Opinion Our best defender in Modern era

[ChoppyGun]

Sorry all but this list management stuff gets consuming.

So I'd like to ask who have been our best defenders since say, 1970?

I was only born in 1981 so never remember Dench etc.

Top 3, tall or small, and give a reason why?

 

[Passmore]

Sorry all but this list management stuff gets consuming.

So I'd like to ask who have been our best defenders since say, 1970?

I was only born in 1981 so never remember Dench etc.

Top 3, tall or small, and give a reason why?

Dench. Reinvented the position of full back.
Glendinning. Would probably be a midfielder nowadays. Supreme rebounder.
Archer. Hard as *. Underrated skill wise.

 

[ChoppyGun]

I'll start.
1. Mick Martyn. Beat or nullified the very best fwd of all time.
2. Glenn Archer

Glenn Archer

Age

51

Ht

182cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.1

3star

K

9.4

4star

HB

3.7

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

1.8

4star

No current season stats available

D

6.4

2star

K

5.4

2star

HB

1.0

2star

M

1.6

2star

T

0.8

3star

. Tough and played tall.
3. Robbie Tarrant

6

Robbie Tarrant

Age

34

Ht

196cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.5

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

5.1

4star

M

5.3

5star

T

1.8

4star

MG

284.7

4star

D

15.1

4star

K

11.9

5star

HB

3.3

2star

M

4.1

4star

T

1.5

2star

MG

359.3

5star

D

11.0

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.4

4star

. Under pressure for years but steady as and such a cool head.

 

[The Filth Wizard]

I was also born in 1981 and didn't become a North supporter until 1995 (lousy immigant) but for me it was Archer (country mile), Thommo and Martyn.

 

[ChoppyGun]

Dench. Reinvented the position of full back.

Before my time but by all means include

 

[ChoppyGun]

I was also born in 1981 and didn't become a North supporter until 1995 (lousy immigant) but for me it was Archer (country mile), Thommo and Martyn.

Thommo over Tarrant?

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Thommo over Tarrant?

Hell yeah. Thommo is one of my all time favourites. He's got 80 games on Taz (more probably as a pure defender) and was All Australian for a reason.

Tarrant is a clear 4th.

 

[ChoppyGun]

Hell yeah. Thommo is one of my all time favourites. He's got 80 games on Taz (more probably as a pure defender) and was All Australian for a reason.

Tarrant is a clear 4th.

Yep love Thommo too.

But no I'd have Tarrants best over Thommo.

Tarrant should be a multiple All Australian.

 

[ChoppyGun]

Remember small defenders too.

Rawlings a very good stopper

 

[Heaps of fun]

1. Troy Makepeace

Troy Makepeace

Age

45

Ht

175cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.9

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.1

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.8

4star

2. Turtle Harding
3. Jess Sinclair

Jess Sinclair

Age

45

Ht

183cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.9

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.3

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

2.4

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

0.8

3star

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Started supporting in 1993 and Tarrant is the best all around I've seen. I'd love to have seen him take up his post younger and in some of our better sides.

Pickett also sensational, although he could pretty much play anywhere.

 

[ChoppyGun]

1. Troy Makepeace

Troy Makepeace

Age

45

Ht

175cm

Wt

78kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.9

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.1

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

2.2

2star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.8

4star

2. Turtle Harding
3. Jess Sinclair

Jess Sinclair

Age

45

Ht

183cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.9

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

2.3

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

2.4

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

0.8

3star

All goers for sure.

Makepeace especially underrated imo

 

[hilly]

Mighty Mick Martyn
Tazza
Arch

 

[danj]

Archer by a country mile, why? Because he’s still the clubs best defender: stern look

 

[The Filth Wizard]

Yep love Thommo too.

But no I'd have Tarrants best over Thommo.

Tarrant should be a multiple All Australian.

Not really gonna be much of a discussion then with three - can't deny Tarrant, Martyn, Archer and Thompson as a top four.

 

[ferball]

Dench. Reinvented the position of full back.
Glendinning. Would probably be a midfielder nowadays. Supreme rebounder.
Archer. Hard as fu**. Underrated skill wise.

It's hard to argue with this.

 

[Supreme_Chancellor]

Luke Delaney

Luke Delaney

Age

34

Ht

194cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.2

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

4.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

1.9

4star

MG

33.7

1star

No current season stats available

D

9.6

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.8

5star

 

[Hojuman]

1. Dench - changed the game
2. Archer - enough said
3. Mick - took on the monsters. Beat them regularly.

 

[Harpergun]

Perez
Hayden
Bonar

 

[Uber Roo]

I hope Flossy Fairly and Rossy Smith get honourable mentions

Not top 3, but were super reliable in the mid 80s to mid 90s



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Hojuman]

I hope Flossy Fairly and Rossy Smith get honourable mentions

Not top 3, but were super reliable in the mid 80s to mid 90s



On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app

Smith. Henshaw. Gumbleton. Law.

 

[see see]

Dench - skilled, athletic and rarely beaten one on one. He'd be in the conversation as one of the all time best defenders.

John Law deserves a mention - not as skilled as others but as tough as anyone, including Archer.

 

[King Corey]

Chapter 1...

Mick - played in a golden age where every team had a solid (or better) key forward. Not ruckmen playing out of position or 3 metre tall Americans.

In any given week Mick could be facing Gary Lyon, Ablett Sr, Dunstall, Modra, Merrett, Kernahan, Rocca, Lloyd, Brownless, Neitz, Tredrea, Richardson, Loewe, Lockett, Wheildon, Grant et al. All dangerous on their day.

Mick destroyed plenty of opponents before hoofing it 50 metres in any direction upfield in a sort of "get the hell out of here" move. Sure there were times he got beaten - but that was only going to happen when the opposition midfield were at full throttle and his opponent played a blinder. Mick was never going to willingly give his opponent an inch.

Archer - just the complete flank player. Control his man on the ground and in the air and burst out with a short pass to clear the area. Extreme courage and physicality and an exceptional intercept player before it became trendy as well as a 3rd man up spoiler - and not just a spoil but a "kill the ball" type of action.

Just to top it off he could swing forward when needed and turn momentum our way like clockwork. Exceptional player.

Choppy/King - neither probably rated off the charts for minding an opponent but there's a reason we never even had to worry about rebound in the 90s with these 2 roaring out of defence. Each in their own way would just get and go, brutalising an opponent on the way before charging upfield and turning the play our way. Guns.

 

[Harris 10]

1. Dench - changed the game
2. Archer - enough said
3. Mick - took on the monsters. Beat them regularly.

Probably have Glendenning ahead of Mick but it’s hard to argue with your list.

If you want a small to midsize sized defender then it’s hard to go past Blakey.
John Law was also a very good player.

 

[Thewlis Dish]

Choppy/King - neither probably rated off the charts for minding an opponent but there's a reason we never even had to worry about rebound in the 90s with these 2 roaring out of defence. Each in their own way would just get and go, brutalising an opponent on the way before charging upfield and turning the play our way. Guns.

That 1999 side was incredible for small/medium defenders. You also had Pike and Blakey, four tough hombres.