Gary Rohan and Richmond’s Noah Balta rank as the AFL’s fastest men, hitting a top speed of almost 35km/h this year

With six AFL games under his belt, this Tigers rookie has taken the mantle of footy’s fastest man with one of Geelong’s off-season recruits. JON RALPH analyses the quickest players in the game.

AFL Round 6. 28/04/2019. Geelong v West Coast at GMHBA Stadium. Geelongs Gary Rohan breaks from the West Coast's Brad Sheppard tackle. Pic: Michael Klein.

The football world had written off Gary Rohan as a six-possession-a-game player with a poor finals record despite his athletic gifts.

Six weeks into the AFL season, he is not only a contender for the AFL’s most improved player, but he and Richmond key position player Noah Balta share the title as football’s fastest men.

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Rohan and Balta have both hit a top speed of 34.9km/h this year, ahead of Fremantle’s Nathan Wilson and Adelaide’s Lachie Murphy (34.2km/h) and St Kilda’s Jimmy Webster (34.1km/h).

Rohan is in the middle of the hottest patch of his career, averaging 2.5 goals a games as well as a career-high 1.8 contested marks.

All for a player who if truth be told was happy to stay at Sydney given his network of friends and a home just 100 metres from Coogee Beach.

Now he is using those athletic gifts not only in concert with partner-in-crime Gary Ablett but for a series of spectacular defensive chase-downs.

New Cat Gary Rohan is all power. Pic: Michael Klein.

His 70m run to tackle Tom Phillips in the final seconds of the Round 1 win over Collingwood was described by Zach Tuohy as one of the best efforts he had seen.

It came only minutes after his frenetic chase on a Pies defender forced the skied ball that allowed Harry Taylor to outmark Mason Cox in another decisive play.

“The easy thing to say is that play or mark was great for the individual. The chase by Gary Rohan to force that kick high makes my job easier,” Taylor noted afterwards.

The AFL’s players are no Usain Bolt — that 34.9km/h speed is dwarfed by the 44.7km/h the Olympic superstar averaged between 60m-80km during games.

But for Balta, carrying around 100kg on his 195cm frame, it is another reminder why Justin Leppitsch labelled him the most athletically gifted kid he had seen come into football.

Scott said yesterday he was thrilled with the impact of Rohan, the latest Geelong Flyer after the boy from Clunes, Bobby Davis.

Noah Balta’s athleticism has earned him rave reviews. Pic: AAP

“It was an interesting conversation that we had with him early days when we were considering that exchange with Sydney, even I was a little surprised that he felt one of his strengths was his marking ability,” he told SEN Radio.

“Stephen Wells (list manager) absolutely confirmed that having watched him as a junior, he’s a little taller than most people would expect when you actually see him in the flesh.

“I think everyone knows the power and speed he has, you combine his height with his power and spring and he can get up, so we’ve encouraged him to do that, we think that helps us.

“The one thing they can do week in week out is apply pressure and he certainly can do that with his speed.”

Across the competition Harry McKay’s incredible gifts are apparent — not only is he a contested marking beast he has hit 33.5km/h in games this year.

Nick Blakey’s top speed is 33.5 km/h, while Jordan De Goey’s 33.1km/h top speed shows why he gets separation from his opponent so easily.

Jimmy Webster is one speedy Saint. Pic: Michael Klein.

FASTEST PLAYERS IN THE AFL THIS YEAR

34.9km/h — Gary Rohan (Geel)

34.9km/h — Noah Balta (Rich)

34.5km/h — Dean Kent (StK)

34.2km/h — Lachie Murphy (Adelaide)

34.2km/h — Nathan Wilson (Fremantle)

34.1km/h — Jimmy Webster (St Kilda)