You have the power to bring back 3 retired Dockers, who would you choose?

ImperialPurple

Matthew Pavlich Medallist
May 26, 2003
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Best players Pavlich, McPharin and Sandilands ever.

Best fits for the team, Pavlich, Farmer and Sandilands.
Mostly agree.

I’ve based mine on a purely needs basis. On a ‘this is who I’d want to see again’ - Pav, McPharlin and Kepler. Or maybe The Wiz for #3 position. Kepple and the Wiz - toss a coin.

Pav is an absolute need!
Sadly (or perhaps not so sadly), we don’t need McPharlin now, despite his brilliance.
Walters (must stay forward) = Farmer, so we don’t need him as such.
Kepple as a depth forward would be handy, but with Pav, he’d be surplus to needs.
Sandi - no way you can go past a 4 x AA (imo).
A top-form Pav and Modra with Walters at their feet would be mouth-wateringly good.
Sandi tapping down to Fyfe, Mundy and the youngsters... wow.

Want: Pav, McPharlin, Kepler (Wiz just a millimetre behind). It’d be great to see Barlow out there again too. And Hayden.

Need: Pav, Modra, Sandi.
 
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Deveraux

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freo1997

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I fear Mods might be a touch short to make an impact at FF and would be more a flanker. Yes he had aerial ability but cant do that every contest.
 

ImperialPurple

Matthew Pavlich Medallist
May 26, 2003
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I fear Mods might be a touch short to make an impact at FF and would be more a flanker. Yes he had aerial ability but cant do that every contest.

Pav and Mods are both too short for the modern game as KPFs, but at their peak they were as good as it gets. Mundy is the same height as Pav, and they’re both 2cm taller than Fyfe. Mods was only 188cm. JLo was an excellent forward/ruck at 196cm, and while he’s a good height to play as a KPF, he’s too short to ruck. Plus I like him in his current role. 😉
Height and forward pressure would take both Pav and Mods out of the picture NOW, but if we’re looking at what they could do at their peak, I personally couldn’t look past them.

Stephen Michael was only 188cm, but was one of the best ruck/CHF the game has ever seen. Polly Farmer was 191cm, and some argue the best ruckman ever. At their peaks you’d take both of them, but they’d get smashed in those positions now. They’d both likely be starting mids, with Michael having stints as a flanker/medium forward.

It’s hard to compare them to today’s players, but at the time they were the best at what they did.
 

freo1997

Norm Smith Medallist
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I can see you missed his career.

I was there mate dont you worry.

He was an undersized FF even back then, the reality is he would be monstered in height and strength in present day.

His speed and aerial skills would still be an absolute nightmare for the opposition, but in no way shape of form he could be the focal point at 184cm. That diminishes his worth and minimises the amount of scoring shots.
 
Oct 18, 2013
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Oooohhh... any Freo player in their prime... so many options:

THE HEART WANTS:


1: Pav (as a forward), Pav (as a midfielder), and Pav (as a defender)

THE FORWARD LINE WANTS:

2: Pav, Wizz, and Ballas

THE MIDFIELD WANTS:

3: Pav, Crowley, Lachie Neale

THE BACKLINE WANTS:

4: Elvis, Jonno, Lee Spur

THE SENTIMENTAL BLOKE WANTS:

5: Morra, Kep, & Clive

THE BALANCED LIST WANTS:

6: Pav, Elvis, Sandi

THE RUCK COACH WANTS:

7: Sandi, Spider Burton, Zac Clark

THE "I'VE GOT NOBODY TO MELT ABOUT ANYMORE" BRIGADE WANTS:

8: Sutty, Mayne, Sheridan



My own personal choice would be list number 1... there will never be another Pav - plus given the way the game has gone, I simply can't see any other player ever again being named AA as a forward, midfielder and a defender.

If however we were going purely on entertainment value (or doing it strictly for the laughs) I would choose:

1: Ballaz
Because nobody gave entertainment like Ballaz in his prime... either for his moments of sheer brilliance or for getting under the opposing team's skin :):)

2: Modra
Because nobody took a hanger like Modra did :cool::cool:... except maybe Fyfe - (but we already have Nat so he's excluded).

3: Colin Sylvia
:oops::oops::oops::oops::drunk::drunk::drunk::drunk: ...

Because:

a). In his prime, Colin was at Melbourne and actually could really bloody play;

b). In terms of Bigfooty entertainment, IIRC there were always lots of entertaining conversations going on about Colin; and

c). Colin's 2014 debut game for Freo was a non-descript performance, but did give us The Greatest Freo Supporters Banner of All Time*

(* The fact I helped conceive the thing is entirely beside the point)
 

sherrif

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Pav
Modra
Farmer
Yep. A forward line of
Modra Pav Farmer
Walters Tabs Henry
That would go alright. Plus Pav could spend time onball switching with Fyfe. Fyfe and Pav in the centre swaure for a clearance late in games.
Pav and Mods are both too short for the modern game as KPFs, but at their peak they were as good as it gets. Mundy is the same height as Pav, and they’re both 2cm taller than Fyfe. Mods was only 188cm. JLo was an excellent forward/ruck at 196cm, and while he’s a good height to play as a KPF, he’s too short to ruck. Plus I like him in his current role. 😉
Height and forward pressure would take both Pav and Mods out of the picture NOW, but if we’re looking at what they could do at their peak, I personally couldn’t look past them.

Stephen Michael was only 188cm, but was one of the best ruck/CHF the game has ever seen. Polly Farmer was 191cm, and some argue the best ruckman ever. At their peaks you’d take both of them, but they’d get smashed in those positions now. They’d both likely be starting mids, with Michael having stints as a flanker/medium forward.

It’s hard to compare them to today’s players, but at the time they were the best at what they did.
Peak Pav was one of the quickest on the lead in the afl for all but his last 3 or 4 years. That's why he was played mid for a while. His burst speed out of packs was ridiculously good. Lobb and tabs were actually in the top 3 for contested marks in 2020. If you had those two taking marks around the ground with Pav and Walters in the forward 50 then it would work a treat in my view.

Our biggest area of need is outside speed and better delivery into the forward 50 currently. At his best Heath Black was one of the few players we've had who could impact a game with 15-18 possessions and he was very quick. Id go Pav, Sandy and Heath Black based on a current needs. Sandy would be sell suited to the changes in rules since he retired.
 

ImperialPurple

Matthew Pavlich Medallist
May 26, 2003
24,238
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South Freo
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Fremantle
Other Teams
SFFC, Aussie Women's Cricket, HNK
Yep. A forward line of
Modra Pav Farmer
Walters Tabs Henry
That would go alright. Plus Pav could spend time onball switching with Fyfe. Fyfe and Pav in the centre swaure for a clearance late in games.

Peak Pav was one of the quickest on the lead in the afl for all but his last 3 or 4 years. That's why he was played mid for a while. His burst speed out of packs was ridiculously good. Lobb and tabs were actually in the top 3 for contested marks in 2020. If you had those two taking marks around the ground with Pav and Walters in the forward 50 then it would work a treat in my view.

Our biggest area of need is outside speed and better delivery into the forward 50 currently. At his best Heath Black was one of the few players we've had who could impact a game with 15-18 possessions and he was very quick. Id go Pav, Sandy and Heath Black based on a current needs. Sandy would be sell suited to the changes in rules since he retired.
Yes! Blacky would be a contender! I'd get so excited seeing him run down the wing from half-back, getting ready to pump it long into the forward line, often through the big sticks. I'd be all like, "wait for it (bounce), wait for it (bounce)... here it comes (steady, line it up), aaand there it goes... woooooo its another Heath Black special!" :D
 
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