Fremantle's list in 2021, but did not play a game for the club.

Families

Statistics updated to end of round 12 of the 2023 AFL season and end of AFLW season seven.

More information Family, Name ...
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See also

  • List of Indigenous Australian NRL players

References

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