The best "spine" in the history of VFL/AFL

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Luv_our_club

Norm Smith Medallist
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#77
Liking the teams all time spines.

Geelong would have to be top 3 I reckon

FB: Matthew Scarlett
CHB: Reg Hickey
C: Carji Greeves (quite a few options here)
CHF: Fred Flanigan
FF: Ablett Snr

Ruck: Polly Farmer, Ablett Jnr.

Could cheat a bit and put Ablett snr at CHF to slot in Doug Wade.


vomit... Ablett Snr best FF.....

No one thinks that. He would make Best Team ever, but best FF????

And if he played best team ever, they would need to play on certain days and not others, and they would need to pick him when he was in his prime.

Prime Ablett years do compare with the greats.
Non-prime Ablett years - do not.
 

tenderwarrior

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#79
vomit... Ablett Snr best FF.....

No one thinks that. He would make Best Team ever, but best FF????

And if he played best team ever, they would need to play on certain days and not others, and they would need to pick him when he was in his prime.

Prime Ablett years do compare with the greats.
Non-prime Ablett years - do not.
It was a Geelong team, not a best ever.
 

Luv_our_club

Norm Smith Medallist
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#80
It was a Geelong team, not a best ever.
Good point
Good comeback
Good pick up
Good rejoinder
Well said
succinct
correct


I should have noticed that.


What if we indulge my mistake and ask GOAT spine? Ablett Snr?? I can accommodate Ably Jnr, but not my FIRST pick. But I find it hard to countenance Ably Snr.

Note: I don't ordinarily do a lot of countenancing, day to day.
 

tenderwarrior

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#82
Good point
Good comeback
Good pick up
Good rejoinder
Well said
succinct
correct


I should have noticed that.


What if we indulge my mistake and ask GOAT spine? Ablett Snr?? I can accommodate Ably Jnr, but not my FIRST pick. But I find it hard to countenance Ably Snr.

Note: I don't ordinarily do a lot of countenancing, day to day.
Haha.

Ablett Snr not the greatest FF of all time as he only played there primarily once he reached his 30's, but achieved the amazing feat of kicking over 100 goals and winning the Coleman in three consecutive seasons. I would name him on a HFF in a GOAT though, and would be one of the first picked.

For a GOAT spine? I can only comment on players I have seen, which is only over the last 25-30 years, so I dont feel enlightened enough to make the call. I am confident enough though to name Carey at CHF and Lockett at FF.
 

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Ricky Vaughn

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#87
vomit... Ablett Snr best FF.....

No one thinks that. He would make Best Team ever, but best FF????

And if he played best team ever, they would need to play on certain days and not others, and they would need to pick him when he was in his prime.

Prime Ablett years do compare with the greats.
Non-prime Ablett years - do not.
I thought the presence of Fred Flanagan in particular might alert you to the fact I was only selecting Geelong's all time spine.
 
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Moderator #88
Since we're also doing club's best spine, this is Hawthorn's spine from its team of the century:

FB: Kelvin Moore (1970-1984, 300 games, 21 goals, 3 flags, All-Australian 1979)
CHB: Chris Mew (1980-1992, 230 games, 21 goals, 5 flags, Big V 1984)
C: Jim Bohan (1938-1946, 131 games, 145 goals)
CHF: Dermott Brereton (1982-1992, 189 games, 427 goals, 5 flags, Big V 1986, 1989, 1990, All-Australian 1985)
FF: Peter Hudson (1967-1974, 1977, 129 games, 727 goals, 1 flag, All-Australian 1966, 1969)
Foll: Don Scott (1967-1981, 302 games, 133 goals, 3 flags)
RR: Michael Tuck (1972-1991, 426 games, 320 goals, 7 flags, All-Australian 1979, 1983, Big V 1983, 1990)
Ro: Leigh Matthews (1969-1985, 332 games, 915 goals, 4 flags, All-Australian 1972, Big V 1982, 1983)

The best spine for Hawthorn I've personally seen would look like this:

FB: Chris Langford
CHB: Chris Mew
C: Sam Mitchell
CHF: Dermott Brereton
FF: Jason Dunstall
Foll: Peter Everitt
RR: Michael Tuck
Ro: John Platten
 

DanA

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#89
FB: Scarlett
CHB: Jackovich
C: G.Williams
HF: Carey
FF: Ablett Snr
Ruck: D.Cox, Ablett Jnr

Of the players I saw (was too young for Leigh Matthews). Four cats!
 
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