Competitions Essendon's GOAT draft

boncer34 · Jan 4, 2026

For some off-season fun I'm proposing a draft of all Essendon players where posters get to name their best 23.

1,214 players have played for Essendon so entry is strictly capped at 52 posters.

Draft ordered will be a randomised snake order and of course each player can only be drafted once.

Once teams are drafted they'll be pitted against one another in series of polls until we have a winner.

Draft Order

Round 1

BomberTime - James Hird
Pweter - John Coleman
TheFrenchCut - Dick Reynolds
WN123
Stopher - Simon Madden
DapperDon - Bill Hutchinson
sup3rfish - Matthew Lloyd
Boncer34 - Ken Fraser
Vindicater - Gavin Wanganeen
TheUnicorn - Dustin Fletcher

Dustin Fletcher

Age
50

Ht

198cm

Wt
92kg

Pos.
Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D
16.0

4

K
12.3

5

HB
3.7

3

M
4.7

4

T
1.2

3

MG
301.6

4

No current season stats available

D
14.2

4

K
11.4

4

HB
2.8

3

M
4.8

5

T
1.4

4
Blind Turn - Tim Watson

Round 2
1. Blind Turn - Albert Thurgood
2. TheUnicorn - Terry Daniher
3. Vindicater - Jobe Watson
4. Boncer34 - Michael Long
5. sup3rfish - Zach Merrett
6. Dapper Don - Jack Clarke
7. Stopher - Paul Salmon
8. WN123
9. TheFrenchCut - Scott Lucas
10. Pweter - Leon Baker
11. BomberTime - Paul Vander Harr

Round 3
1. BomberTime - Marc Mercuri
2. Pweter - John Birt
3. TheFrenchCut - Michael Hurley
4. WN123
5. Stopher - Mark Harvey
6. DapperDon - Graham Moss
7. sup3rfish - Mark Thompson
8. Boncer34 - Tom Fitzmaurice
9. Vindicater - Sean Wellman
10. TheUnicorn - Joe Misiti
11. Blind Turn - Wally Buttsworth

Round 4
1. Blind Turn - Keith Forbes
2. TheUnicorn - Blake Caracella
3. Vindicater - Jason Johnson
4. Boncer34 - Barry Davis
5. sup3rfish - Alan Noonan
6. Dapper Don - Darren Bewick
7. Stopher - Gary O'Donnell
8. WN123
9. TheFrenchCut - Brendan Goddard
10. Pweter - Harold Lambert
11. BomberTime - Todd Goldstein

Round 5
1. BomberTime - Paul Chapman
2. Pweter - Ted Freyer
3. TheFrenchCut - Neale Daniher
4. WN123
5. Stopher - Joe Daniher
6. DapperDon - Cale Hooker
7. sup3rfish - Paddy Ryder
8. Boncer34 - Geoff Blethyn
9. Vindicater - Damien Hardwick
10. TheUnicorn - Sam Durham
11. Blind Turn - Roger Merrett

Round 6
1. Blind Turn - Justin Madden
2. TheUnicorn - David Hille
3. Vindicater - Anthony Daniher
4. Boncer34 - Reg Burgess
5. sup3rfish - Dyson Heppell
6. Dapper Don - Des Tuddenham
7. Stopher - James Kelly
8. WN123
9. TheFrenchCut - Adam Ramanaskus
10. Pweter - Bill Duckworth
11. BomberTime - Garry Foulds

Round 7
1. BomberTime - Ted Richards
2. Pweter - Geoff Raines
3. TheFrenchCut - Adam Cooney
4. WN123
5. Stopher
6. DapperDon - Billy Griffith
7. sup3rfish - Jordan Ridley
8. Boncer34 - Syd Barker
9. Vindicater - Adam McPhee
10. TheUnicorn - David Zaharakis
11. Blind Turn - Fred Baring

Round 8
1. Blind Turn - Merv Neagle
2. TheUnicorn - Nate Caddy
3. Vindicater - Don Mckenzie
4. Boncer34 - Ken Fletcher
5. sup3rfish -
6. Dapper Don -
7. Stopher -
8. TheFrenchCut -
9. Pweter -
10. BomberTime -

TheUnicorn · Friday at 6:32 PM

DapperDon said:
Billy Griffith

B: Billy Griffith Cale Hooker ...
HB: ... ... ...
C: ... Jack Clarke ...
HF: ... ... ...
F: ... ... Darren Bewick
Fol: Graham Moss Bill Hutchison Des Tuddenham

Int:

Stopher & WN123

Do we just keep moving on to sup3rfish ?

DapperDon · Friday at 6:38 PM

TheUnicorn said:
Do we just keep moving on to sup3rfish ?

Yep I tagged the wrong poster, my bad.

Though it would be funny if WN123 rocked in and chose 10 players

Stopher · Saturday at 1:43 AM

Sorry peeps, that round came back fast! Will get a pick in asap

sup3rfish · Saturday at 9:04 AM

Is it my selection now? Sorry lost count of where we are up to

TheUnicorn · Saturday at 10:23 AM

sup3rfish said:
Is it my selection now? Sorry lost count of where we are up to

Yup, your turn

sup3rfish · Saturday at 11:57 AM

Jordan Ridley please

boncer34 your up I believe

Vindicater · Saturday at 12:12 PM

Are you able to uodate the first post as well boncer34 to include the picks.

Blind Turn · Saturday at 1:45 PM

I find it hard to believe that posters on BF actually have lives to live. This thread is moving like treacle

Get away from your surfing, hiking, kayaking, and dedicated work lives and fulfill your roles as virtual draft gurus.

boncer34 · Saturday at 5:50 PM

Sorry I'll update soon

boncer34 · Saturday at 5:57 PM

I'll take the bloke so good another club named their best and fairest after him.

Syd Barker

Vindicater

Vindicater · Saturday at 6:16 PM

Taking the blonde adonis Adam McPhee.

Was seriously good in the middle of the 2000;'s before injury and many forget he was an All-Australian and Crighton medalist!

Plonking him on the half back flank to start but flexability means he might drift up the ground with future picks.

FB: Hardwick A. Daniher Wanganeen
CHB: McPhee ??? Wellman
C: ??? J. Watson ???
CHF: ??? ??? ???
FF: ??? ??? ???
R: ??? J. Johnson ???

Int: ??? ??? ??? ???

TheUnicorn

TheUnicorn · Saturday at 6:31 PM

David Zaharakis

FB: ---- Dustin Fletcher ----

CHB: ---- ---- ----

C: ---- ---- Blake Caracella

HF: David Zaharakis Terry Daniher ----

FF: ---- ---- ----

Fol: David Hille Joe Misiti Sam Durham

Int: ---- ---- ---- ----

Blind Turn

Blind Turn · Saturday at 8:25 PM

Fred Baring

Our team of the century full back. Kicked the winning goal in the 1912 GF when playing ruck. Also had a handy first class batting average.

Blind Turn · Saturday at 8:31 PM

Merv Neagle.

Very happy to get him in. A little underrated it would seem. Had it all - tough, majestic, inside, outside, long raking kick. Runner-up in 1980 Brownlow as a centreman so I have the option to move him there. Also has the 4th most Brownlow votes of any player during the 80s.

FB: ---- F Baring ----
HB: ---- W Buttsworth ----
C: ---- ---- M Neagle
HF: ---- A Thurgood ----
FF: ---- R Merrett ----
Fol: J Madden T Watson K Forbes
Int: ---- ---- ---- ----
Sub: ----

Blind Turn · Saturday at 8:35 PM

You’re up TheUnicorn

I’ve noticed a very contemporary feel to your team thus far. Will be interesting to see if you pick another recent player here.

Blind Turn · Saturday at 8:43 PM

boncer34 said:
I'll take the bloke so good another club named their best and fairest after him.

Syd Barker

Vindicater

I like this pick mate. Played most of his footy in the VFA with Nth but most of his VFL games were with us after we ‘stole’ him when a merger didn’t occur before then leading us to premierships

TheUnicorn · Saturday at 8:53 PM

Blind Turn said:
You’re up TheUnicorn

I’ve noticed a very contemporary feel to your team thus far. Will be interesting to see if you pick another recent player here.

Funny you should say that

probably my wildest pick yet…

Nate Caddy!

FB: ---- Dustin Fletcher ----

CHB: ---- ---- ----

C: ---- ---- Blake Caracella

HF: Nate Caddy Terry Daniher ----

FF: ---- ---- ----

Fol: David Hille Joe Misiti Sam Durham

Int: ---- ---- ---- ----

Vindicater

Pweter · Saturday at 9:24 PM

Seems we're getting to the stage where people start justifying their picks. This is where it gets really interesting

Blind Turn · Saturday at 9:27 PM

Pweter said:
Seems we're getting to the stage where people start justifying their picks. This is where it gets really interesting

I’ve been giving a bit of background to all my picks as I think it adds a bit of colour.

Blind Turn · Saturday at 9:28 PM

TheUnicorn said:
Funny you should say that probably my wildest pick yet…

Nate Caddy!

FB: ---- Dustin Fletcher ----

CHB: ---- ---- ----

C: ---- ---- Blake Caracella

HF: Nate Caddy Terry Daniher ----

FF: ---- ---- ----

Fol: David Hille Joe Misiti Sam Durham

Int: ---- ---- ---- ----

Vindicater

I hope this ages well. For all our sakes

Pweter · Saturday at 11:13 PM

Blind Turn said:
I’ve been giving a bit of background to all my picks as I think it adds a bit of colour.

It doesn't matter now, it's how heavily you justify later.

TheUnicorn · Saturday at 11:24 PM

Shiiiit… justification required? I thought we just throw the teams up and let the votes decide.

Vindicater · Saturday at 11:49 PM

Before my time but my dad used to rave about him.

The original undersized but athletic ruckman

Don McKenzie

FB: Hardwick A. Daniher Wanganeen
CHB: McPhee ??? Wellman
C: ??? J. Watson ???
CHF: ??? ??? ???
FF: ??? ??? ???
R: McKenzie J. Johnson ???

Int: ??? ??? ??? ???

boncer34

NAB777 · Sunday at 10:03 AM

Blind Turn said:
Merv Neagle.

Very happy to get him in. A little underrated it would seem. Had it all - tough, majestic, inside, outside, long raking kick. Runner-up in 1980 Brownlow as a centreman so I have the option to move him there. Also has the 4th most Brownlow votes of any player during the 80s.

FB: ---- F Baring ----
HB: ---- W Buttsworth ----
C: ---- ---- M Neagle
HF: ---- A Thurgood ----
FF: ---- R Merrett ----
Fol: J Madden T Watson K Forbes
Int: ---- ---- ---- ----
Sub: ----

Thank God.
Some of the players getting selected before some of the 80's premiership heroes is interesting.

Blind Turn · Sunday at 10:58 AM

NAB777 said:
Thank God.
Some of the players getting selected before some of the 80's premiership heroes is interesting.

There’s some interesting teams emerging. Bonce has all oldies, with only Longy post-1980. Unicorn has all recents with only TD pre-1990. And Vindicator has focused on getting their defence in order.

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Competitions Essendon's GOAT draft

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Premiership Player

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Brownlow Medallist

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Formerly "Dos23"

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Uncoiled Visionary

Uncoiled Visionary

Uncoiled Visionary

Uncoiled Visionary

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Brownlow Medallist

Uncoiled Visionary

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