Peter Mann

Infobox afl player


firstname = Peter
lastname = Mann


| birthdate = Birth date and age|1970|9|9|df=y
birthplace = Perth
originalteam = Claremont Football Club, WAFL
dead = alive
deathdate =
deathplace =
debutdate = 1991
debutteam = North Melbourne
debutopponent = Brisbane Bears
debutstadium = Carrara Stadium
playingteams = North Melbourne (1991-1994)

39 games, 12 goals

Fremantle (1995-1999)

77 games, 88 goals
coach = notcoach
coachingteams =
statsend = 2005
careerhighlights =

*Captain Fremantle 1997-1998
*Doig Medal 1995
*State of origin Western Australia

Peter Mann (born 9 September 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer. who played a total of 118 matches in the AFL for the North Melbourne and Fremantle Football Clubs.

Claremont, West Coast and North Melbourne

Mann was drafted from Claremont Football Club in the West Australian Football League to the West Coast Eagles as a pre-draft priority selection in the 1989 VFL Draft after playing 22 senior games in his debut season for Claremont, including their WAFL Grand Final winning side. [cite journal|title=Highlights of the Season|coauthors=Poat, Peter & East, Alan|date=1990|journal=Football Register|publisher=Westralian Publishers|volume=28|pages=43, 65] He remained on the Eagle's list for just the 1990 season, but did not make his AFL debut. He was then traded to North Melbourne prior to the 1990 AFL Draft, in return for the 9th selection, which the Eagles used to draft Matt Clape. Playing mainly at centre half back, he played 39 games for the Kangaroos between 1991 and 1994, kicking 12 goals.

Fremantle

With the entry of the second WA team in 1995 he was lured home to join many of his ex-Claremont teammates at the Fremantle Dockers. Peter Mann played the centre half forward position for most of the 1995 season. His achievements in that season, 22 games, 33 goals, 159 marks and the Club Champion Award was especially noteworthy. He was the main forward marking target with limited support from John Hutton (13 games, 27 goals), Craig Burrows (19 games, 23 goals), Todd Ridley (18 games, 15 goals), Chris Groom (7 games, 18 goals) Nor did Fremantle's chip and draw style often allow for swift, direct delivery into the forward area. Mann was again productive, if inaccurate, on the Fremantle forward line in 1996, 18 games delivered 25.27 and 98 marks. The introduction of Kingsley Hunter as full forward provided an alternative marking target. His fourth in the Club Champion Award was a credible achievement given a torn foot tendon prevented him training between games.

Captaincy

In a team with few obvious leaders, Peter Mann was the obvious choice for the captaincy when persistent unavailability for injury saw Ben Allan resign the captaincy in March 1997. In 40 games as captain, Mann never again achieved the high standards of his first two seasons. With the exception of successive dominant 1997 games against the Western Bulldogs at Subiaco in round 16 (13 marks, 4 goals) and Hawthorn at Waverley in round 17 (6 marks, 3 goals), both of which earned two Brownlow medal votes, he was rarely a commanding on field presence. Injury, suspension and poor form frustrated the fans. The coach, Gerard Neesham, was protective. After the 100 point loss in round 15 at Victoria Park against Collingwood, he told the media

:He has been good for us spasmodically during the year, he has just had no luck in running. He has had the worst game he has ever had in his life last week and it can only go up from here. He is a pretty tough critter, even though he is pretty quiet and that shows great resolve. Some of the great leaders of the world have gone to some pretty tough positions - Captain Cook, discovering countries and floating around in the middle of the ocean, and the rest wanted to bail out and go back. It takes great resolve to be a good leader and he has definitely got that. At the moment he just hasn't got good touch.

Another frustrating year followed in 1998. In a team desperate for leadership and marking forwards, Mann was again sporadic. So poor was his form by round 9 that he was dropped from the team for 3 weeks. His comeback match, Fremantle's 8 point victory against Carlton in round 13, was his best for the season, 12 marks and 2 goals. By round 16, with form again waivering, Mann was shifted to defence and remained there until his season, and spell as captain, ended when he broke down in the warm up at the MCG in round 20 against North Melbourne. Relieved of the captaincy, Mann played 7 games in 1999. His final match was Fremantle's record breaking loss against Brisbane at the Gabba in round 20. Delisted in the major list changes at the end of Damian Drum's disastrous first season, Mann nominated for the 2000 preseason draft but was not selected. He played 77 AFL games for Fremantle kicking 88 goals. Overall he played 116 games.

References

External links

*AflRleague|ref=P/Peter_Mann.html