Peter Mann
| Peter Mann | |||
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| Personal information | |||
| Original team(s) | Claremont Football Club | ||
| Debut | 1991, North Melbourne | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
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1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2005. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Peter Mann (born September 9, 1970) is an Australian rules footballer. He initially played for Claremont in the WAFL before moving to North Melbourne in the AFL.
North Melbourne
Playing mainly at centre half back, he played 39 games 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 acheivements 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 Todd Ridley (18 games, 15 goals), Chris Groom (7 games, 18 goals) and John Hutton (13 games, 27 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 obviously leaders, Peter Mann was the obvious choice for the captaincy when persistent unavailablity 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 disasterous 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.
Captaincy Curse
Mann is one of the 4 Fremantle leaders whose captaincy coincided with an inglorious decline and end to a playing career. Ben Allan's knee cartilage disintegrated after one season of leadership. Chris Bond(1999) and Adrian Fletcher (2000-2001) were both delisted. This led some to conclude there was a curse on Fremantle captains. But, like most claims for the paranormal, there is a rational explanation. Ben Allan's knees were inherently wobbly, Bond and Fletcher were veterans. Fremantle's other two other captains, Shaun McManus (2000-2001) and Peter Bell (2002-present) have both thrived. That leaves Mann.
There is nothing inexplicable in Mann's decline as a player. He was playing the hardest role in the hardest team to play the hardest role. His last game at North Melbourne was the 1994 preliminary final in a team placked with some of the most powerful footballers of the 1990s. At Fremantle, the burden was carried alone. He was of a different Fremantle era. Pre-Connolly. When midfield supply meant teenagers and stop-gaps experimenting in space and time. A time when Fremantle wore green guernseys, Subiaco had standing room, when the Western Oval, Victoria Park were more than historical curios, when every Fremantle victory was newsworthy and a crowd of 20,000 at a match was noteworthy. In the face of this adversity he was stoic and dignified. The burden may have been too great but, in carrying it, he made a quiet contribution to the evolution of a football club through its toughest years.
Trivia
Mann is one of four Fremantle players from North Melbourne including Peter Bell, Dylan Smith and Stuart Anderson. Seven Fremantle players have played for North Melbourne including Chris Groom, Peter Bell, Matthew Burton, Gary Dhurrkay, Winston Abraham, Leigh Brown, Jess Sinclair.