Almanac Footy: Most VFL/AFL Reserves Games

February 16, 2022 by 7 Comments

Hi all,

I am researching the players that have played the most amount of VFL/AFL reserves games.

I have attached a list that was taken mainly from “Inside Football” August 5, 1992 and the “Football Record” September 22/23, 1990.

There are some players from the late 1980s and 1990s that may of played over 100 reserves games that are missing from this list.

If I’m missing any, please let me know.

 

 

Most VFL/AFL Reserves Games:
Player Clubs, years and games in the reserves Reserves Games Years Senior Games
1 Bob Walker Geelong 201 1931-1941 14
2 Mel Wishart Richmond 186 1919-1928 0
3 Alan Thaw Essendon 170 1946-1958 41
4 Mark Scott Hawthorn 1976-1980, St. Kilda 1980-83, Fitzroy 1983-1989 168 1976-1989 78
5 Roy Ramsay North Melbourne, Essendon, North Melbourne 159 1973-1987 126
6 Jim Doran Richmond 155 1920-25, 1927-29 0
7 Emmett Dunne Richmond 1973-83 Games 86, Footscray 1984-86 Games 53 139 1973-1986 129
8 Ian Scrimshaw Hawthorn 1972-76 Games 55, Richmond 1976-81 Games: 80 135 1972-1981 59
9 Glenn Howard Hawthorn 1980–1986 107 games, Collingwood 1987-88 27 games 134 1980-88 37
10 Alby Pannam Collingwood 1933-35 12 games, Richmond 1946-52 119 games 131 1933-1952 183
11 Scott Howell Carlton 130 1976-1985 39
12 Grant Thomas St.Kilda 1975-1983, North Melbourne 1984, Fitzroy 1985 129 1975-1985 83
13 Mark Williams Carlton 1982-88, Footscray 1989-90 126 1982-90 33
14 Terry Wight Collingwood 1973-80 109 games, Footscray 1981 16 games 125 1973-1981 42
15 Peter Welsh Hawthorn 1972-79 90 games, Richmond 1980-84 35 games 125 1972-1984 125
16 Xavier Tanner North Melbourne 1974-1983, Melbourne 1984-85 122 1974-1985 111
17 Ron Smith Collingwood 122 1937-1950 48
18 John Barnett Hawthorn 1991-93, North Melbourne 1994-96, Collingwood 1997 121 1991-97 14
19 Murray Witcombe Geelong 120 1974-1986 121
20 Wes Fellowes Collingwood 119 1979-1990 102
21 Bill Fitzgerald Collingwood 119 1926-38 0
22 Richie Saunders Richmond 1929–1934, Fitzroy 1935–1937 119 1929–1937 20
23 Mark Eustice Essendon 1979-84 Games 94, Richmond 1985-88 Games 8, Sydney Swans 1988-1991 Games 14 116 1979-1991 137
24 Alle de Wolde Hawthorn 115 1974–1984 97
25 Greg Hutchison Melbourne 115 1975-1985 96
26 Mario Bortolotto Geelong 1978-80, Carlton 1981-85 114 1978-1985 46
27 Doug Davies Geelong 114 1947-1957 12
28 Damian Drum Geelong 114 1981-90 63
29 Robert Groenewegen Footscray 114 1978-87 79
30 Malcolm Reed Geelong 114 1977-1986 81
31 Tim Harrington North Melbourne 1983-86, Collingwood 1987-88, Footscray 1989-90 114 1983-90 46
32 Stephen Taubert Richmond 1973-77 Games 70, Essendon 1977-81, Games 23, Sydney Swans 1982-85, Games 20 113 1973-1985 123
33 Peter Johnston Melbourne 1976-78, Geelong 1979-1986 112 1976-1986 122
34 Mark Whitzell Sydney Swans 112 1981–1986 12
35 Denis Munari Carlton 1967–1970, North Melbourne 1974-1977 110 1967-1970 & 1974-77 54
36 Shane Zantuck North Melbourne 1974-76, South Melbourne 1977-1980, Melbourne 1981-86 110 1974-1986 149
37 Graeme Fellowes Collingwood 108 1954-64 66

 

 

Kind regards,

Kevin Pollard

 

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Comments

  1. Rulebook says
    February 16, 2022 at 8:34 pm

    Wow some incredible cases of club loyalty and v educational as well

  2. Glen! says
    February 17, 2022 at 8:05 am

    Mel Wishart, Jim Doran must have been damn fine team men. All that time with one club without a senior game.

    Richmond started the 1920’s with a flag, then four times were runners up including an unlucky hat trick in 1927-1929.

    Seeing names like Malcolm Red, Murray Witcombe, Peter Johnston, Robert Groenewegen, Ian Scrimshaw you forget how long they were around. I remember Glenn Howard being very unlucky with injuries.

    Aah, the Magoos; where have they gone?

    Glen!

  3. BigKev35 says
    February 17, 2022 at 9:37 am

    Other players that played between 80 and 110 reserves games also:

    Roger Merrett
    John Cassin
    Damien Bourke
    Liam Pickering
    Kevin ‘Shifter’ Sheehan
    Tony Liberatore
    Peter Schwab
    Ian Hampshire
    Tyson Lane
    Troy Moloney
    Ian Roberts
    Gary O’Donnell
    Shannon Corcoran
    Jon Ballantyne
    Phil Baker
    Peter Somerville
    Francis Jackson
    Michael Tuck
    Robert Dipierdomenico
    Kelvin Matthews
    Stephen Powell
    Dean Wallis
    Darren Baxter
    Justin Charles
    Rod Keogh
    Brad Gotch
    Paul Callery
    Greg Dear
    Paul Dear
    Mick Dwyer
    Adrian Battison
    Luke Beveridge

    And many others.

  4. Dan says
    February 21, 2022 at 1:33 pm

    Theres some good players on that list:
    Tuck, Dipper and Matthews (wrong brother), Liberatore, Merrett to name a few.
    It was the Hawthorn style to insist that players serve a lengthy apprenticeship in the twos but I wonder how many senior games Tuck would have played if he was promoted earlier.
    You will have the answer BigKev- Luke OSullivan(Carlton) played for something like 10 years and only 63 senior games so even allowing for injury he must have played a lot of Reserves football.

  5. BigKev35 says
    February 21, 2022 at 2:13 pm

    Hi Dan. Luke O’Sullivan played 102 reserve games for Carlton between 1987 and 1997 and only 62 senior games. He was injured a bit.

  6. Peter Fuller says
    February 21, 2022 at 8:57 pm

    Extraordinary research effort, Kevin. Congratulations. There’s many significant names in your two lists. I remember a Greg Chmpion song “You’ve been dropped again Wes Fellowes”; it’s strange how often particular players (the reverse of coaches’ pets) are blamed for an error (single or multiple) and dragged or dropped.

  7. BigKev35 says
    February 22, 2022 at 2:15 pm

    Cheers Peter. I find it incredible that there’s no list of all VFL/AFL reserves games played. I’m getting more info each day. Glenn Howard is 7th on the all time list with 146 reserves games, Paul Abbott (Hawthorn & Fitzroy), 133, Michael McCarthy is at 121 reserves games, James Morrissey 120, Michael Johnston (Hawthorn & Footscray) 118, Scott Maginness 113. There will be many more to come.

    Wes Fellowes did OK in the reserves at Collingwood:

    Collingwood Reserves, Most Games

    122: Ron Smith, 1937-50
    119: Wes Fellowes, 1979-90
    119: Bill Fitzgerald, 1926-38
    115: Jack Hellier, 2012-2020
    109: Terry Wight, 1973-80

    Collingwood Reserves, Most Goals

    151: Mark Richardson, 1990-99
    151: Tony Russell, 1981-84
    150: Wes Fellowes, 1979-90
    139: Derek Shaw, 1976-84
    136: Ron McKeown, 1984-93

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