Current Champions of the Game?

[DTRAIN87]

Who are they? Who are the guys playing that are currently worthy of being recognised in the top echelon of players to play the game?

What makes someone a champion?

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Thread has already been done several times.

 

[pavilion103]

Thread has already been done several times.

^ Useless post

The players who come to mind are Ablett, Goodes, Judd. Have done it consistently over a number of years now. I think Ablett will go down as one of the very greatest ever if he finished his career strongly.

I think Scarlett is right up there as one of the best full backs of all time, so I rate him very highly.

If we are talking the absolute top echelon, then there aren't too many imo.

 

[00Stinger]

Ablett, Goodes, Judd, Scarlett & Franklin

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

^ Useless post

No it's not. Why not just bump the thread from 3 months ago that was pretty much identical? Why start a new thread on a topic that has been done to death multiple times... Just saying.

Anyhow...........

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Ablett, Goodes, Judd, Scarlett & Franklin

I would add Nick Riewoldt to that list and that's probably it for now. A few guys close, but those 6 are guaranteed to go down as all-time greats.

 

[AG]

If the world ended today, anyone worthy of HOF entrance is a champion imo. So while Judd, Goodes, Ablett are on another level, I'd call guys like Steve Johnson champions. Yes, he's a wank on the field at times but he has been a sensational forward for years.

Enright is another who many would consider just a very good player but 2 time B&F in a premiership season, multiple AA's, best medium defender I've probably seen. Champion written all over him imo.

EDIT: Johnson borderline actually. Enright definitely for mine.

Adelaide: 0
Brisbane: Black, Brown
Carlton: Judd
Collingwood: Swan
Essendon: Fletcher
Fremantle: Pavlich
Hawthorn: Franklin, Hodge
Geelong: Enright, Bartel, Scarlett
Gold Coast: Ablett
Melbourne: 0
North: Harvey
Port: 0
Richmond: 0
St Kilda: Hayes, Riewoldt
Sydney: Goodes
West Coast: Cox
Western Bulldogs: 0

Kerr, Selwood, Mitchell, Chapman, SJ borderline. Might be forgetting others.

Franklin, Selwood are young but have already done enough to be mentioned in conversations like these. Swan likewise due to being a late bloomer but his best is good enough to also be mentioned. They don't have the longetivity of the obvious candidates like Judd, Black, Goodes etc.

Not many defenders. Glass and Rutten are probably two who have had excellent careers but just fall short?

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Ablett, Goodes, Judd, Scarlett & Franklin

That's a pretty good list I think. I reckon, assuming everyone's careers ended right now, Franklin would probably drop off. Yeah, he's the most dangerous player in the game and probably the first picked if you were starting a team and could choose anyone, I'm not disputing any of that. But looking at his career numbers, they don't quite stack up...yet.

Similarly, the next few seasons will absolutely define guys like Pavlich, Riewoldt and Brown. Right now Pav is a certain hall of famer when he finishes, but imagine if he wins a flag, perhaps a Coleman as a permanent forward and another one or two AAs and B&Fs. He's already got six B&Fs and six AAs. Combine that with the 300+ games he'll end up playing (with about 150 as skipper) and that would be one of the all-time great AFL resumes.

 

[Silvagnis]

Jonathon Brown, Dean Cox, Pavlich and Simon Black.

 

[Morris Major]

Being a superstar doesn't necessarily mean they're a champion, that's a pretty important distinction for me.

Buddy - not a champion (yet)

Dustin Fletcher - champion (i reckon, anyway)

 

[Old Skool]

Ablett, Goodes, Judd, Scarlett, Harvey, Reiwoldt & possibly Mitchell

 

[Mattman93]

Kerr?.

 

[FoxC]

Delicious Cereal?

Seriously, Bartel.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Ablett, Goodes, Judd, Scarlett, Harvey, Reiwoldt & possibly Mitchell

Re: Mitchell, probably not. Hodge has been a superior player to him over their careers, not just because Hodge has more a stack more awards than Mitchell, but because he has stood up in big games time and time again.

It all depends on how you define champion anyway, this is the problem with these threads, everyone has a different definition. If it's the absolute top echelon, then Hawthorn only have Franklin. It the term is relaxed a bit, then we have Hodge. If you're talking about club champions, well then Mitchell falls into that category. Need a clear definition imo.

 

[HurleyTheFuture]

Jonathon Brown, Dean Cox, Pavlich and Simon Black.

Disagree on Brown hasnt had enough consistency and yes I know injury effected that

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Disagree on Brown hasnt had enough consistency and yes I know injury effected that

If Brown is a champion, then so is about 15% of the comeptition.

 

[Hump 17]

Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes, Jimmy Bartal, Mathew Scarlett, Corey Enright, Adam Goodes, Chris Judd, Gary Ablett, Simon Black, Jon Brown, Mathew Pavlich, Buddy Franklin, Luke Hodge, Dane Swan, Brent Harvey, Dustin Fletcher,

 

[Hollow Knight]

Jonathan Brown spends so much time being called overrated that he qualifies as being underrated.

Victorians should have more respect for their reigning captain.

If only he played for a team that people actually watch... same reason people didn't know Rockliff and Redden were any good until they started checking Supercoach scores.

 

[AG]

If Brown is a champion, then so is about 15% of the comeptition.

I agree he is overrated but not to the extent that he doesn't deserve to be called a champion. HOFer written all over him.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I agree he is overrated but not to the extent that he doesn't deserve to be called a champion. HOFer written all over him.

Yeah, if 15 percent of the competition are triple premiership winning, coleman medallists (at centre-half forward) with multiple All-Australian selections and have captained their state, won multiple awards for courage and captaincy (voted by their peers), and kept getting up and doing it over again after some horrific injuries then the game is in good hands.

 

[Gibbo_88]

If Brown is a champion, then so is about 15% of the comeptition.

Yes...I think everyone on bf is aware that you don't rate Brown because he hasn't been in the AA squad enough for you :roll eyes:

 

[Old Skool]

Jonathan Brown spends so much time being called overrated that he qualifies as being underrated.

Victorians should have more respect for their reigning captain.

If only he played for a team that people actually watch... same reason people didn't know Rockliff and Redden were any good until they started checking Supercoach scores.

Apologies TBD, Black is certainly amongst that list.

IMO, it's a bit of a coin toss with Brown.

 

[FoxC]

If Brown is overrated then what is Mitchell?

 

[Jesse Custer]

Jonathan Brown spends so much time being called overrated that he qualifies as being underrated.

Victorians should have more respect for their reigning captain.

If only he played for a team that people actually watch... same reason people didn't know Rockliff and Redden were any good until they started checking Supercoach scores.

Jonathan Brown is definitely a champion in my book.

 

[Old Skool]

If Brown is overrated then what is Mitchell?

He's been a consistently good player for many years and triple B&F in a strong side, but yeah, upon revision, he's probably not quite AFL champion status.

Injury has severely hampered Brown.