Hawthorn's Top 50

[Guardian Hawk]

In light of North doing their 150 (and seeing the average names that got a gig compared to the quality we have boasted over the years), I thought it might be interesting to try and compile and debate over who Hawthorn's top 50 ever players are.

I'll throw up 50 names to get it started but I'm no expert (especially of the earlier years). Feel free to do this how you want - order the top 10 or top 20, let me know your favourite player that I missed/have forgotten. If you're putting up players for inclusion, I always reckon it's best to nominate who drops out.

My rough Top 15

1. Matthews
2. Dunstall
3. Hudson
4. Mitchell
5. Knights
6. Hodge
7. Ayers
8. Platten
9. Crawford
10. Brereton
11. Franklin
12. Tuck
13. Moore
14. Arthur
15. Langford

16-25
Moncrieff, Mew, Scott, Buckenara, Edwards, Jarman, Kennedy, Rioli, Austen, Crimmins

26-50
Roughead, Lewis, Salmon, McEvoy, Birchall, Burgoyne, Gibson, Wallace, Eade, Dipper, Greene, Pritchard, Mills, Bohan, Law, Hudson (Paul), Peck, Keddie, Albiston, Smith (Joel), Croad, Sewell, Breust, Smith (Isaac), Hendrie.

Long list of unluckies but a few I though of: M.Williams, R.Jencke, A.Collins, B.Lake, L.Murphy, P.Everitt, N.Holland, N.Thompson, J.Hay, B.Guerra, T.Mitchell, etc.

Obviously a recency bias there and Lake and T.Mitchell didn't make my 50 on games played (so far).

Go at it...

 

[Davo-27]

Scott Maginness
Anthony Condon
Angelo Lekkas
David Parkin
Des Meagher
Geoff Ablett
John Kennedy Snr + Jnr
Daniel Chick
Chance Bateman
Ben Stratton
Jack Gunston
James Sicily*
Blake Hardwick*
Jeager O'Meara*
James Worpel*
Mitch Lewis*
Jack Scrimshaw*
Chad Wingard*

*=potentially in top 100

also Andy Collins is 100% in the top 50, he was an amazing player.

 

[marklar]

Just rank them in order of number of premierships won, Tucky at the top.

 

[moginie]

I'd put David Parkin in front of Paul Hudson.

I'd put Alan Martello in front of Paul Hudson.

 

[A Diakos]

Matthews
Hudson
Dunstall
Mitchell
Ayres
Hodge
Tuck
Knights
Platten
Brereton
Franklin
Burgoyne
Bertie dipper
Mew
Moore
Rioli
Jarman
Arthur
Buckenara
Langford

Pretty hard hitting top 20 with multiple 3 and 4 time flag players and best and fairest winners like Crawford Gibson Wallace Scott birchall rough lake Kennedy snr and junior greene Prichard eade Hendrie keddie crimmins moncrieff collins Parkin law Edwards peck not in the top 20

 

[Davo-27]

I'd put David Parkin in front of Paul Hudson.

I'd put Alan Martello in front of Paul Hudson.

yep, Paul Hudson shouldnt be there, same as Jono Hay, both wouldnt get a game in todays team... also not a huge fan of Joel Smith being in these lists and Peter Everitt had the record for most losses didnt he(Herald-Sun article, he was the player with the most losses in the AFL at the time)? why is he there?, he also scammed some people in a rigged lottery or something with his brother at a Hawks event im pretty sure they were the rumours going around, the guy is no bueno...

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Scott Maginness
Anthony Condon
Angelo Lekkas
David Parkin
Des Meagher
Geoff Ablett
John Kennedy Snr + Jnr
Daniel Chick
Chance Bateman
Ben Stratton
Jack Gunston
James Sicily*
Blake Hardwick*
Jeager O'Meara*
James Worpel*
Mitch Lewis*
Jack Scrimshaw*
Chad Wingard*

*=potentially in top 100

also Andy Collins is 100% in the top 50, he was an amazing player.

Some good shouts in there for sure. I had Collins in originally and bumped him after missing Law from the TOTC.

Also sure I had Gunston in. Big finals player, 3 flags, All australian (2-3 more times in squad) and 350+ goals (9th at Hawthron now) probably sneaks him in - ahead of little Huddo.

Who else from your list would you have in and for whom?

 

[Davo-27]

Some good shouts in there for sure. I had Collins in originally and bumped him after missing Law from the TOTC.

Also sure I had Gunston in. Big finals player, 3 flags, All australian (2-3 more times in squad) and 350+ goals (9th at Hawthron now) probably sneaks him in - ahead of little Huddo.

Who else from your list would you have in and for whom?

IN: John Kennedy Snr/Jnr(whichever wasnt added), David Parkin, Andy Collins and Jack Gunston


OUT: Paul Hudson, Joel Smith, Jim Bohan and Luke Breust

they would be the changes i made i guess, have not spent a huge amount of time thinking on it.

 

[moginie]

David O'Halloran would be around the top 50. Long past players like Stan Spinks would be worth a look too.

Then there are blokes on the fringe like Jamie Morrissey and Pete Russo.

 

[Davo-27]

David O'Halloran would be around the top 50. Long past players like Stan Spinks would be worth a look too.

Then there are blokes on the fringe like Jamie Morrissey and Pete Russo.

i loved watching the "freak" Morrissey as a kid

 

[moginie]

And while his coaching record wasn't the greatest, Peter Schwab was as hard as they come.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

IN: John Kennedy Snr/Jnr(whichever wasnt added), David Parkin, Andy Collins and Jack Gunston


OUT: Paul Hudson, Joel Smith, Jim Bohan and Luke Breust

they would be the changes i made i guess, have not spent a huge amount of time thinking on it.

Love these kind of debates - some interesting calls there.

Kennedy Snr was my automatic selection as a 4 time B&F winner (3 more times top 3), club captain (and legend coach). I found Jnr hard to fit in with no real individual accolades, no top 3 placings in the B&F and only 10 career Brownlow votes (though he was obviously a valuable player for 200+ games).

I never saw Bohan but couldn't leave him out. He was a dual best and fairest winner, starting centre in the team of the century and club captain. He also played centre half forward and whilst it doesn't count, was a TOTC full back for a club in the VFA which highlights how good he was at playing different positions.

Joel Smith I could definately leave out but he did win a best and fairest and was a two time All Australian. Disposal was a bit questionable at times but really was a great rebounder that gets forgotten a bit due to Hawthorn being terrible at the time.

Breust is an interesting one - I think he gets massively underrated (including on this board). He is a 3 time premiership player and dual All Australian. He is currently 8th at Hawthorn for goals kicked and will overtake Brereton soon enough. He is the most prolific small forward Hawthorn have had outside Matthews and will likely be top 10 all time league wide for goals by a small forward (in an era with low individual tallies). He's not just goals either - he will finish this season with the most goal assists by a Hawthorn player ever (I know its a recentish stat) and is also a prolific tackler.

I personally wouldn't drop him for Gunston given how hard the small forward position is (to have a consistent impact).

It's hard isn't it - we've had so many really good players

 

[tommyk72]

I don't know if you can now add in tables in the forum, but I'd love to see this with columns with number of games, numbers of goals, number of premierships, number of brownlows (and or brownlow votes) and number of B&F (and/or B&F votes).

Anyone savvy enough to do that?

 

[Pessimistic]

So glad you had Bigboy in the list

But

Thats the first time i have seen dipper so low in lists

 

[Guardian Hawk]

So glad you had Bigboy in the list

But

Thats the first time i have seen dipper so low in lists

Yep, I'll wear that one as an error.

You see, I loved Dipper as a kid - perhaps a little too much (always loved the hard players and he was the hardest)...to the point everyone would tell me I overrated him, very lucky to win a Brownlow, etc. As a result, I've tried to see past my childhood nostalgia and bring him back to the pack and in so doing, went too far the other way.

More than happy to elevate him right back up the list!

 

[Pessimistic]

Neve rreally saw dipper play but so many times in big games on video hes there sweeping up the mistakes much like sam mitchell did recently

 

[Roddy]

Just rank them in order of number of premierships won, Tucky at the top.

This.
Also games played, finals played, premierships captained.......

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

yep, Paul Hudson shouldnt be there, same as Jono Hay, both wouldnt get a game in todays team... also not a huge fan of Joel Smith being in these lists and Peter Everitt had the record for most losses didnt he(Herald-Sun article, he was the player with the most losses in the AFL at the time)? why is he there?, he also scammed some people in a rigged lottery or something with his brother at a Hawks event im pretty sure they were the rumours going around, the guy is no bueno...

Didn't Joel Smith win two All Australians whilst playing with the Hawks?

There are not a lot that have matched or bettered that....

 

[Walshawk]

I split my top 50 into two teams based on when they the made their debut.

1983 to now
FB Guerra Langford Collins
HB Hodge Lake Gibson
C. Crawford S Mitchell Pritchard
HF Lewis Roughead Hall
FF Franklin Dunstall Rioli
Foll Salmon Jarman Platten
Int Burgoyne Allan Holland Birchall
Em Gunston Sewell Breust

Pre 1982
FB Ayres Moore Mills
HB Austin Mew Knights
C Dipper Wallace Edwards
HF Arthur Bohan Bucky
FF Crimmins Hudson Brereton
Foll Scott Tuck Matthews
Int Parkin Law Simmons Kennedy Sr
Em Moncrieff Eade Hendrie

 

[WaxHawk]

Something like

1. L. Matthews
2. J. Dunstall
3. P. Hudson
4. S. Mitchell
5. M. Tuck
6. D. Brereton
7. C. Langford
8. L. Hodge
9. G. Ayres
10. P. Knights
11. J. Platten
12. S. Crawford
13. R. Dipierdomenico
14. G. Arthur
15. L. Franklin
16. C. Mew
17. D. Scott
18. K. Moore
19. C. Rioli
20. G. Buckenara
21. J. Roughead
22. J. Lewis
23. S. Burgoyne
24. R. Eade
25. A. Collins*
26. D. Pritchard
27. T. Wallace
28. D. Jarman
29. M. Moncrieff*
30. J. Gibson
31. P. Crimmins
32. J. Kennedy Jnr*
33. P. Schwab*
34. R. Greene
35. J. Peck
36. D. Parkin*
37. G. Birchall
38. J. Kennedy Snr
39. R. Simmonds*
40. J. Bohan
41. B. Edwards
42. I. Law
43. A. Martello*
44. A. Mills
45. N. Holland*
46. B. Sewell
47. L. Breust
48. J. Gunston*
49. J. Hendrie
50. I. Bremner*

* are my ins from the OP's list - Out the two Smiths, Croad, Keddie, Salmon, McEvoy, Austen, Albiston and Paul Hudson (who are all great players though)

 

[Sirlemsip]

I love how Franklin is considered the 3rd or even 4th best Forward in our club history - and he would easily be no.1 at pretty much every other club that hasn't had a bloke called Lockett play for them.

 

[Hawk_francais]

Interesting people have Hodge outside the top 5.

He won four flags with Hawthorn from 2008-2015, and without him I suspect we would’ve had zero in that period. Not to mention captain and two norm smiths yada yada. We modeled that side around the attributes of Hodge and Mitchell - skillful, cunning and intimidating. Watching back grand finals, his opponents just look scared.

Ranks above even Dunstall for me. Tuck is not our best ever player, but he is the greatest Hawk.

1.Tuck
2.Matthews
3.Hodge
4.Dunstall
5.Hudson

 

[A Diakos]

Something like

1. L. Matthews
2. J. Dunstall
3. P. Hudson
4. S. Mitchell
5. M. Tuck
6. D. Brereton
7. C. Langford
8. L. Hodge
9. G. Ayres
10. P. Knights
11. J. Platten
12. S. Crawford
13. R. Dipierdomenico
14. G. Arthur
15. L. Franklin
16. C. Mew
17. D. Scott
18. K. Moore
19. C. Rioli
20. G. Buckenara
21. J. Roughead
22. J. Lewis
23. S. Burgoyne
24. R. Eade
25. A. Collins*
26. D. Pritchard
27. T. Wallace
28. D. Jarman
29. M. Moncrieff*
30. J. Gibson
31. P. Crimmins
32. J. Kennedy Jnr*
33. P. Schwab*
34. R. Greene
35. J. Peck
36. D. Parkin*
37. G. Birchall
38. J. Kennedy Snr
39. R. Simmonds*
40. J. Bohan
41. B. Edwards
42. I. Law
43. A. Martello*
44. A. Mills
45. N. Holland*
46. B. Sewell
47. L. Breust
48. J. Gunston*
49. J. Hendrie
50. I. Bremner*

* are my ins from the OP's list - Out the two Smiths, Croad, Keddie, Salmon, McEvoy, Austen, Albiston and Paul Hudson (who are all great players though)

good effort here this top 50...i'd have lewis and Roughead lower down, i'd have Jarman burger Law and Edwards further up...I'd have schwab and Sewell out of top 50, and Albiston and Salmon to replace them ...i'd also have Hodge at # 5 and Langford further down the list around 20 mark

Pending entrants in top 50 in 5 years
Tom Mitchell
Worpel
Wingard

and a few others hopefully

 

[Dlm888]

Burgoyne is top 10 in my opinion. I've been a pretty avid hawks supporter for the last 20 years and he's the best I've seen. When we were red hot in the threepeat era he was always critical in the big games. You don't get the nickname 'Mr fix it' from the coach for no reason - always makes the right decision, rarely makes a mistake, rarely gets beaten one on one and lays perfect blocks, bumps and tackles. Absolute joy to watch!

 

[Brant]

Burgoyne is top 10 in my opinion. I've been a pretty avid hawks supporter for the last 20 years and he's the best I've seen. When we were red hot in the threepeat era he was always critical in the big games. You don't get the nickname 'Mr fix it' from the coach for no reason - always makes the right decision, rarely makes a mistake, rarely gets beaten one on one and lays perfect blocks, bumps and tackles. Absolute joy to watch!

He’s my favourite current player (with Smitty), but it’s like he’s had 2x careers:

His Port career - where he was one of the league’s best clearance mids; &,
His HFC career - where he ascended to greatness & became an integral part of maybe the best side of All Time.