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

King Brown

Club Legend
Aug 12, 2017
2,582
3,763
AFL Club
Essendon
Greatest single team spine in my time following footy was the Brisbane Lions. Just fearsome on every single line.
 

RupieDupie

Guru
Jun 30, 2017
4,228
3,499
AFL Club
GWS
I think it would be tough to beat 2 eras.

Michael
Leppitsch
Voss
Black
Brown
Lynch
Keating

Akermanis bloody stiff to miss.

Or Hawks Circa 86

Langford
Mew
Platten
Dipper
Brereton
Dunstall
Dear

The 85 side would have had Matthews in it although it lost to Essendon.

Both had dual Brownlow medallists hawks probably pip them with Dunstall being arguably the greatest FF of all time.

Hard to beat Brisbane circa 2001-2004.
 
Jun 26, 2016
3,057
5,659
Melbourne
AFL Club
Western Bulldogs
2016 AFL Premiership Spine

FB: Joel Hamling (Delistee from Geelong, playing his 23rd game of AFL)
HB: Fletcher Roberts (22nd selected you'd say, playing his 37th game of AFL)
C: Tom Liberatore (Gun mid, first season back from ACL)
HF: Zaine Cordy (Playing his 11th game of AFL and out of position)
FF: Tom Boyd (21 year old KPF, talented but hasn't lived up to expectations, playing his 38th game of AFL)


Ruck: Jordan Roughead (negating ruck, in a breakout season playing out of his skin)
Midfielder: Marcus Bontempelli (20 year old in his third year, albeit a top 10 mid in the league)

If this spine can win a premiership, anything is possible.
 
Nov 21, 2010
13,480
17,328
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Chelsea, Detroit Pistons
Following closely since ~ 2010
1st VII
FB: A. Rance
CHB: H. Taylor
C: G. Ablett Jr
CHF: N. Riewoldt
FF: L. Franklin

R: N. Naitanui
RR: S. Pendlebury

2nd VII
FB: B. Lake
CHB: L. McPharlin
C: P. Dangerfield
CHF: J. Riewoldt
FF: J. Kennedy

R: A. Sandilands
RR: S. Mitchell

3rd VII
FB: D. Talia
CHB: J. Gibson
C: N. Fyfe
CHF: T. Hawkins
FF: J. Roughead

R: D. Cox
RR: C. Judd

4th VII
FB: D. Glass
CHB: M. Hurley
C: D. Swan
CHF: T. Cloke
FF: J. Cameron

R: T. Goldstein
RR: J. Selwood​
 

ess7

Team Captain
Mar 8, 2017
357
547
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
I thought the premise was the team with the best spine? Not just the best players ever in their position lumped together to make a spine that never actually played together? If it's the former then I'd have no idea because my knowledge of footy extends back to about 2005/06 due to my age and most of the greats played well before that

For North anyway.
 

Hawk Dork

Cancelled
30k Posts 10k Posts Zombie Lover BeanCoiNFT Investor
Feb 9, 2005
48,389
43,427
on the road to nowhere
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Hawks
If the team actually had to play a game then I'd prefer Dermott over Buddy at CHF. Controversial, I know but I think he plays better and has more value around other elite talent. In an average team, i'd take Buddy over Dermott. Also, Dermott was more of a traditional spine player than Buddy.
If you were trying to win a GF it would be Dermie every day of the week
 

Fabes

All Australian
Jan 22, 2015
978
1,200
AFL Club
Hawthorn
If the team actually had to play a game then I'd prefer Dermott over Buddy at CHF. Controversial, I know but I think he plays better and has more value around other elite talent. In an average team, i'd take Buddy over Dermott. Also, Dermott was more of a traditional spine player than Buddy.
Brereton over Buddy absolutely. Could take a contested mark unlike Franklin and IMHO had more presence.
 
Jun 11, 2007
34,086
29,320
Victoria
AFL Club
Essendon
Other Teams
Bayern, Milan, Boston Celtics
All time:
Lockett - Full Forward
Ablett Snr - Centre Half Foward
Cox - Ruckman
Hird & Voss - 2 Midfielders
Jakovich - Centre Half Back
SOS - Full Back

Same team any given point in time
Lloyd - Full Forward
Lucas - Centre Half Foward
Barnes * - Ruckman
Hird/Mercuri - 2 Midfielders
Wellman - Centre Half Back
Fletcher - Full Back
*surprised how short Barnes was and he was able to put up decent hit out averages during his era.
 

The Swert

Premiership Player
May 3, 2009
3,508
4,707
Melbourne
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Best of all time?
What about this?

FB: Charlie Dibbs
CHB: Albert Collier
C: Jack Beveridge
CHF: Frank Murphy
FF: Gordon Coventry
Ruck: Syd Coventry
Rover: Harry Collier

That spine won:
4 premierships in a row from 1927-30
3 Brownlow medals
8 B&Fs
6 Colemans
the long standing goalkicking record
Undefeated in 1929's regular season
 
Back