Richmond’s 2019 premiership line-up contained the equal-most ‘small’ players of any AFL flag-winning team for 55 years.
You have to go all the way back to Melbourne’s last premiership side in 1964 to find one with more ‘mosquito fleet’ members.
The Demons’ class of ’64, under coaching legend Norm Smith, had 12 players who were 182cm or under in height (that’s below six foot in the old imperial measurement).
This year’s triumphant Tigers team included 10 players 182cm or less – Liam Baker, Shai Bolton, Jason Castagna, Shane Edwards, Brandon Ellis, Bachar Houli, Kane Lambert, Dion Prestia, Daniel Rioli and Jayden Short.
Richmond’s drought-breaking 2017 premiership side had nine players in the mosquito-fleet category.
Hawthorn in 2008 and Essendon in 1993 were the only other premiership teams since 1964 to have comprised 10 small players.