Best AFL/VFL Team in History

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hawkfan5

Premiership Player
Apr 27, 2000
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Who do you think would be in the best afl team in History. Don't just copy the team of the century from a few years back. I think Silvagni should not be at full-back and Dunstall at full-forward. Please tell me the team you think is the best team in AFL/VFL history.


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How long is a piece of string?

But, for the last 25 years here goes....

B's. Wanganeen, Southeby, Sheedy( controversial)
HB's. Knights, G.Jakovich, Mew
C'S: Flower, L.Baker, Schimelbush
HF's: Brereton, Carey, R.Hart
FF: L.Matthews, T.Lockett, K.Barlett
Ruck: S.Madden, M.Voss, R.Harvey

Interchange: J.Hird, J Dunstall (both just missed out), Peter Matera, G.Ablett.

Emergencies: S.Rehn, N.Daniher, R.Merritt, W.Johnston, S.Silvani, T.Watson....

Note, that's:
- only three Essendon players in the 22 - I don't count Judas.
- 3 Richmond legends
- 5 Hawthorn legends
- 2 Eagles
- 2 Roos
and only 8 current players.


Very hard. Thoughts?
 
Dutchy what were you drinking, Sheedy in a back pocket??? Whatever it was, can I have some too
smile.gif


Best ever team? To hard to call and I would be accused of WAAAYYY to much Hawthorn bias if I just did the last 25 years haha, put it this way the backline reads Ayres (Dutchy I mean it was AYRES remember how he used to give im the mouthguard grin) Langford Collins.

To give a shot at a best ever team and this is just going on things ive heard okay would read something like the following

B: B.Smith Reagan Ayres

Hb: Doull Whitten Murray

C: Flower Stewart Matera

HF: Baldock Carey Brereton

F: Matthews Lockett Coleman

R: Farmer Bunton Skilton

Int: Reynolds Dempsey Ablett Blight

Again it is purely a subjective exercise, Ive gone for some ive seen and some ive heard about from the old timers. Reynolds is in as I couldnt remember the name of the other essendon legendary rover (Hutchinson?) who some older friends say was the best pure rover ever, so how do you go? By records, reputation or gut feeling. Dempsey is in because he is the best ruck Ive seen, Madden was fantastic as well yet he used to get beat by Demps, so thats the reasoning behind that. I would have had N.Daniher on a HBF but 70 odd games didnt really qualify him. I nearly put Guy Mckenna there yet Muzza Murray played 350 odd games with a crook back there.
Anyway dont have a go at me its just an opinion who are the legends (and Im sure there are many)ive forgotten.

Sheedy??? What WERE you drinking
tongue.gif
 

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Big Brief hawkfan5

But how about this line-up

B : Southby Langford Ayres
HB : Doull Roos Jakovich
C : Bunton Kelly Matera
HF : Brereton Carey Hart
FF : Dunstall Lockett Pratt
1stR : Farmer Skilton Matthews
Inter : Hudson SMadden Ablett Whitten
Emerg : Reynolds Blight Bartlett Quinlan
Coach : Sheedy
Assistant coaches : Len Smith, Jock McHale (honourable mentions Kennedy, Parkin and Barassi)
Runner : Cazaly
President : George Harris
Chief Executive : Alan Aylett

Just one of many many infinite combinations - But definitely NO Silvagnis !!!

Sorry about the slight Swans bias but hey thats life and besides we have had more than our fair share of champion players over the years !

And sorry Gordon Coventry - at the end of the day there were just too many great full-fowards going around to give everyone a guernsey.

[This message has been edited by Bloodstained Angel (edited 28 April 2000).]
 
heres a team

FB. Sutton, Reagan, Dempsey
HB. Doull, Whitten, Matera
C. Flower, Robran, Greig
HF. Nash, Carey, Abblett
FF. Mathews, Lockett, Antrobus
R. Farmer, Bunton, Skilton
I. Platten, Renolds, Jesalinko, Madden
 
Drakey - Antrobus??????????

I think this can be interpreted two ways.

1. Actual teams that played and
2. A collection of stars over the history of footy.

1 A TOP 10 of who played

1. Geelong 1951 - 53
26 games without a loss, Back to Back premierships 51-52, Grand Final 53. Leading Goalkicker 1951 and Brownlow medalist 1951

2. Hawthorn 1982 - 1991
3. Carlton 1995
4. Melbourne 1956 - 1964
5. Essendon 1983 - 1985
6. Collingwood 1926 - 1930
7. Richmond 1967 - 1974
8. North Melbourne 1975 - 1977
9. Carlton 1978 - 1981
10. West Coast Eagles 1991 - 1994

2. THE BEST TEAM - 30 Years

B. Langford(Haw) T. Daniher (Ess) Roos (Fitz)
Hb. McKenna (WCE) Whitten (Foot) Doull (Car)
C. Ablett (Gee) Williams (Car) Daicos (Col)
Hf. Hird (Ess) Carey (NM) Brereton (Haw)
F. Bartlett (Rich) Lockett (StK) Hocking (Gee)
Foll. Madden (Ess) Buckley (Col) Matthews (Haw)
Inter. Couch (Gee) Healy (Syd) Hudson (Haw) Silvagni (Car)

What do you think?
 
Not a chance Shinboners

Those great Hawthorn and Essendon teams from the 80's were absolutely awesome in the way they used to destroy the opposition.

A champion team such as these would have the edge over any team of the century simply because they would play more cohesively as a team and stick to a disciplined game plan, whereas the team of champions would be a little 'all over the shop' I think.

PS Good luck tonight - an interesting and challenging assignment for you blokes.
 
BA

I'm with you on the champion team beating a team of champions. Does anyone out there remember in the 80s where a fortnight or so after the Grand Final, the premiers would take on a combined team from the rest of the competition in a charity match? I seem to remember at least two involving Hawthorn and the Hawks won both times.

Anyway, it will be an interesting game tonight. The key will be how North control the Hawthorn talls. Our midfielders and runners are better than theirs, but if the Hawks can get it forward enough and Croad and his friends can take their marks, then the Hawks will be in with a strong chance of winning.

Good luck to the Swans too....hope your guys can break your losing streak against the Blues. I hope Schwatta can find some form and nail the odd goal or two running from the centre.
 
Originally posted by gocatsgo:

1 A TOP 10 of who played

1. Geelong 1951 - 53
26 games without a loss, Back to Back premierships 51-52, Grand Final 53. Leading Goalkicker 1951 and Brownlow medalist 1951

Essendon 1949-51. Won 32 of 33 games r12 '49 to rd 2 '51. Back to Back flags, 49-50, leading goalkicker 49-50. Grand Final '51 (grrr, bloody tribunal, should have been 3 on the trot!).

I also struggle to see how you rate Geelong of 51-53 as better than Hawthorn of '83 -'91. 5 flags in 9 years(including the stellar years of 88 and 89), 8 GF appearances. Must go down as the greatest era for any team ever.
 
gocatsgo

I was wondering when someone would querie Antrobus. He's in my team because he is the best rover I've seen.

Because of injury he never produced his best form at VFL level but for North Adelaide he was briliant. On more than 1 occasion he thrashed John Platten to the point where Platten would start in the pocket so that the Ant could be tagged.

The same with Robran (Barrie) in the middle. He is the best footballer I have ever seen bar none.

Picking players who have never played AFL/VFL football or did not produce their best in that comp will I'm sure be questioned by people on this forum but what the hell. We are all entitled to our opinion.

If you are going to compare players from different era's (with different rules, levels of profesionalism, training etc.)then why not from different comps.
 
Two things:

1.Grendel:

Out: Sheedy
In: Ayres (fair dues)

Other than that I stand by my call.

2. The ant was a fair player but better than Bartlett in the FP - plllleeeassssee!!
 

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so he should be Rooboy96 ...

Apart from my very well worn copy of the 1973 Grand Final I have never seen Royce Hart play (didn't live in Australia in those days)

So I think Carey would be the best that I have prsonally seen at CHF but was Hart better ? - I don't honestly know
 
Drakey

Do you reckon Russell Ebert would be the best player never to have played in the VFL /AFL ?

I'm old enough to remember him as being described as the best centreman in the country - and this was by Victorian football media.

Nice point about the Ant - a deadset champion who was cut down by injury far too early in his career.
 
B.A.
Russell Ebert played a season with North in 1979. He was probably too old when he came over(29) but I saw enough of him to realise that he was one of the best and can only imagine what his reputation would be if he came over at 21 or so and played for a few years. He got 14 Brownlow votes that year and from memory won another Magarey on return to Adelaide in 1980. I agree that Barrie Robran deserves consideration in any "best evers" but anybody who doesn't include Blight had better go and look at some old videos! I can't believe I'm going in to bat for three South Australians!!!
 
BA

Russell Ebert did play VFL footy with North Melbourne for 1 year. I think it was 1979. From memmory he played mostly on a h/f flank, played more games than any other North player that year, & was in the top 3-5 in possesions/best & fairest. I may be a little out on that but I am sure it's around the mark.

He went to Melbourne too late in his career to make a real mark. I'm sure had he gone over as a 20-24 year old he would have starred as he was highly skilled, durable & courageous.

I don't rate him as highly as Barrie Robran. Robran was as skilled (even more so as he was great in the air), and was taller allowing him to play Centre Half Forward/Centre Half Back as well as in the middle.

Robran was also a big game player where as Ebert had a bit of a reputation of going missing in big games.

Mind you Ebert played for Port & I hate them, while Robran played for North Adelaide who I have supported all my life, so I am bias.
 
John Todd according to my old man was something else altogether and must have been pretty good to have won a WAFL best and fairest at 17 years of age. Stephen Michael was someone who also would have made it in the old VFL no worries.
 

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