In Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

, the back pocket refers to a position on the field deep in defence.

Back pocket players, situated in the backline, need to have good spoiling skills and usually, quality back-pockets are noted for their hardness.

An unusually high number of back pocket players go on to become league coaches. Some attribute this to their tactical overview of the play all the way up the ground and ability to change defence into attack.

Examples of back pocket players include:

• Tom Hafey
  Tom Hafey
  Thomas Stanley Raymond Hafey is a former Australian rules football Victorian Football League player and coach. Hafey played for Richmond between 1953 and 1958, and coached four clubs—Richmond, Collingwood, Geelong and Sydney—between 1966 and 1988, leading teams to a total of four premierships...
  
  
• David Parkin
  David Parkin
  David Parkin is a former Australian rules footballer and four-time premiership coach.- Pre-football career :He attended Melbourne High School and during his time there, was the school vice-captain and captain of football....
  
  
• Kevin Sheedy
• Bernie Smith
  Bernie Smith
  Bernard Keith "Bernie" Smith was an Australian rules footballer in the South Australian National Football League and VFL, who is perhaps best remembered as one of the greatest back pockets in the history of the game.-SANFL career:Smith commenced his career with West Adelaide in the SANFL as a 16...
  
  
• Ian Nankervis
  Ian Nankervis
  Ian J. Nankervis is a former Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League . Nankervis played for Geelong for 17 seasons and was captain from 1978 to 1981, and again in 1983. Nankervis holds the record of most senior level games for Geelong with 325 VFL...