Pick a All Australian Team from the 1980s

[Jascave]

The 1980s has been regarded as the most amazing decade in the code's history.

New teams from interstate-the West Coast Eagles & the Brisbane Bears.

The great rivalries: Essendon v Hawthorn, Hawthorn v Carlton.

The rise and rise of State of Origin football.

If you were to select an All Australian Team from that extraordinary period, who would you choose?

The All Australian team of the 1980s would be made up of players from the VFL, the SANFL and the WAFL.

Criteria for selection:

-Must have played in the three major leagues-VFL, SANFL, WAFL-throughout the 1980s.
-Must have played State of Origin football and made it into the All Australian team after a State of Origin Series (1983-1989) or the Bicentennial Carnival (1988).

Who would you choose?

 

[theasian]

A Team which fulfills your Criteria
( All Australian Years shown within brackets)

B B Hardie (86) C Langford (87) G Southby (80)
HB P Roos (85,87,88) R Glendinning(83) R Greene (85)
C R Flower (80.83) G Williams (86) C Bradley (83,85,86)
HF M Aish (83.86) S Kernahan (85,86,88) G Buckenara (86,85,83)
F B Lindner (87,88) P Salmon (87) S Malaxos (86,88)
R S Madden (83,87,88) M Tuck (83) J Platten (85,86,87,88)

IC G Foulds (85) M Rioli (83,86,88) D Weightman (85,86,88)
T Daniher (83,85,88) (C)

I've gone with 4 players on the bench instead of the two allowed in the 80s.

 

[carnthedons]

A Team which fulfills your Criteria
( All Australian Years shown within brackets)

B B Hardie (86) C Langford (87) G Southby (80)
HB P Roos (85,87,88) R Glendinning(83) R Greene (85)
C R Flower (80.83) G Williams (86) C Bradley (83,85,86)
HF M Aish (83.86) S Kernahan (85,86,88) G Buckenara (86,85,83)
F B Lindner (87,88) P Salmon (87) S Malaxos (86,88)
R S Madden (83,87,88) M Tuck (83) J Platten (85,86,87,88)

IC G Foulds (85) M Rioli (83,86,88) D Weightman (85,86,88)
T Daniher (83,85,88) (C)

I've gone with 4 players on the bench instead of the two allowed in the 80s.

Good effort but I think Tim Watson is incredibly stiff not to be in there. He'd just about be my first picked after Simon Madden (slight bias) and much as I love the big fish, Plugger won a brownlow and Dunstall kicked 364 goals from 87-89.

 

[theasian]

Good effort but I think Tim Watson is incredibly stiff not to be in there. He'd just about be my first picked after Simon Madden (slight bias) and much as I love the big fish, Plugger won a brownlow and Dunstall kicked 364 goals from 87-89.

Neither Tim Watson, Plugger or Dunstall have been selected as All Australians in the 80s. Neither have Ablett, Matthews or Ayers.

If they did, I'd have a different team.

Without the Op's criteria of having to make it to the AA team after a SOO series, and the only criteria being a Player must have played at least 5 years in the 80s in VFL/SANFL/WAFL I'll have the following team.


B B Hardie C Langford G Ayers
HB P Roos C Mew R Greene
W R Flower G Williams D Hawkins
HF T Watson S Kernahan G Buckenara
F G Ablett J Dunstall L Matthews
R S Madden M Tuck J Platten

I/C R Glendinning, M Rioli, P Daicos, P Salmon.

I Consider Plugger as more of a 90s player despite winning the Brownlow in 87.

 

[Blind Turn]

The All Australian concept in the 80s is largely irrelevant. The fact that the above-mentioned didn't get a gig sums it up. It was largely based on carnival performances rather than the player's overall year. Watson never got an AA in his career which is an unfair slight on the player I regard as the most damaging, match-winning mid of the 80s. In his career I'd have him down for AA (based on the current system of selection) in 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1989. 86 & 87, when at the peak of his powers, were ruined by a knee injury. That's 6 possible AAs that he somehow missed out on. Lockett missed out in 87 ffs. Not even worth mulling over a best of actual AAs in this era.

 

[Blind Turn]

Neither Tim Watson, Plugger or Dunstall have been selected as All Australians in the 80s. Neither have Ablett, Matthews or Ayers.

If they did, I'd have a different team.

Without the Op's criteria of having to make it to the AA team after a SOO series, and the only criteria being a Player must have played at least 5 years in the 80s in VFL/SANFL/WAFL I'll have the following team.


B B Hardie C Langford G Ayers
HB P Roos C Mew R Greene
W R Flower G Williams D Hawkins
HF T Watson S Kernahan G Buckenara
F G Ablett J Dunstall L Matthews
R S Madden M Tuck J Platten

I/C R Glendinning, M Rioli, P Daicos, P Salmon.

I Consider Plugger as more of a 90s player despite winning the Brownlow in 89.

Not a bad effort.

My side would be;

Ayres Langford T Shaw
Tuck Roos Doull
Flower Williams Hawkins
Ablett Kernahan Daicos
Dunstall Lockett Matthews
S Madden Watson Platten
Quinlan T Daniher Salmon Brereton

Blight Bartlett and Greig were very unlucky as they were better than most in this team but I decided that my criteria would not be the most talented player I saw in the 80s but rather the best of the 80s as a whole. Doull, Matthews and Flower probably did enough to beat off other rivals in their positions despite only playing half the decade in their twilight.
Schimma and Glendinning were very unlucky whilst T Shaw was perhaps the luckiest because I didn't rate many of the small defenders of this era but Shaw could play the role and was a star during the 80s.

 

[carnthedons]

Neither Tim Watson, Plugger or Dunstall have been selected as All Australians in the 80s. Neither have Ablett, Matthews or Ayers.

If they did, I'd have a different team.

Without the Op's criteria of having to make it to the AA team after a SOO series, and the only criteria being a Player must have played at least 5 years in the 80s in VFL/SANFL/WAFL I'll have the following team.


B B Hardie C Langford G Ayers
HB P Roos C Mew R Greene
W R Flower G Williams D Hawkins
HF T Watson S Kernahan G Buckenara
F G Ablett J Dunstall L Matthews
R S Madden M Tuck J Platten

I/C R Glendinning, M Rioli, P Daicos, P Salmon.

I Consider Plugger as more of a 90s player despite winning the Brownlow in 87.

Fair enough but considering you could argue Watson, Dunstall, Plugger, Ablett, Matthews & Ayres would be in the top 10-15 players of the 80's as un_eggs has stated, it shows what a removed concept the 80's AA teams were compared to today's and the futility of this exercise.