Article Silvagni not worthy of TOTC full back position.

[hargy]

http://m.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl...tle-known-secret/story-fn8wskg9-1226946216665

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Poor title since Aylett said that doesn't take anything away from Silvagni. He just said they couldn't be considered and he would have looked at those two. That's one panellist opinion.

He also said he doesn't think Silvagni played full back that much, which is straight out wrong. He played on Ablett, Dunstall, Lockett almost every time. Very strong full forwards around in Silvagni's era and the two with the most goals in history rated him very highly.

The fact that he could also play CHB and FF should be another string to his bow, not a hindrance.

 

[Bobby_]

he very rarely played on Ablett until Gazza began playing full forward on a regular basis. Silvagni was never Carlton's designated full back either throughout the 80's. He was almost like a Mackie/Birchall hybrid until he became 'the man' throughout the 90's.
People forget how good he actually was a forward and attacking defender but I never saw Dench or Southby play and I suspect they were the no.1 FB's from almost day one.

 

[hargy]

He was a good fullback when he became one. Someone who kicks 200 goals shouldn't be fullback of the century though.

 

[SJ]

The question has to be asked, why did the VFL/AFL Team of the Century have to be selected from 1996 Hall of Fame inductees?

Or, on the other hand, if Southby and Dench were good enough to be in the Team of the Century, why weren't they inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996?

 

[Gibbsy]

The question has to be asked, why did the VFL/AFL Team of the Century have to be selected from 1996 Hall of Fame inductees?

Or, on the other hand, if Southby and Dench were good enough to be in the Team of the Century, why weren't they inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996?

I reckon it's less of an oversight from the AFL and more just naivety. What we've come to expect.

 

[SJ]

I reckon it's less of an oversight from the AFL and more just naivety. What we've come to expect.

Just goes to show how much of a sham the whole thing was.

 

[royals1922]

Interesting question given that Fred Goldsmith is the only specialist full back ever to have won the Brownlow.

 

[killer]

I remember Gary Malarkey as being as good or better than those 2

 

[Vekgib]

he very rarely played on Ablett until Gazza began playing full forward on a regular basis. Silvagni was never Carlton's designated full back either throughout the 80's. He was almost like a Mackie/Birchall hybrid until he became 'the man' throughout the 90's.
People forget how good he actually was a forward and attacking defender but I never saw Dench or Southby play and I suspect they were the no.1 FB's from almost day one.

Hard for me to not be biased, but after more than 40 years watching the sport, I'd lean towards Geoff Southby.But geez, David Dench was good too.
I would've had either of these ahead of SOS in the original TOTC.
Just my 2c worth.

 

[australianfootball]

For the best part of fifty years, Jack Regan (Collingwood 1930s) was almost universally regarded as the best full back the game has seen. His place was certainly challenged by Southby and Dench in the 1970s, but if the TOTC had been chosen in 1985 instead of 1995 Regan would probably have got the nod, notwithstanding the views of the older selectors.

The situation with the rules excluding Southby and Dench were ridiculous. It makes the selection of Silvagni as full-back, based as it was on probably around 120 games in the position to that time, all the more amazing. But I believe the selection was based only in part on what Silvagni had actually achieved, but also on what he was expected to achieve in the coming years (like Obama's Nobel !). But unlike Obama, Silvagni did continue to overachieve for the rest of his career and thus in hindsight he BECAME a worthy full back in the TOTC.

 

[royals1922]

For those interested there's a picture of Jack Regan playing in the Argus of 13 May 1950 at page 8. Not a great photo but reasonable.