Opinion In hindsight, did we have one of the best backlines in the AFL?

[Jelly Bean]

The #1 forward was always gonna get taken by Presti, as he was our best stopper.

Were CHFs like Lucas and Richo traditional CHFs? No, they led up the ground as much as they played the CHF role. The traditional CHB/CHF position isn't what it used to be.

I remember watching a game in 1996 against North when a young, arrogant Nathan Buckley played the CHB role and beat the best CHF in the modern era. That is a midfielder playing the CHB role.

I don't see Clement as ever being a HBFer, or a BP player. He had that CHB title in my books.

I remember that game too with Bucks. I don't see your point. He was the CHB on the day, and he played on the oppositions CHF. That's what CHBs do.

Clement almost never played on tall marking targets. The best two were shared between Wakelin and Presti. If there was a third, they would typically be taken by Cloke (who had a terrific year). Clement played HB or BP almost always, and ended up playing on medium leading / running players or smalls.

 

[Jelly Bean]

And at my fingertips right now, I only have access to 5 games we played in 2002 / 03, and all of them Clement was named in the BP / HBF, and played in the BP / HBF (while Presti and Wakes played FB / CHB). I'd suspect they were pretty representative of most games in those two years.

He was also named by Mick Malthouse at BP in the best side he'd coached, and picked in the AA team in 2005 at BP (the only other year he was picked in the side was at interchange)

 

[Black_White]

The 2011 Grand Final coaching display cost us a premiership.

FWIW, the fact that that back combination in the OP all survived on the list from 2003-2007 says a lot about the pure class we had. All went on to play > 200 AFL games didnt they? Superstar back line, the best I've seen at Collingwood, though 2011 would have given them a run for their money if you include the injured N Brown.

The 2011 backline cost us a Premiership because it went into that game under injury cloud.
The fact that the coach did not react when the injuries came to the fore does not excuse the players from not doing a "Presti".

 

[jmac70]

The 2011 backline cost us a Premiership because it went into that game under injury cloud.
The fact that the coach did not react when the injuries came to the fore does not excuse the players from not doing a "Presti".

The backline wasn't the only line carrying injured players. There were many sore bodies after the Hawthorn prelim. The full story of the courage that our boys took into the grand final has yet to be told. It was a monumental effort to get as close as we did.

 

[Black_White]

The backline wasn't the only line carrying injured players. There were many sore bodies after the Hawthorn prelim. The full story of the courage that our boys took into the grand final has yet to be told. It was a monumental effort to get as close as we did.

And yet not one player did a "Presti" and put the team before themselves?

 

[jmac70]

And yet not one player did a "Presti" and put the team before themselves?

One player can do a Presti, not as many as we had struggling that day. Do you find it interesting that Beams' sacrifice was not heralded by the club? Might give an insight into the quality of the man.

 

[Black_White]

One player can do a Presti, not as many as we had struggling that day. Do you find it interesting that Beams' sacrifice was not heralded by the club? Might give an insight into the quality of the man.

At the time, the quality of the man was great.
Subsequent actions, that screwed CFC over, negated any brownie points built up earlier.

 

[jmac70]

At the time, the quality of the man was great.
Subsequent actions, that screwed CFC over, negated any brownie points built up earlier.

Beams is a front runner. Doesn't want to do the hard yards. He took the easy option.

 

[Black_White]

Beams is a front runner. Doesn't want to do the hard yards. He took the easy option.

Which mostly lead to goals.
And in 2014, that was a rarity for our forward line.

 

[ace andy]

The backline wasn't the only line carrying injured players. There were many sore bodies after the Hawthorn prelim. The full story of the courage that our boys took into the grand final has yet to be told. It was a monumental effort to get as close as we did.

There are always sore bodies from both teams in a grand final. Your kidding yourself if you think Geelong wouldn't have had sore players too. Its very easy to say we were fighting with a handicap without looking at it from the other teams perspective too. I thought we were a great team in 2011 but we just ran into an even better team unfortunately.

 

[Damon_3388]

I don't see Clement as ever being a HBFer, or a BP player.

That's all I ever think of him as, TBH.

Toovey's role, but obviously with better ball use.

 

[Damon_3388]

Brisbane Lions 2001-2004
FB: Chris Johnson, Mal Michael, Daryl White
HF: Chris Scott, Justin Leppitsch, Brad Scott

Marcus Ashcroft also a regular down there

Martin Pike and Nigel Lappin rotated through on occasion too.

Such a rock solid defence.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

I think we did!

Do you guys remember these names in the same backline?

FB - Maxwell, Presti, Wakelin
HB - Lockyer, Clement, Johnson

One of the better kicks in the AFL. One absolute hard nut. Two above-average, unbeatable tall defenders, a star run-and-carry player and the best CHB of his generation.

How good was the mix/blend of this backline, and in hingsight, was it one of the best backlines in the AFL in its time?

The team was great in that 2002/2003 period, but it was definitely built around this defence with a few superstar midfielders.

EDIT: MAXWELL OUT FOR J CLOKE

Lonie in for Lockyer

Cloke Presti Johnson
Clement Wakelin Lonie

It was a very solid backline. No better than any other team that makes back to back GF's though. It was a good ordinary dual GF defense.

 

[mike123]

The 2011 backline cost us a Premiership because it went into that game under injury cloud.
The fact that the coach did not react when the injuries came to the fore does not excuse the players from not doing a "Presti".

Presti had an in form Brown ready to ready replace whilst he had struggled with injury. Reid had was in AA form all year and was in our top 6 players. It was either have Leigh Brown replace him and bring in Wood and I recall Brown playing back a few weeks ago doing poorly, bring in Lachlan Keeffe who has played as a forward up to that point or bring in and undersized Goldsack. All option not that promising. In Presti's case it was almost a no brainer to play Brown, weather in Reid's there qestion marks in every choice.

 

[Jelly Bean]

That's all I ever think of him as, TBH.

Toovey's role, but obviously with better ball use.

No, he was far more important to the team than Toovey. As mentioned, he was somewhat of a backline general. He was given the most dangerous non-key position player of the opposition, and still relied upon to provide a lot of the drive from the backline (including the kick-outs). He was by far the most important player in the backline when he was there. He just wasn't a centre-half back.

 

[Shellz]

Presti. I miss that legend.