The landscape of the AFL has seen a significant shift in recent years, particularly with the decline of players named Steve, Stephen, and Stevens. The recent unexpected retirement of Steven May from the Melbourne team marks a pivotal moment, leaving only Greater Western Sydney’s Stephen Coniglio as the last representative of this once-popular name. This change reflects a broader trend that has been evident since the early 1990s, when over 25 players named Steve graced the field.
Similar to trends in baby names, the popularity of certain names in the AFL appears to be cyclical. In 2026, the name Jack has taken the lead as the most common among players, followed closely by Tom, Sam, and Lachlan. There are nearly 30 players named Jack competing this year, a stark contrast to the limited number seen in the 1980s.
This generational trend can be highlighted by looking at a notable family in AFL history. Hall of Famer Stephen Silvagni enjoyed a successful career from the 1980s to the early 2000s, during the height of the ‘Steve’ era. His son, Jack Silvagni, represents a new wave of players as part of the Jack boom that has emerged in the last decade.
Other names like Mark, Peter, David, and Darren were also prevalent during the 1980s and 90s but have since become rare. As the AFL evolves, one wonders if Scott Pendlebury will be the final representative of the ‘Scott’ name in the league.
- Names of AFL players taken from AFL Tables and does not include players who did not play a game during the season
- Some commonly shortened names were normalized and combined (Josh and Joshua, for instance) for analysis, but this was not possible for all names
