LANCE Franklin is officially 196 centimetres tall and weighs 101 kilograms. He is the tallest and heaviest indigenous player on an AFL list. In all likelihood he is the tallest and heaviest indigenous player to have played AFL.

His physical dimensions are just some of the things that make him extraordinary. One other is that last week he kicked his 100th goal for the season — you might have read about it. But in doing so Franklin achieved a further extraordinary feat: he became the first indigenous player to boot 100 goals in the AFL.

Only 27 other players have kicked 100 in a season, but given the goal-kicking proficiency of indigenous players in the game it still surprises that he is the first.

The reason partly is that it is only in recent years that indigenous players have started to fill the key position roles. Graham "Polly" Farmer might have been the greatest ruckman to play the game, but he did not foreshadow an influx of indigenous ruckmen. Adam Goodes has played as a utility, Darryl White was a key back. Only Michael O'Loughlin has been a regular full-forward.

"I only started playing full-forward because of injuries," O'Loughlin said. "Before that I was on the ball and half-forward, so me going to full-forward was more of an accident but with 'Buddy' I would not play him anywhere else.

"The other guys like Darryl White and Goodes they are big but pretty slim. Goodes will play down forward as he gets older and the legs go a bit but he is more a midfielder. Buddy could play midfield but he is a real true full-forward.

"For the younger kids in the communities and in the suburbs and the schools to see Buddy, he is really big for indigenous kids. Everyone is talking about it in the schoolyards — even up here in Sydney — they all ask about Buddy, which is amazing. He gets them talking about AFL footy and inspires them.

"The majority of indigenous players are smaller running players. I really enjoy watching Buddy's teammate Chance Bateman, who is really underrated, he is a smaller running player but he runs all day and that is another myth about Aboriginal players — that they are quick but can't run all day — but Bateman runs all day, Goodesy does, (Andrew) McLeod, it's just not true.

"I don't really know why indigenous players haven't been key position players as much but I think recruiters will definitely be looking at taller Aboriginal guys with athletic ability now."

In 1977 indigenous players made up 0.06% of AFL lists. In 1987 it was 2%, in 1997 it was 5%, and today it is 10%. In last year's national draft indigenous players represented 25% of those selected. So partly it stands to reason that with a greater representation, players of a greater physical variety would equally be drawn.

But O'Loughlin's point about Franklin challenging recruiters' pre-conceived notions remains valid. Some recruiters concede that there had been a view that many taller indigenous players lacked the body strength for a key, marking role. Franklin, Paddy Ryder, Jared Brennan, White and Goodes have all helped re-craft those ideas.

The AFL's indigenous programs manager, Jason Mifsud, said the reason for the shift in body shapes of indigenous players is partly a product of where they have been recruited.

"A lot of the tall indigenous players have come out of Western Australia. Not coincidentally (Graham) Farmer is from there, now Franklin, Stephen Michael was from there. But the traditional recruiting ground for indigenous players to the (VFL and) AFL has been more aligned to the NT where it has been more about the smaller type of player playing around the flanks and running positions," Mifsud said.

"I think now we have greater coverage of indigenous players in the AFL they are being recruited from all parts of the country, so you are drafting a different stature of indigenous player as well. A lot of it comes back to the parts of the country the indigenous boys are being drafted from."

While Franklin might help shape the views of those looking for talent, he is also reshaping the game as it is played in indigenous communities.

"I know in the broader community it was only really talked about in the last week or two about whether he would be the first indigenous player to kick 100 but in the indigenous communities throughout the country it was being talked about for the last eight or 10 weeks. It was something the community was acutely aware of," Mifsud said.

"And back in the communities it has revitalised the interest in becoming a goal-kicker. In previous years it was the defensive forward who laid those tackles and in the years before it was the run-and-bounce type of player. Now there is the goal-kicking indigenous player who is arguably the best player in the competition so that is what kids back in the communities want to do now.

"They all want to be Buddy. Before that they were laying tackles before that they were running and bouncing. You combine all those things and I guess that is what is unique about Franklin he can combine all of those things."

To date Franklin has influenced by deed. People have followed because of the way he plays, not because of what he says. It may be that he will choose to be a spokesman at some point, but to date he rarely speaks on anything. As many footballers bridle at the notion of being a role model to children by virtue of their capacity to play a game, there appears an added responsibility to indigenous players — the ability to be a leader to their people.

"He is certainly well recognised in indigenous communities but at the moment it would be more for his football attributes," Mifsud said.

"I know for a fact he is fiercely proud of his heritage, however being a young guy who just loves playing AFL footy he probably doesn't yet understand the broader impact he can have in the community for indigenous and non-indigenous people. I think that stuff has to be natural, you can't force it on someone.

"I have heard him spoken about by Jeff Kennett and others as a future captain and I have no doubt he has leadership attributes, but at the moment he is just a young guy who just loves the spirit of the game and that is what attracts him to it and people to him.

"As he matures he will start to realise that he can have influence in other areas on the field and off the field to his own team but also to the broader community. I see great leadership capabilities in him to indigenous people."