Combined Team: Brisbane 01-03 - Geelong 07-11 - Hawthorn 13-14

[GrandBlue]

There's always a lot of debate regarding the greatest team of the last decade or thereabouts, with Brisbane, Hawthorn & Geelong being the leading candidates. Try to create a hybrid that combines the best of all three.

Which team gets the most inclusions?

Mine:

B: Mal Michael - Matthew Scarlett - Corey Enright
HB: Luke Hodge - Justin Leppitsch - Chris Johnson
C: Nigel Lappin - Michael Voss - Jimmy Bartel
HF: Paul Chapman - Lance Franklin - Jason Akermanis
F: Alistair Lynch - Jarryd Roughead - Steve Johnson
Fol: Brad Ottens - Simon Black - Gary Ablett Jnr

Int: Sam Mitchell - Daniel Bradshaw - Luke Power - Shaun Burgoyne

Brisbane: 10
Geelong: 7
Hawthorn: 5

 

[Milux]

There's always a lot of debate regarding the greatest team of the last decade or thereabouts, with Brisbane, Hawthorn & Geelong being the leading candidates. Create a hybrid that combines the best of all three.

Which team gets the most inclusions?

B: Chris Scott - Matthew Scarlett - Corey Enright
HB: Luke Hodge - Justin Leppitsch - Chris Johnson
C: Nigel Lappin - Michael Voss - Jimmy Bartel
HF: Paul Chapman - Lance Franklin - Jason Akermanis
F: Alistair Lynch - Jarryd Roughead - Steve Johnson
Fol: Brad Ottens - Simon Black - Gary Ablett Jnr

Int: Sam Mitchell - Daniel Bradshaw - Luke Power - Shaun Burgoyne

Brisbane: 10
Geelong: 7
Hawthorn: 5

Wow. Well done. Would destroy any team.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

There's always a lot of debate regarding the greatest team of the last decade or thereabouts, with Brisbane, Hawthorn & Geelong being the leading candidates. Try to create a hybrid that combines the best of all three.

Which team gets the most inclusions?

Mine:

B: Chris Scott - Matthew Scarlett - Corey Enright
HB: Luke Hodge - Justin Leppitsch - Chris Johnson
C: Nigel Lappin - Michael Voss - Jimmy Bartel
HF: Paul Chapman - Lance Franklin - Jason Akermanis
F: Alistair Lynch - Jarryd Roughead - Steve Johnson
Fol: Brad Ottens - Simon Black - Gary Ablett Jnr

Int: Sam Mitchell - Daniel Bradshaw - Luke Power - Shaun Burgoyne

Brisbane: 10
Geelong: 7
Hawthorn: 5

I think Power, Bradshaw and Scott are a bit of a reach. Gibson, Taylor (both can play tall or small), Mackie, Harley, Milburn or White would easily be ahead of Scott. Bradshaw just wasn't that good during the Lions' premiership run (certainly not good enough to justify a spot as a fourth key forward) and, if we're going on their whole careers, Brown and Hawkins have been better, by a wide margin. As for Power, from a biased Geelong perspective, I just can't see why he'd possibly get a game ahead of Cameron Ling, Joel Corey or Joel Selwood. Sewell from Hawthorn would also have a case to be ahead of Power. Power's probably on about a par with James Kelly, which is hardly a criticism.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Excellent job. In terms of picking a real team rather than just the best 22 players I don't see the merit of having Bradshaw on the bench in addition to Lynch, Franklin and Roughead. Would add one of Lewis, Sewell, Rioli, Ling, Corey or Kelly instead for versatility. Hard to pick who however, pretty even bunch.

 

[Jascave]

What about a combined side from the 1980s, made up of players from Hawthorn, Carlton, Essendon (with Richmond thrown in, seeing they kicked off the decade with a flag in 1980).

 

[GrandBlue]

I think Power, Bradshaw and Scott are a bit of a reach. Gibson, Taylor (both can play tall or small), Mackie, Harley, Milburn or White would easily be ahead of Scott. Bradshaw just wasn't that good during the Lions' premiership run (certainly not good enough to justify a spot as a fourth key forward) and, if we're going on their whole careers, Brown and Hawkins have been better, by a wide margin. As for Power, from a biased Geelong perspective, I just can't see why he'd possibly get a game ahead of Cameron Ling, Joel Corey or Joel Selwood. Sewell from Hawthorn would also have a case to be ahead of Power. Power's probably on about a par with James Kelly, which is hardly a criticism.

Feel free to do your own. I whipped this up in 5 minutes, it's not worth the critique.

Point taken re: Scott. Replaced him with Gibson.

I think you're underrating Bradshaw & Power, particularly the latter. I'd take Power over Ling & Kelly comfortably, while it's close between Selwood & Corey. As for Bradshaw, who's a better 4th Key-Forward? I'm not including whole careers, just their ability within the window.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Feel free to do your own. I whipped this up in 5 minutes..

Point taken re: Scott. Replaced him with Gibson.

I think you're underrating Bradshaw & Power, particularly the latter. I'd take Power over Ling & Kelly comfortably, while it's close between Selwood & Corey. As for Bradshaw, who's a better 4th Key-Forward? I'm not including whole careers, just their ability within their premiership window.

Why do you need a fourth key forward? Unless someone like Roughead or Lynch was missing out, I see it as overkill. But since you asked, Mooney's 2007 is far ahead of anything that Bradshaw produced between 2001-03.

Power seemed to hit his stride at the tail end of the Lions run and after they'd fallen away. Ling was already a star, he became a dominant tagger, when that concept was a pretty foreign one, from 2007 until he retired (going out with a demolition of the Brownlow Medallist in his last game). Ling and Kelly were mature players for Geelong when the premiership run started, while Power was still finding his feet as a midfielder. Like I said, to compare Kelly to Power is hardly an insult. Kelly was an AA in Geelong's last premiership year and in my opinion, he was pretty stiff not to take out the B&F as well. And, of course Lewis (whom I forgot about) did the double for Hawthorn this year and probably should be ahead of either Kelly or Power.

 

[Sttew]

There's always a lot of debate regarding the greatest team of the last decade or thereabouts, with Brisbane, Hawthorn & Geelong being the leading candidates. Try to create a hybrid that combines the best of all three.

Which team gets the most inclusions?

Mine:

B: Josh Gibson - Matthew Scarlett - Corey Enright
HB: Luke Hodge - Justin Leppitsch - Chris Johnson
C: Nigel Lappin - Michael Voss - Jimmy Bartel
HF: Paul Chapman - Lance Franklin - Jason Akermanis
F: Alistair Lynch - Jarryd Roughead - Steve Johnson
Fol: Brad Ottens - Simon Black - Gary Ablett Jnr

Int: Sam Mitchell - Daniel Bradshaw - Luke Power - Shaun Burgoyne

Brisbane: 9
Geelong: 7
Hawthorn: 6

Good effort. 1 change recommended. OUT: Luke Power, IN: Cameron Ling - that would make this team complete

B: Josh Gibson - Matthew Scarlett - Corey Enright
HB: Luke Hodge - Justin Leppitsch - Chris Johnson
C: Michael Voss - Jimmy Bartel - Simon Black
HF: Paul Chapman - Lance Franklin - Jason Akermanis
F: Alistair Lynch - Jarryd Roughead - Steve Johnson
Fol: Brad Ottens - Cameron Ling - Gary Ablett Jnr

Int: Sam Mitchell - Daniel Bradshaw - Nigel Lappin - Shaun Burgoyne

Brisbane: 8
Geelong: 8
Hawthorn: 6

 

[Sttew]

What about a combined side from the 1980s, made up of players from Hawthorn, Carlton, Essendon (with Richmond thrown in, seeing they kicked off the decade with a flag in 1980).

What about a team of the century?

 

[GrandBlue]

Why do you need a fourth key forward? Unless someone like Roughead or Lynch was missing out, I see it as overkill. But since you asked, Mooney's 2007 is far ahead of anything that Bradshaw produced between 2001-03.

Bradshaw is a versatile tall & played at centre-half back for most of 2003. His best might not be as good as Mooney, but at least he was consistent throughout the window, whereas Mooney was ineffectual in 2011.

The team I made is overstocked with short to mid-sized players too, so I threw in an extra tall for good measure. No big deal.

Power seemed to hit his stride at the tail end of the Lions run and after they'd fallen away. Ling was already a star, he became a dominant tagger, when that concept was a pretty foreign one, from 2007 until he retired (going out with a demolition of the Brownlow Medallist in his last game). Ling and Kelly were mature players for Geelong when the premiership run started, while Power was still finding his feet as a midfielder. Like I said, to compare Kelly to Power is hardly an insult. Kelly was an AA in Geelong's last premiership year and in my opinion, he was pretty stiff not to take out the B&F as well. And, of course Lewis (whom I forgot about) did the double for Hawthorn this year and probably should be ahead of either Kelly or Power.

This is just an "X is better than Y" contest without any real evidence. I interpret Power as the better player whilst you think guys like Ling & Kelly should take his place, which is all entirely subjective and why you should make your own team.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Bradshaw is a versatile tall & played at centre-half back for most of 2003. His best might not be as good as Mooney, but at least he was consistent throughout the window, whereas Mooney was ineffectual in 2011.

From our mates at Wikipedia:

In the 2001 season, which saw the Lions become Premiers, he would kick another 46 goals in 20 games. An important part to the side, he played at both ends if needed, but with Lynch and Jonathan Brown up forward, he was out of favour at times. He still kicked five goals or more in a match on six occasions, including three games in a row mid-season. He played every final, including the 2001 AFL Grand Final. He did continue to struggle in the finals, averaging only three touches in his last four big games. 2002 was another up and down season for Bradshaw where his position as a forward was not secure, and used as a utility more often than not. His accurate kicking and mark however still provided him with 38 goals in 20 games, with eleven goals coming in rounds 2-3. He was dropped just before the finals, but was a late replacement in the Round 21 and 22 games for Craig McRae and Darryl White respectively. He however would re-injure his knee and miss the finals series and a second consecutive Premiership.

After an inconsistent season, 2003 was once again similar, but would see Bradshaw miss only two matches, and he would be used at centre half-back more than he previously was. He did however still provide a danger when placed forward, kicking six goals in a match twice, early and late in the season. After struggling in the first two finals, once again, he would finally play a big final when it counted, and played a good role in the 2003 Grand Final against Collingwood, as Brisbane won its third consecutive Premiership, with Bradshaw involved in two.

So, Bradshaw was dropped numerous times in 2001-2003 (with Brown easily being a preferred option for most of the premiership era, yet he doesn't make this side), provided nothing in several finals and played his best footy by far after 2003.

The team I made is overstocked with short to mid-sized players too, so I threw in an extra tall for good measure. No big deal.

How can you be overstocked with talls, mediums and smalls? You've got Bradshaw in ahead of the likes of the aforementioned mids, along with others such as Breust and Rioli. I can't remember any of those other players getting dropped several times during their respective team's premiership era, off the top of my head.

This is just an "X is better than Y" contest without any real evidence. I interpret Power as the better player whilst you think guys like Ling & Kelly should take his place, which is all entirely subjective and why you should make your own team.

Power made one All-Australian team, which was after Brisbane's last premiership. Ling and Kelly both made All-Australian teams in premiership years. In his four grand finals, Ling destroyed Swan, Dal Santo, Mitchell and I can't even remember who he played on against Port Adelaide, but it's a fair bet that player didn't do a lot either. He also finished his career by killing Mitchell, Priddis and Swan in his last three games. And he captained the side to a premiership. Lewis is a similar case: AA and B&F in a premiership year and had by far his best year in the most recent one (so there definitely could be more to come). As for Selwood and Corey, I think it's self-evident: multiple AAs between 2007-11, both were B&Fs during Geelong premiership era (and people probably don't remember how close Corey was to winning another - which would have been his third - in 2011)...they were clearly on a different level to the likes of Power and Kelly.

 

[Sttew]

From our mates at Wikipedia:



So, Bradshaw was dropped numerous times in 2001-2003 (with Brown easily being a preferred option for most of the premiership era, yet he doesn't make this side), provided nothing in several finals and played his best footy by far after 2003.



How can you be overstocked with talls, mediums and smalls? You've got Bradshaw in ahead of the likes of the aforementioned mids, along with others such as Breust and Rioli. I can't remember any of those other players getting dropped several times during their respective team's premiership era, off the top of my head.



Power made one All-Australian team, which was after Brisbane's last premiership. Ling and Kelly both made All-Australian teams in premiership years. In his four grand finals, Ling destroyed Swan, Dal Santo, Mitchell and I can't even remember who he played on against Port Adelaide, but it's a fair bet that player didn't do a lot either. He also finished his career by killing Mitchell, Priddis and Swan in his last three games. And he captained the side to a premiership. Lewis is a similar case: AA and B&F in a premiership year and had by far his best year in the most recent one (so there definitely could be more to come). As for Selwood and Corey, I think it's self-evident: multiple AAs between 2007-11, both were B&Fs during Geelong premiership era (and people probably don't remember how close Corey was to winning another - which would have been his third - in 2011)...they were clearly on a different level to the likes of Power and Kelly.

Yeahhh!!!

 

[GrandBlue]

tl;dr. Seriously, you're over-thinking it.

It's a team I whipped up in 5 minutes based on what I had seen, making it entirely subjective. It's not something worth having a long discussion about.

 

[Cursed Cat]

In his four grand finals, Ling destroyed Swan, Dal Santo, Mitchell and I can't even remember who he played on against Port Adelaide, but it's a fair bet that player didn't do a lot either.

Shaun Burgoyne, at least in the early stages.

Agree Ling, Selwood and probably Joel Corey should all be in that side too, but then again I would!

 

[donbooger]

Lewis was an absolute beast this year carried the midfield with Mitchell away, Power was a great supporting midfielder but I would never take any year of his over Lewis 2014.

Agree with bradshaw, don't see him as good enough to be holding out so many quality players from those three sides. I would pick Ling, we miss his tagging terribly.

Good effort, good team Grandblue.

 

[Cursed Cat]

It's not something worth having a long discussion about.

if it's not something worth having a long discussion about then it's probably not thread-worthy.

I think it is thread-worthy and worth discussing, if you don't have the conviction to back up your argument then you can't hold much stock in your own opinion.

 

[the_interloper]

Bradshaw is a versatile tall & played at centre-half back for most of 2003. His best might not be as good as Mooney, but at least he was consistent throughout the window, whereas Mooney was ineffectual in 2011.

The team I made is overstocked with short to mid-sized players too, so I threw in an extra tall for good measure. No big deal.


This is just an "X is better than Y" contest without any real evidence. I interpret Power as the better player whilst you think guys like Ling & Kelly should take his place, which is all entirely subjective and why you should make your own team.

That's what pissed me off about Brisbane, whenever Lynch, Brown, Leppitsch or Michael were injured in that period they'd have Bradshaw just to slot in wherever needed and not miss a beat. It was bullshit being able to have a key position player as good as him in the 2s.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

FB: C. Johnson -- M. Scarlett -- C. Enright
HB: L. Hodge (vc) -- J. Leppitch -- H. Taylor

C: S. Black -- M. Voss (c) -- N. Lappin
R: G. Ablett -- B. Ottens -- S. Mitchell

HF: P. Chapman -- L. Franklin -- S. Johnson
FF: J. Roughead -- T. Hawkins -- J. Akermanis

Int: J. Bartel -- J. Selwood -- C. Ling -- L. Power

Brisbane - 7
Geelong - 11
Hawthorn - 4

 

[hk89]

Shaun Burgoyne, at least in the early stages.

Shaun kicked 1/3 of Power's goals that day. Admittedly that was only two goals Shaun and his brother also seemed to be the only two players who could actually stick a tackle against a Geelong player in the GF. I'd have Lewis (if in 2014 form) ahead of Ling to replace Power, but only just. Ling the better tagger (as Hawthorn fan was very glad to see him retire, was like getting an extra midfielder in games against Geelong after he left), however Lewis a fair bit more versatile (including ability to tag if needed).

 

[Steven Tyler]

If it's Hawthorn 13/14, why is Franklin in the combined side?
He was a Swan in 14, and he was a decoy in 13!

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

If it's Hawthorn 13/14, why is Franklin in the combined side?
He was a Swan in 14, and he was a decoy in 13!

Fair point. If you include 2008, he has to be in. If you don't, he definitely shouldn't be.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Shaun kicked 1/3 of Power's goals that day. Admittedly that was only two goals Shaun and his brother also seemed to be the only two players who could actually stick a tackle against a Geelong player in the GF. I'd have Lewis (if in 2014 form) ahead of Ling to replace Power, but only just. Ling the better tagger (as Hawthorn fan was very glad to see him retire, was like getting an extra midfielder in games against Geelong after he left), however Lewis a fair bit more versatile (including ability to tag if needed).

I thought Peter was probably their only winner on the day.
Shaun not so good (his goal in the first quarter was pretty good though).

 

[GrandBlue]

If it's Hawthorn 13/14, why is Franklin in the combined side?
He was a Swan in 14, and he was a decoy in 13!

Being a decoy doesn't make him any less of a gun, or any worse than the alternatives.

 

[Inferno]

I might be biased but Selwood should be a walk up start to that team. The only midfielder on that list ahead of him is Ablett. While I was too young to remember much detail about the Brisbane team or how they played he's at the very least equal to Voss and Black (both of whom he averaged more disposals than) and ahead of Bartel.

 

[Sttew]

FB: C. Johnson -- M. Scarlett -- C. Enright
HB: L. Hodge (vc) -- J. Leppitch -- H. Taylor

C: S. Black -- M. Voss (c) -- N. Lappin
R: G. Ablett -- B. Ottens -- S. Mitchell

HF: P. Chapman -- L. Franklin -- S. Johnson
FF: J. Roughead -- T. Hawkins -- J. Akermanis

Int: J. Bartel -- J. Selwood -- C. Ling -- L. Power

Brisbane - 7
Geelong - 11
Hawthorn - 4

Like the team!!

3 premierships each, so you then need to look at home & away record in their respective eras of dominance, and Geelong was simply more dominant in the H&A than Brisbane or Hawthorn were in their periods. And there was a good reason for that....