What’s in a name? Steves once dominated the AFL but have now been reduced to one

The most common player names of the 1980s and 90s have made way for the rise of Jack, Tom, Sam and Lachlan The AFL was once rife with Steves, Stephens and Stevens. But no more – with the shock retirement of Steven May at Melbourne before the season began, there’s only one left – Greater Western Sydney’s Stephen Coniglio. It’s the end of a long downward trend since the early 1990s, when more than 25 Steves took to the field. Just as with all baby names (even for babies that go on to other professions), AFL names seem to be cyclical. The most common name in the AFL in 2026 is Jack, followed by…

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