ALIIR ALIIR will play his 100th AFL game in Sunday’s twilight encounter with Fremantle.

An athletic defender with an ability to intercept the ball before launching attacks, Aliir won All-Australian honours for the first time in 2021 after his move from Sydney to Port Adelaide.

Here are some numbers to help you impress your friends about the 27-year-old’s career so far:

44 – From Aspley in Queensland, Aliir made the move to East Fremantle before being drafted with pick 44 by Sydney in the 2013 National Draft. It was the same draft where current teammates Trent Dumont (pick 30 by North Melbourne), Darcy Byrne-Jones (pick 52 by Port Adelaide), Orazio Fantasia (pick 55 by Essendon) and Karl Amon (pick 68 by Port Adelaide) were selected.

192 – Aliir was the 192nd player to represent Port Adelaide at AFL level. His club debut came in a 52-point win over North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium in Round 1, 2021. He had 14 disposals and four marks that day. Aliir’s AFL debut came for Sydney in Round 6, 2016 against Brisbane at the Gabba. Sydney won with Aliir recording six disposals, three tackles and surprisingly no marks.

54.55 – Aliir’s winning percentage in his 99 games. That increases to 71.4 percent if you only take into account his 35 games for Port Adelaide.

5 – Aliir has kicked just 5 goals in his 99 games so far. His best return in a single season was three in his final year in Sydney in 2020, including two in a single game against the Gold Coast in Round 7. Aliir has just three behinds to his name.

10 – Aliir has polled ten Brownlow Medal votes in his 99 games. He polled three in 2018 with the Swans and then had seven votes in 2021 while at Alberton, including two games where he received the maximum three votes (against Richmond in Round 4 and against Adelaide in Round 21).  

2 – Sunday’s game will be Aliir’s third match at Optus Stadium in Perth. He has never enjoyed a win there. The venue he has played at most is the SCG (28 games for 13 wins), followed by 15 wins and six losses in 21 games at Adelaide Oval. Docklands is the only other venue Aliir has played at more than eight times (16 games for 11 wins, five losses).

9 – Geelong is the team Aliir has faced the most, having played the Cats nine times for three wins and six losses. The only sides he has played more than six times are Carlton (seven games for four wins) and the Western Bulldogs (eight games for three wins).

0 – Aliir has never played in a losing game against Sydney or North Melbourne. He has recorded six straight victories over the Kangaroos and two wins against his former side, the Swans.

13 – Aliir’s 99 games have come at 13 different venues. The only venues he has never tasted victory at are Stadium Australia in Sydney and Optus Stadium in Perth.

3 – Aliir has played this week’s opponent three times for two wins and a loss. He averages 16.7 disposals and four rebound 50s against the Dockers.

156 – Aliir took 156 marks in 24 games 2021, the most by a Port Adelaide player since Justin Westhoff took 182 in 25 games in 2017. 156 marks ranks in a season ranks him as 17th of all time by a Port Adelaide player in the AFL with 220 by Warren Tredrea in 24 games in 2005 being the most.

1 – Aliir will be the first South Sudanese player to reach 100 AFL games.

Aliir Aliir

DOB: 05/09/94

Games: 99

Goals: 5 

Draft: #44, 2013 National Draft

Debut: Round 6, 2016 v Brisbane, Gabba

AFL Honours

  • All-Australian (2021)

Club Honours

  • Bruce Weber Memorial Award (2021)
  • Third Best and Fairest (2021)
  • Showdown Medal (Rd 21, 2021)