Opinion AFL Team of Your Lifetime

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bradfisher14

All Australian
Aug 24, 2021
859
2,899
Stuck on 99 games
AFL Club
Carlton
Hi everyone, if you're keen to take a break from the Carlton/Collingwood trolling like I am, have a crack at this thought exercise I've put together.

I've been thinking about this topic for a while and couldn't find another thread that covered it. I think it'll be interesting to see the perspectives that posters from different generations have, to see a diverse range of players based on who they've watched over the years, and to understand the way that different people define greatness in players.

You can choose to quantify a players greatness however you see fit. For example, I have Alex Rance in my team who may not have the longevity of someone like Dustin Fletcher, but I just think Rance was the better player. Another point to consider is how much of a player's prime you got to see and whether or not that's enough to warrant selection in your team. Again, it's up to you! As you'll see in my team, I don't really give a s**t about positions, but I tried to make a team that could conceivably play an exhibition match together. Also, if you want to take into account personal bias for/against certain players, I won't hold it against you.

As for my team, I'm 30 now and my earliest memories of footy date back to 2000ish so I'll build my team from around that time onward.

AFL Team of bradfisher14's Lifetime (2000ish-present day):

B:37. Goodes30. Scarlett44. Enright
HB:23. McLeod18. Rance15. Hodge (VC)
C:14. Selwood3. Voss (C)5. Buckley
HF:33. Rioli23. Franklin5. Hird
F:4. Martin18. Lloyd19. Betts
R:20. Cox5. Judd29. Ablett Jnr.
INT:7. Fyfe36. Swan12. Riewoldt
11. Archer
EMG:31. Fletcher25. Fevola9. Burgoyne
Coach:Clarkson


Let's see yours!
 
38 years old. Went from when I could remember so 1989

Enright Scarlett Silvagni
McLeod Jakovich Hodge
Judd Voss Matera
Ablett Sr Carey Franklin
Betts Lockett Martin
Cox Ablett Jr Cousins

Buckley S Johnson Jarman R Harvey

Probably left out a million guys

Disclaimer: of all the real superstar players of the last 30 years, easily the one I watched least would be James Hird. It’s not like I don’t rate him highly I just never cared for Essendon and some of the subtlety and sublime aspects of his game were probably lost on me
 
I'm not going to even try.

I mean, for example, my lifetime includes 20 of the top 25 all-time AFL goalkickers (and 8 of the top 10).

It would do my head in. :D:D
 

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B: F.Bourke, Rance , Wanganeen
HB: McLeod, Goodes Blight
C: R.Flower . M Rioli snr Matera
HF: Franklin Carey Ablett snr
F: D.Martin Lockett K.Bartlett
R: S.Madden Buckley L.Mathews
INT: Fyfe Brereton G.Williams , C Rioli

EMG: Ablett jnr, Dangerfield, Koutafides, S.Maxfield, M Richardson
Coach: Hardwick
 
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FB : Fletcher Lake Scarlett
HB : Doull Glendenning Enright
C : Flower Williams Greig
HF : Ablett Carey Franklin
F : Daicos Lockett Matthews
R : Naitanui Ablett Jnr Bartlett
Int : Goodes Martin Voss Akermanis

Tough, chb I always struggle with in these exercises.

Madden with 450+ more goals but NicNat the best tap ruckman I've seen.

Garry Wilson or Bartlett, Hungry just shades him with goals.

Franklin or Aker? I much prefer Aker's dual side abilities but I guess 1,000 goals can't be left out.
 
Hi everyone, if you're keen to take a break from the Carlton/Collingwood trolling like I am, have a crack at this thought exercise I've put together.

I've been thinking about this topic for a while and couldn't find another thread that covered it. I think it'll be interesting to see the perspectives that posters from different generations have, to see a diverse range of players based on who they've watched over the years, and to understand the way that different people define greatness in players.

You can choose to quantify a players greatness however you see fit. For example, I have Alex Rance in my team who may not have the longevity of someone like Dustin Fletcher, but I just think Rance was the better player. Another point to consider is how much of a player's prime you got to see and whether or not that's enough to warrant selection in your team. Again, it's up to you! As you'll see in my team, I don't really give a s**t about positions, but I tried to make a team that could conceivably play an exhibition match together. Also, if you want to take into account personal bias for/against certain players, I won't hold it against you.

As for my team, I'm 30 now and my earliest memories of footy date back to 2000ish so I'll build my team from around that time onward.

AFL Team of bradfisher14's Lifetime (2000ish-present day):

B:37. Goodes30. Scarlett44. Enright
HB:23. McLeod18. Rance15. Hodge (VC)
C:14. Selwood3. Voss (C)5. Buckley
HF:33. Rioli23. Franklin5. Hird
F:4. Martin18. Lloyd19. Betts
R:20. Cox5. Judd29. Ablett Jnr.
INT:7. Fyfe36. Swan12. Riewoldt
11. Archer
EMG:31. Fletcher25. Fevola9. Burgoyne
Coach:Clarkson


Let's see yours!

Fev: do you only count his best & ignore the rest.
 
I was thinking of having a go, but I am a bit older and for me it's like I watched 2 different styles of footy.

I stood next to my father for years & he ranked Haydn Bunton senior the best he ever saw. Many of those years included Polly Farmer, who I rank the best I've ever seen.
Does that cover 3 different styles of footy ?
 

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I stood next to my father for years & he ranked Haydn Bunton senior the best he ever saw. Many of those years included Polly Farmer, who I rank the best I've ever seen.
Does that cover 3 different styles of footy ?

Does Polly win a tap these days?

I watched Leigh Mathews play, would he be the best rover today, probably not, but was he the best resting forward ever, I would say yes.
 
No Rance and Martin on the bench?


To be fair, while I stuck him in a forward pocket, who is he a better pure midfielder than of most of the guys in contention? Who is he a better smallish forward than of all the guys in contention?

His status as someone who’s danger comes from being capable at both probably lends him to a bench spot really
 
To be fair, while I stuck him in a forward pocket, who is he a better pure midfielder than of most of the guys in contention? Who is he a better smallish forward than of all the guys in contention?

His status as someone who’s danger comes from being capable at both probably lends him to a bench spot really
This is basically my thinking with Martin.

Gets in based on his match winning ability but on a position-by-position basis I’m struggling to put him ahead of an inside mid (eg Fyfe) or ahead of a career mid-sized forward (eg Gray).
 
Fev: do you only count his best & ignore the rest.
I’m a bit younger and don’t have the same recollection of Carey or Lockett, who would certainly be ahead, but I missed the best of their careers.

Fev had a really strong run from about 2006 onwards and would regularly win games off his own boot in a pretty shocking era for the team.

I’d also like to include Kouta, but can only really remember a couple of dominant seasons.
 
I was thinking of having a go, but I am a bit older and for me it's like I watched 2 different styles of footy.
I stood next to my father for years & he ranked Haydn Bunton senior the best he ever saw. Many of those years included Polly Farmer, who I rank the best I've ever seen.
Does that cover 3 different styles of footy ?
I'm not going to even try.

I mean, for example, my lifetime includes 20 of the top 25 all-time AFL goalkickers (and 8 of the top 10).

It would do my head in. :D:D

But these are all reasons why I would love to see your teams. It would be fascinating to see which players from the modern era have done enough to take the place of the greats of yesteryear.

If it would be easier, you could make a team for each era.
 
I’m 25 but only really started watching other teams outside of Richmond and Hawks properly from 2013 so leaving a lot of star power out.

B: May, Rance, McGovern
HB: D Moore, Vlastuin, Hodge
C: Judd, Ablett Jnr, Fyfe
HF: Martin, Richo, J Riewoldt
F: C Rioli, Buddy, Betts

Interchange:
Nic Nat, J Cameron, Hawkins, Dangerfield

Was thinking about Cousins but didn’t see him play at WC so left him out. Trac and Oliver haven’t done enough for me yet. I also didn’t really see 07-11 cats unfortunately.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 
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But these are all reasons why I would love to see your teams. It would be fascinating to see which players from the modern era have done enough to take the place of the greats of yesteryear.

If it would be easier, you could make a team for each era.
I would pick a team that would only play 1 week, they would smash players from today and win by 30 goals, then all be rubbed out for the rest of the year.

LMAO.

I will leave the arguing of who was better to you guys.
 
To be fair, while I stuck him in a forward pocket, who is he a better pure midfielder than of most of the guys in contention? Who is he a better smallish forward than of all the guys in contention?

His status as someone who’s danger comes from being capable at both probably lends him to a bench spot really

I think that’s why most people put him at HF. 2017 was 70% mid.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com
 
But these are all reasons why I would love to see your teams. It would be fascinating to see which players from the modern era have done enough to take the place of the greats of yesteryear.

If it would be easier, you could make a team for each era.
IF I withdraw my reflection on Fev :rolleyes: ..... :thumbsu:, 3 teams, bloody hell, I'm baulking at one.
 
FB : Fletcher Lake Scarlett
HB : Doull Glendenning Enright
C : Flower Williams Greig
HF : Ablett Carey Franklin
F : Daicos Lockett Matthews
R : Naitanui Ablett Jnr Bartlett
Int : Goodes Martin Voss Akermanis

Tough, chb I always struggle with in these exercises.

Madden with 450+ more goals but NicNat the best tap ruckman I've seen.

Garry Wilson or Bartlett, Hungry just shades him with goals.

Franklin or Aker? I much prefer Aker's dual side abilities but I guess 1,000 goals can't be left out.

Sorry, but Madden and Naitanui ain’t in the the same post code.

Simon Madden is up there with players like Polly & TI.
 
Does Polly win a tap these days?

I watched Leigh Mathews play, would he be the best rover today, probably not, but was he the best resting forward ever, I would say yes.

Have to look at how good they were in their era’s. A ruckman from 1960’s would be drawfed by some of our current midfielders.

As stated above Hayden Bunton Snr was a legend during his era. Polly was a class above his contempories in rucking.
 

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