The absolute elite of the AFL ....

[Thommo 42]

Simon Black should be near the top of most lists, nyone leaving him out is kidding themselves

 

[Ulittledipper]

Remove Hodge and Cooney and you have a pretty good list there.

Typical from a geelong supporter - one won the Norm Smith over Garry Ablett the other a Brownlow - get over it mate and try to be more objective

 

[Oscarman]

Going off Pumpy's list, if Pendlebury is very close, then Dane Swan must be even closer or already there. Roughead has a fair way to go.

Surely being classed as 'elite' requires at least 3 years in the top 2-3% of all players in the competition.

 

[Ulittledipper]

James Bartel is the number 1 player in the comp and Dan Cross comes bloody close when it come to winning the hardest to win of the hard footy.

That matchup on Friday night was dynamite.

The elites.

Bartel
Montagna
Sewell
Cross
Ablett
Goodes
Hayes
Corey
Mitchell
Swan
Judd

Hodge and Cooney yes for last year but not in 09. Couple unlucky to miss out like Gibbs and Dal Santo but not quite at the top.

If your team doesn't have at least one of those players you should be very worried or hoping for some serious improvement.

Someone who knows a thing or two about footy - the most underated player in the AFL ( I hope it stays that way.)

 

[Papa Juggs]

That list is deadly serious. The hardest fastest ball winners in the league.

What you don't rate Cross because he handballs too often? Still gets the ball out from a pack well enough.

 

[aneale]

Subjective. Absolute elite to me is more than those currently leading their B&F. Anyone who is at that top level ie Ablett and Judd are a given, but clearly Franklin is elite, Goodes is elite, as are any current Brownlow medallists, any current 300 gamers are very much elite (i'll include Edwards in that who at 298 games is close enough and averaging more than 26 disposals a game changing between the middle and forward line in 09).

By teams, based on this season and the previous two:

Adelaide: nil

2007 - Andrew McLeod was the AA Captain, in a team dominated by Geelong players

2008 - Nathan Bock AA CHB

Pretty much all AA's of a particular year are elite.

 

[walhawk]

Mitchell is elite.
Has been our best player over the last 5 years easily.

 

[Jatz]

ablett
mitchell
judd

anyone who said leon davis is kidding themselves. i love what neon leon does but there is no way he is elite

 

[Haggis McHaggis]

I'm guessing very few other than Bris & Syd fans saw Patfull shut Goodes completely out of the game in Rd3. The whole elite phenomenon reeks of script kiddie online culture slipping into popular vernacular as old farts start using the net & try to get hip with the kids.

 

[Headless]

I'm guessing very few other than Bris & Syd fans saw Patfull shut Goodes completely out of the game in Rd3. The whole elite phenomenon reeks of script kiddie online culture slipping into popular vernacular as old farts start using the net & try to get hip with the kids.

'Cause one bad game = not elite.

 

[djudd]

2 only

Ablett/judd
and then a small gap

The usual Buddy/Brown/Bartel/Hodge/Roo/Scarlett/Goodes/

Has anyone mentioned Stevie j=gun

 

[chrisjie]

Elite is a very small class. For me right now:

Ablett
Reiwoldt
Scarlett
Cox
Judd

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Surely Simon Black is closer to elite than J Brown?

Brown's only been AA once hasn't he?

 

[aneale]

I'm guessing very few other than Bris & Syd fans saw Patfull shut Goodes completely out of the game in Rd3. The whole elite phenomenon reeks of script kiddie online culture slipping into popular vernacular as old farts start using the net & try to get hip with the kids.

I've seen Dogga and Shirley do the same thing to Chris Judd. That doesn't make Judd not one of the elite, or Doughty and Shirley elite either.

Either way, anyone who has 2 Brownlows is elite, by any standard.

 

[Tom12]

For 'absolute elite' I'd trim that way way down to :
G Ablett
C Judd
C Reiwoldt

Some older players such as Lloyd and McCloud were absolute elite but are not currently playing at that level.

Who the heck is C Reiwoldt. >_>

 

[Bubba_5]

Top Ten now (in no order):

Ablett
Selwood
Riewoldt
Dal Santo
Goddard
Boyd
Davis
Pendlebury
Judd
Cox

Top Ten if all players are at their best, with no injury concerns:

Ablett
Cooney
Franklin
Judd
Hodge
Dal Santo
Riewoldt
Deledio
Goddard
Cox

 

[sleep]

In no way is Bartel in the absolute elite.

pfft. most complete midfielder in the game

 

[The Hobo]

Top Ten now (in no order):

Ablett
Selwood
Riewoldt
Dal Santo
Goddard
Boyd
Davis
Pendlebury
Judd
Cox

Top Ten if all players are at their best, with no injury concerns:

Ablett
Cooney
Franklin
Judd
Hodge
Dal Santo
Riewoldt
Deledio
Goddard
Cox

I don't think these guys watch any non victorian teams.

Dal Santo? Deledio? Goddard?
All have heaps of potential, and have JUST started to come good, Dal Santo has been quite good for a while now, but definately not elite till this season. Deledio isn't elite even now. Goddard, this season, perhaps.. end of last season.. perhaps.. before that? no way


Plenty of non vic players who are far better

 

[Haggis McHaggis]

I don't think these guys watch any non victorian teams.

Dal Santo? Deledio? Goddard?
All have heaps of potential, and have JUST started to come good, Dal Santo has been quite good for a while now, but definately not elite till this season. Deledio isn't elite even now. Goddard, this season, perhaps.. end of last season.. perhaps.. before that? no way


Plenty of non vic players who are far better

 

[bungee]

I'm guessing very few other than Bris & Syd fans saw Patfull shut Goodes completely out of the game in Rd3. The whole elite phenomenon reeks of script kiddie online culture slipping into popular vernacular as old farts start using the net & try to get hip with the kids.

Hey, us old farts pioneered the net and were using it long before it was cool.
Why do you think it has so much pr0n ?

If elite means never having a bad day then all of the forwards Craig Bolton has shut down this year must be out of contention. You were lucky to get Goodes on a down day. He's still a chance for a 3rd Brownlow

 

[Haggis McHaggis]

Hey, us old farts pioneered the net and were using it long before it was cool.
Why do you think it has so much pr0n ?

If elite means never having a bad day then all of the forwards Craig Bolton has shut down this year must be out of contention. You were lucky to get Goodes on a down day. He's still a chance for a 3rd Brownlow

LoL I'll pay that. Yeah I can accept that the best get shut down from time to time. I just think the whole branding of players as elite is a load of shizen. There's a whole lot of top quality players in the league & I can appreciate they all have fantastic ability that shines some days better than others.

If sustained performance is what's considered 'elite' then how long must said height of form be sustained? If that doesn't matter and it's just raw ability then why is there this little group established where people are really just trying to debate their fave top 5-10 players in the league and knocking players of equally remarkable ability down to some mythical, slightly lesser standing. They all have their strengths & weaknesses. As was said earlier in thread, it's all very subjective and foggy.

Amazed, for instance, that noone has mentioned the likes of Kerr, the Cornes boys, O'Loughlin, Rioli, etc.

 

[legitimatic]

LoL I'll pay that. Yeah I can accept that the best get shut down from time to time. I just think the whole branding of players as elite is a load of shizen. There's a whole lot of top quality players in the league & I can appreciate they all have fantastic ability that shines some days better than others.

If sustained performance is what's considered 'elite' then how long must said height of form be sustained? If that doesn't matter and it's just raw ability then why is there this little group established where people are really just trying to debate their fave top 5-10 players in the league and knocking players of equally remarkable ability down to some mythical, slightly lesser standing. They all have their strengths & weaknesses. As was said earlier in thread, it's all very subjective and foggy.

Amazed, for instance, that noone has mentioned the likes of Kerr, the Cornes boys, O'Loughlin, Rioli, etc.

Cyril Rioli is definitely elite, close to best player in the game IMO.

 

[roostertalk]

Most valuable 3 Players in the league right now

Was having a few beers watching the footy with some blokes last Friday, and I threw it out there that Riewoldt would have to be in the 3 most valuable players in the league at present right next to Ablett and Judd.

Nearly got laughed out of the place and 90% of the blokes that were there reckon he wouldn't sneak into the top 5. Am i deluded, and the only non saints fan who reckons this bloke is unbelievably under rated?

He is just as impossible to stop as Ablett is and I think people underrate how consistent he has actually been for a few years now. I think those tears that time stop people from naming him the champion he is. If he had been in warnambool pub brawls since he was 15, and spoke like he lived in the outback, i think people's opinion might be different.

FWIW i reckon at this point in time the pecking order is:

Ablett
Judd
Riewoldt

Buddy
Cox
Brown

 

[JeffDunne]

Re: Most valuable 3 Players in the league right now

Ablett is probably the best but is he the most valuable?

Geelong would still be contenders if he went down.

Judd in my mind is clearly the most valuable. Carlton would struggle to win a game without him.

Roo is clearly important to St Kilda but I reckon Hayes is equally if not more important.

 

[Can Opener]

Re: Most valuable 3 Players in the league right now

in no order Riewoldt, Brown and Sandilands. Its bloody hard to find a very good ruckmen and forward. Even though Judd and Ablett are the best players in the comp, its not hard to find good onballers