Ranking Each Team's Best Team of this Century So Far....

[Forward Press]

Some years multiple players share the awards.

Rare that a player wins AFL MVP, AFLCA and key media awards.

But yes, usually the best performers win the league wide awards.

Swan won multiple, Heeney ain't got any - might have had a top5 placing in 2024 (his sole peak season of note).

2010-11 Swan was not just the best midfielder in the game, he was the best player in the game.

Collingwood is still ranked in the top handful according to the OP, I wouldn't be offended.

Some forget how devastating Swan was at his peak - sure he accumulated a lot of ball but he could also hurt you with it going forward. I still preferred Ablett Jr at that time, but it was close. And yeah, Isaac Heeney still has a way to go to match it.

 

[Roobs321]

OP not finding room for Jude Bolton

Jude Bolton

Age

45

Ht

181cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.9

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

8.4

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.6

5star

CL

3.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

11.8

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.6

4star

and Mickey O speaks to the strength of that Swans side. Jude I can kind of understand, a consistent performer in the trenches and club great but not necessarily a comp star who’ll rip a game apart like some others in the team, but Mickey O’s versatility and peak (even just contained to 2000-09) I’d find hard to leave out. To be fair, the one day he played in a flag he was uncharacteristically spraying them.

 

[doppleganger]

Collingwood is still ranked in the top handful according to the OP, I wouldn't be offended.

No offense taken with the OP, did a great job.

Some forget how devastating Swan was at his peak - sure he accumulated a lot of ball but he could also hurt you with it going forward. I still preferred Ablett Jr at that time, but it was close. And yeah, Isaac Heeney still has a way to go to match it.

Yes, it appears the Sydney fan has the Heeney goggles on.

2010-11 Swan won all the league wide awards, plus dominated finals...people may prefer GAJ as they include his 07-09 and then 12-13 output where he was THE standout.

Heeney never at that level.

OP not finding room for Jude Bolton and Mickey O speaks to the strength of that Swans side. Jude I can kind of understand, a consistent performer in the trenches and club great but necessarily a comp star who’ll rip a game apart like some others in the team, but Mickey O’s versatility and peak (even just contained to 2000-09) I’d find hard to leave out. To be fair, the one day he played in a flag he was uncharacteristically spraying them.

Yeah, Micky O very stiff.

Would probably put Goodes on wing or midfield and have Micky O in a FP and Heeney up on the flank.

How I view em

Cats - Lions - Hawks the top teams
WC - Syd - Pies next grouping

Which mirrors the actual performance in terms of wins and flags etc

 

[Forward Press]

No offense taken with the OP, did a great job.

Yes, it appears the Sydney fan has the Heeney goggles on.

2010-11 Swan won all the league wide awards, plus dominated finals.


Yeah, Micky O very stiff.

Would probably put Goodes on wing or midfield and have M

Dane Swan was amazing for my fantasy football team so I watched him extra closely, yes he had a fair few turnovers and cheap 1-2s but you can forgive that when he won so much of his own ball. He should even be considered for an AFL team of the century at this stage...

For O'Loughlin, the OP did say longevity took priority over talent and that he did not take into account a player's career before 2000 - he retired in 2009, well before Goodes.

 

[Roobs321]

For O'Loughlin, the OP did say longevity took priority over talent and that he did not take into account a player's career before 2000 - he retired in 2009, well before Goodes.

but you have other examples in OP like Ratten or Woewodin who played less than 70 games for their clubs, or Dunkley already being in the Lions side off 3 seasons. Mickey O played 202, and goaled in every final (27 from 11).

 

[Forward Press]

but you have other examples in OP like Ratten or Woewodin who played less than 70 games for their clubs, or Dunkley already being in the Lions side off 3 seasons. Mickey O played 202, and goaled in every final (27 from 11).

The Carlton and Melbourne teams aren't as successful and talented as the Sydney team post 2000, the OP did have to scrape the barrel on that one.

Fair enough on Dunkley and O'Loughlin then, feel free to address with curnow inferno, maybe just a brain fade, but I do know O'Loughlin played a lot of good games prior to 2000 and the tail end of his career was quite unremarkable.

 

[Roobs321]

I’m not fussed, as I initially said it just speaks to Sydney’s depth that guys like Jude & Mickey O can arguably be left out.

yeah he was great in the 90s! started watching them weekly around the time he broke into the side. Come the early 00s he had a tendency to do a calf or hammy just when he was playing into top form.

 

[doppleganger]

Dane Swan was amazing for my fantasy football team so I watched him extra closely, yes he had a fair few turnovers and cheap 1-2s but you can forgive that when he won so much of his own ball. He should even be considered for an AFL team of the century at this stage...

The cheap 1-2 premise itself is just stupid, it was a knock that many had of GAJ also.

And yes, Swan already inducted into AFL HoF - tends to make the top 15 midfielder lists - but wouldn't be in many best 22s of the 21st century as guys like GAJ, Danger, Judd, Buckley, Voss, Hird, Dusty, Fyfe would edge him out.

Pendles, S.Mitchell, Swan, Neale, Selwood would be just outside the best team.

For O'Loughlin, the OP did say longevity took priority over talent and that he did not take into account a player's career before 2000 - he retired in 2009, well before Goodes.

You wouldn't put MickyO in over Goodes.

It is more that I think Goodes played more of his best footy more in the midfield that is when he won his Brownlows.

So you move Goodes to his more dominant position, and it opens a spot up for MickyO.

 

[PhatBoy]

The cheap 1-2 premise itself is just stupid, it was a knock that many had of GAJ also.

And yes, Swan already inducted into AFL HoF - tends to make the top 15 midfielder lists - but wouldn't be in many best 22s of the 21st century as guys like GAJ, Danger, Judd, Buckley, Voss, Hird, Dusty, Fyfe would edge him out.

Pendles, S.Mitchell, Swan, Neale, Selwood would be just outside the best team.

You wouldn't put MickyO in over Goodes.

It is more that I think Goodes played more of his best footy more in the midfield that is when he won his Brownlows.

So you move Goodes to his more dominant position, and it opens a spot up for MickyO.

The whole ‘1-2’ idea has always made me laugh just in principle. I reckon you could count on a boxing-gloved hand how many players have actually thought mid-play ‘I’ll get an extra touch here for my stats with a give and go by hand passing and then getting the ball back.’ In any possession sport it is a legitimate tactic to try and lose a defender and get him to second guess where the ball is going and buy some space. That’s literally all it is. Player has ball, defender is close by, player gives ball, defender suddenly changes focus to the receiver, player has a bigger gap on defender having usually continued to run, gets ball back and can then continue his advancement of the ball across or up the field. It’s common in soccer, both rugby codes (the run-around play) and AFL

 

[crowman2]

B: Hart, Rutten, lever
HB: McLeod, Talia, Laird
C: Sloane, Ricciuto, Dawson
HF: Gunston, Walker, Jarman
F: Betts, Thilthorpe, Rankine
R: Rehn, Goodwin, Dangerfield
I: K Johnson , S Thompson, Edwards, Smart
Sub: p Davis

 

[Mr Meow]

B: Hart, Rutten, lever
HB: McLeod, Talia, Laird
C: Sloane, Ricciuto, Dawson
HF: Gunston, Walker, Jarman
F: Betts, Thilthorpe, Rankine
R: Rehn, Goodwin, Dangerfield
I: K Johnson , S Thompson, Edwards, Smart
Sub: p Davis

Jarman played 20 games as a Crow in the 21st century.

Rehn didn't play any (Hawthorn 2001-2002).

Gunston played 14.

Davis played 18.

Johnson played 37.

Lever played 56.

Even Smart only played 73.

For past players the minimum should probably be 100+ 21st century games for that club, and current players at least 50 (projected to play well over 100).

 

[RUNVS]

Jarman played 20 games as a Crow in the 21st century.

Rehn didn't play any (Hawthorn 2001-2002).

Gunston played 14.

Davis played 18.

Johnson played 37.

Lever played 56.

Even Smart only played 73.

For past players the minimum should probably be 100+ 21st century games for that club, and current players at least 50 (projected to play well over 100).

Also should be players who played sustained really good football for your club. Gunston never did that for Adelaide.

 

[theasian]

Are people really rating Heeney ahead of Swan?
The surely it's recency bias.
Swan was absolutely dominant for 4-5 seasons.
I think he has four seasons of 25 + disposals and a goal game, and one or two 30+1 seasons.

2009-12 he was neck and neck with GAJ as the best player in the comp.

Heeney has not yet reached that level.

Swan's a player who has been underrated as time passed by

 

[theasian]

No offence to Swan, but at their best Heeney was better.

This is Plain stupid

 

[theasian]

For Swans Nick Smith as BP for the lock down small role and Mickey O' as FP. Jude Bolton

Jude Bolton

Age

45

Ht

181cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.9

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

8.4

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.6

5star

CL

3.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

11.8

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.6

4star

on the bench

Also Ted Richards

Ted Richards

Age

42

Ht

193cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.6

3star

K

6.9

3star

HB

5.7

4star

M

4.5

4star

T

1.6

4star

MG

153.4

2star

No current season stats available

D

5.8

2star

K

3.2

2star

HB

2.6

3star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.8

3star

edges out Grundy for Full Back

 

[RUNVS]

This is Plain stupid

Disagree. Even at his most dominant I always thought Pendlebury was better than Swan, just used the ball better and was more damaging with it.

Swan was a very good player, but I am not even sure he is in the top 5 Collingwood players of the last 20 years.

 

[RUNVS]

For Swans Nick Smith as BP for the lock down small role and Mickey O' as FP. Jude Bolton on the bench

Also Ted Richards edges out Grundy for Full Back

Richards was better than Grundy no doubt, but from a team balance point of view you can't have both Bolton and Richards in the side because neither can cope with the really tall key forwards. Grundy can, so he gets in because of team balance.

 

[PhatBoy]

Disagree. Even at his most dominant I always thought Pendlebury was better than Swan, just used the ball better and was more damaging with it.

Swan was a very good player, but I am not even sure he is in the top 5 Collingwood players of the last 20 years.

That’s because he isn’t. He’s in the top 3.

What a bizarre assessment.

 

[RUNVS]

That’s because he isn’t. He’s in the top 3.

What a bizarre assessment.

Just never saw Swan as that damaging. I always felt he was a bit overrated. I sort of feel the same about Butters and Merrett. Both are high rated by the AFL community in general, but I just never got what the fuss was about. I mean both of them are definitely very good, but they just don't feel like superstars to me, and I felt the same about Swan.

 

[GC2015]

#18: GOLD COAST

Similar to north, a lot of gun youngsters coming through should see these guys climb up this list sooner rather than later.

FB	C.BALLARD*	S.MAY	W.POWELL*
HB	J.HARBROW	S.COLLINS*	A.HALL
C	N.ANDERSON*	D.SWALLOW (vc)	D.PRESTIA
HF	H.BENNELL	C.DIXON	J.MARTIN
FF	B.LONG*	T.LYNCH	B.KING*
RR	J.WITTS*	T.MILLER*	G.ABLETT (c)
INT	M.ROWELL*	D.STANLEY	M.RISCHITELLI - J.O’MEARA
COACH:	DAMIEN HARDWICK*

Thoughts?

Pretty remarkable that you put the reigning Brownlow Medalist on the bench...

No Mac Andrew? Surely our highest paid player ever makes the team...

I'd also have Bailey Humphrey in that team...

How about Izak Rankine? Callum Ah Chee?

Even Flanders should probably get in ahead of a guy like Stanley.

Aaron Hall at half back? There's far better options than that like Dan Rioli, John Noble, Adam Saad.

I'm guessing you didn't put a whole lot of effort into the GC team and just defaulted us to 18th because our lack of finals appearances.

 

[theasian]

Swan was a ball winning and Goal kicking game breaking mid. When they both played together Swan was the number one mid for Collingwood

He won a brownlow and MVP when GAJ was in his prime something Pendlebury never did.

Swan's best was much better than Pendlebury's best Pendles was never regarded as the best player in the comp where as Swan was.

When rating both I will rate Pendlebury slightly higher than Swan because of his longevity and versatility but Swan is comfortably the 3rd best Collingwood player this century so far after Bucks and Pendlebury. Daicos will surpass him when his career ends but not yet

 

[Here we go dogs]

I’d make a few changes to the bulldogs side. The backline is stacked. Lake 2010 and Wood 2015 are possible the two best bulldog individual seasons I’ve seen.

FB: M.BOYD B.LAKE E.WOOD

HB: R.MURPHY D.MORRIS B.DALE

C: L.HUNTER S.WEST R.GRIFFEN

HF: N.BROWN C.GRANT T.DICKSON

FF B.JOHNSON (vc) A.NAUGHTON* J.STRINGER

R: L.DARCY M.BONTEMPELLI* (c) J.MACRAE*

INT: A.COONEY TOM LIBERATORE * A.TRELOAR C.DANIEL*

COACH:LUKE BEVERIDGE*

In:

T.DICKSON - Got in done in finals.
B.DALE - A top line half back for 5 years now. Also a prolific goal kicker for a few years.
A.TRELOAR - Briliant player since he arrived. Capped of with an AA
L.HUNTER - The best out and out winger the club as had this century

Out:

D.CROSS - I don’t think cross is near the best 22. Would have a few ahead of him. Richards and Dunkley in recent years both better.
L.DAHLHAUS - Ditto
ROH.SMITH - I think he was AA in 03 but just dont think he performed in big games. Would have JJ or Gilbee ahead.
D.GIANSIRACUSA - Flakey, didn’t get it done when it counted. Actually preferred the bulldog version of aker. Akers bulldogs football was very good until his final year.

Ive made a few positional changes in addition.

Outside the guys mentioned above, the following are unlucky: Tim English, Barry Hall (Maybe didn’t play enough games) and Liam Picken

Liam Picken

Age

39

Ht

184cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.0

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

9.1

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

4.6

5star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.6

4star

K

4.6

2star

HB

9.0

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

5.6

5star

G

0.2

3star

(Could easily get a run before stringer or Dickson).

 

[Here we go dogs]

I reckon the pies midfield is insane. That midfield probably has 4 players who were the best 1-2 players in the comp at one point in time.

Buckley - 02-03
Swan - 09-11
Pendles - 11-14
Daicos - 23-present

Then throw in Grundy that was the best ruck for 2-3 years.

Even the back up mids like d Thomas, Ross Lyon called the best player in the game at one point.

Hands down the best midfield.

They aren’t as stacked I would’ve thought on some other lines though.

 

[doppleganger]

Disagree. Even at his most dominant I always thought Pendlebury was better than Swan, just used the ball better and was more damaging with it.

Swan had the most dominant individual season - 2010.

AFL MVP, AFLCA and all the media awards, he was the best performed player in the league.

Swan's star burned brighter, Pendles for longer.

Swan was a very good player, but I am not even sure he is in the top 5 Collingwood players of the last 20 years.

If it is only 20 years - 2006 onwards

Pendles and Swan are #1 and #2

Heeney is more your Didak style player.
Although Didak had a 350 kick 40+ goal season, Heeney never done that yet
Didak and Heeney both just once club leading goal kicker (Didak in a premiership year)
Didak and Heeney both only had 2 respective seasons where they had double digit Brownlow votes - Swan 9 and Pendles 12.

 

[UltraEgo]

Disagree. Even at his most dominant I always thought Pendlebury was better than Swan, just used the ball better and was more damaging with it.

Swan was a very good player, but I am not even sure he is in the top 5 Collingwood players of the last 20 years.

lmao

1. Pendlebury
2. Swan

That would be my top 2 pies players of the past 20 years