Best 5 Defenders Since 2000

[juss]

If St Kilda had a defender who made the "mistakes" Rance did during 2009 and 2010 they might have actually been able to win a flag

He obviously didn't watch this finals series.
Understandable.

 

[Pali23]

If St Kilda had a defender who made the "mistakes" Rance did during 2009 and 2010 they might have actually been able to win a flag

No we played against Scarlett if Rance was playing he would have over run that toe poke.

 

[Captain_Bender]

No we played against Scarlett if Rance was playing he would have over run that toe poke.

Rance would have been the difference between St Kilda choking and actually winning something besides spoons

 

[Pali23]

Rance would have been the difference between St Kilda choking and actually winning something besides spoons

Lol yes if only we weren't playing one of the best teams of the modern era.

 

[Kane McGoodwin]

If St Kilda had a defender who made the "mistakes" Rance did during 2009 and 2010 they might have actually been able to win a flag

Wouldn't have saved them in 1997 though...

 

[Captain_Bender]

Wouldn't have saved them in 1997 though...

No but he would have made it closer

 

[Captain_Bender]

Lol yes if only we weren't playing one of the best teams of the modern era.

And the best defender of the modern era would have made the difference between losing by 2 goals or a draw to a win

 

[Pali23]

And the best defender of the modern era would have made the difference between losing by 2 goals or a draw to a win

He did Scarllet was playing.

 

[Aeglos]

glory be me that poll is a stinker. half that list shouldn't even remotely be in the conversation.


top 5 defenders



wanganeen - scarlet - enright
?? - fletcher - ??

no way no how those 4 are not in the best 5 defenders.

5th guy is a lottery pick out of like 20 strong candidates.

chad cornes unlucky not to be in the conversation group. i wouldn't have him remotely top 5 but he nearly won a brownlow from chb, and strongly contributed to changing the way the game is played. teams went far more attacking with bigs after then. as a player far more complete and rounded then gibson.

Cornes move to CHB was a big catalyst for your premiership win imo

 

[Captain_Bender]

He did Scarllet was playing.

Please Alex Rance would have been your best player you would have won back to back flags if he played for St Kilda then again St Kilda being a natural losers club probably would have still found a way to lose I mean you lost to Collingwood in a grand final no one loses to Collingwood in a grand final

 

[00Stinger]

How the * does this guy not even make the poll?

Yet the poll has joke options like Murphy, Smith, Taila, Barry, Rampe, Malceski, Birchall, Maxwell and Harley???

 

[JCHolmes]

Nah Lake was a star before he went to Hawthorn. Even though he wasn't at that level at the Hawks, you don't get carried to a Norm Smith. He contributed to at least the first two flags. Glass was like Talia, he was a very good player and could shut down an opponent well, but that was the extent of his influence. He never dominated games like Lake could.

He never dominated yeh thats true, different to Lake aswell. Glass was also the Captain from 2008-2014, 3 times a B & F winner as fullback, runner up to C Judd in 2006 B & F count in Premiership year aswell. Glass is way ahead of Talia imo.

 

[captain cotch 9]

How the **** does this guy not even make the poll?

Yet the poll has joke options like Murphy, Smith, Taila, Barry, Rampe, Malceski, Birchall, Maxwell and Harley???

I dont know whats happened to me but ive found myself likeing a few of your posts recently
Maybe the Tigers flag has softened my hatred for Melbourne haha

 

[00Stinger]

I dont know whats happened to me but ive found myself likeing a few of your posts recently
Maybe the Tigers flag has softened my hatred for Melbourne haha

There is no shame in liking posts made by a great poster

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Blind Turn]

Yes, I know I’m an Essendon supporter, but I’m also a Fletcher convert who took a while to be be convinced. So what I say below is based on a largely objective appreciation for what he became.

Pre-‘99 Fletch was a decent full back who held his own against some of the greatest full forwards to play the game. But he was no Silvagni.

In the ‘99-‘01 era he realised his attacking potential, not just negating but rebounding. For the last part of his career he was released from FB to fully utilise his skill set.

Below are the reasons he is comfortably in the best few defenders since 2000;

- he was a role innovator. I hold these players very highly. He was the first of the primary key defenders to be released from negating to play on lesser opponents, run off them, intercept, play 3rd man up, and gain massive territory on the rebound. This role is now accepted as a strategic advantage rather than a cop-out for a full back (as it once was).

As a result;

- he was regularly tagged to limit his impact well before Scarlett and Rance ever were.

- he become more of a defensive general whereby his role was less a man-on-man focus but instead a team defense focus.

- He was a 1 percenter freak that only Rance can rival. His anticipation, reach, and short distance speed had him deny many a goal with a late lunge etc. He occasionally had direct opponents kick goals on him but the number that he denied far outweighs this.

- his precision kicking over long distances weren’t just bombs but instead coaxed teammates to move into more attacking positions often 60+ metres up the field.

- Composure with ball in hand. Only Scarlett, of the tall defenders, compared with him.

- his obvious durability

- his absence from our team was more statistically relevant than Hird’s as far as winning percentage.

- team lifting and crowd lifting goals. This is an under-appreciated, albeit rare, quality. It also enhances the spectating experience.

Fletch was a gun and seeing as this is about the best defenders in general rather than purely focusing on negating players then he is surely in the best few.

1/ McLeod
2/ Scarlett
3/ Fletcher
4/ Enright
5/ Leppitsch
6/ Taylor
7/ C Cornes
8/ Rance (is in the best few for negating ability but he’s not an attacking weapon).
9/ Lake
10/ Birchall

 

[DontArgue4]

Buddy has gone 1.1 (highest goal kicker had 2 that day), 7.4, 5.0 and 2.2 in his last 4 games against Rance.
Not sure Rance's record on Buddy is what i'd use to point out his superiority against Scarlett.

arent you the bloke that didnt even have rance in your top 5 but managed to squeeze fletcher in there?

sensing a theme here

 

[citizen-erased]

arent you the bloke that didnt even have rance in your top 5 but managed to squeeze fletcher in there?

sensing a theme here

I had Scarlett in my top 5 too.
the theme is Scarlett > Rance.

 

[citizen-erased]

Please Alex Rance would have been your best player you would have won back to back flags if he played for St Kilda then again St Kilda being a natural losers club probably would have still found a way to lose I mean you lost to Collingwood in a grand final no one loses to Collingwood in a grand final

Richmond....4 times?

 

[DontArgue4]

I had Scarlett in my top 5 too.
the theme is Scarlett > Rance.

yes quite possibly, but also rance >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> fletcher

 

[Blind Turn]

yes quite possibly, but also rance >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> fletcher

Depends what you’re basing your defensive criteria on. Fletch started as a top-tier negating defender and then added ‘offensive weapon’ to his resumè. So far Rance is not an offensive weapon but is a better negating defender than Fletch was. Fletch was equally as freakish at denying forwards but the one thing that he never excelled at was bodying one-on-one. Instead Essendon used him so that he could use his skill-set best which is why we recruited players like Mal Michael. As a pure creative footballer Fletch was miles ahead.

And if you read my spiel above this assessment is based on me not being much of a Fletch fan through the majority of the 90s.

 

[crows dude]

2 more Crows All Australian Defenders. Benny Rutten and Nathan Bock not on the list

 

[Jade]

Maxwell, Birchall, Murphy, Barry, Talia, Smith, Rampe all in the poll - but no Hurley.

Taking the piss seriously.

 

[JT_the_Man]

Lol @ some of the names on this list. Where is Hurley?

Also an option to change my votes would be nice, I may or may not of accidentally picked someone I didn't want to.

 

[DontArgue4]

Depends what you’re basing your defensive criteria on. Fletch started as a top-tier negating defender and then added ‘offensive weapon’ to his resumè. So far Rance is not an offensive weapon but is a better negating defender than Fletch was. Fletch was equally as freakish at denying forwards but the one thing that he never excelled at was bodying one-on-one. Instead Essendon used him so that he could use his skill-set best which is why we recruited players like Mal Michael. As a pure creative footballer Fletch was miles ahead.

And if you read my spiel above this assessment is based on me not being much of a Fletch fan through the majority of the 90s.

i think you need to watch more of rance, he can absolutely be an offensive weapon when he wants

his skills have improved out of sight, as has his decision making

 

[JT_the_Man]

Fletcher > Rance any day of the week.