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

John Who

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 16, 2017
8,722
7,093
AFL Club
Adelaide
As a Crows fan, I'd like to see this spine:
FF - Modra
CHF - Tex Walker
Ruck - Rehn
2 mids - Ricciuto + McLeod
CHB - Daniel Talia
FB - Ben Rutten

Overall best spine:
FF - Lockett
CHF - Wayne Carey
Ruck - Dean Cox
2 mids - Greg Williams + Leigh Matthews
CHB - Jackovich
FB - Scarlett
 
Apr 24, 2013
81,024
153,170
Arden Street Hill
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North Melbourne
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Essendon Lawn Bowls Club
Winner. Surprising how few people picked Hudson at FF. For those too young to have seen him, go to wiki and look at his career stats.


98% of people in this joint know nothing about football.

How many people would have bothered to research Laurie Nash?

29 disposals/13 marks @ CHB & BOG in the 1933 grand final. 246 goals from 99 games predominately played at CHB. Kicked 18 goals for Victoria v SA when swung to FF to fill in for an injured Bill Mohr. Back to back champion of the colony in 1934-35.

Jack Dyer rated him the greatest player he ever saw.

The bloke was also a fair cricketer:

"his presence in the team would be a psychological threat to England whether he bowled bouncers or underarm grubbers". - Don Bradman
 
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May 5, 2016
43,454
48,493
AFL Club
Geelong
98% of people in this joint know nothing about football.

How many people would have bothered to research Laurie Nash?

29 disposals/13 marks @ CHB & BOG in the 1933 grand final. 246 goals from 99 games predominately played at CHB. Kicked 18 goals for Victoria v SA when swung to FF to fill in for an injured Bill Mohr. Back to back champion of the colony in 1934-35.

Jack Dyer rated him the greatest player he ever saw.

The bloke was also a fair cricketer:

"his presence in the team would be a psychological threat to England whether he bowled bouncers or underarm grubbers". - Don Bradman

Yeah he was the main player considered when the idea was raised of whether to fight fire with fire during the Bodyline series.
 

John Who

Norm Smith Medallist
Apr 16, 2017
8,722
7,093
AFL Club
Adelaide
98% of people in this joint know nothing about football.

How many people would have bothered to research Laurie Nash?

29 disposals/13 marks @ CHB & BOG in the 1933 grand final. 246 goals from 99 games predominately played at CHB. Kicked 18 goals for Victoria v SA when swung to FF to fill in for an injured Bill Mohr. Back to back champion of the colony in 1934-35.

Jack Dyer rated him the greatest player he ever saw.

The bloke was also a fair cricketer:

"his presence in the team would be a psychological threat to England whether he bowled bouncers or underarm grubbers". - Don Bradman
You can only go according to what you read or witness. It's impossible not to leave out some legends of the game from over 50-100 years ago, simply because most of us were not even born from those earlier eras.
Nice to read up stats of Laurie Nash. Sounds like an athletic freak!
 

BK Eaglesfan

Premiership Player
Oct 6, 2006
4,310
588
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
From players in my time only (could go all time and include Hudson but I'd be guessing the rest).

FF: Jason Dunstall
CHF: Wayne Carey
C: Chris Judd
CHB: Glen Jakovich
FB: Stephen Silvagni

Ruck & Mid: Dean Cox & Leigh Matthews

Looks Eagles centric with three out of seven....but if I hadn't gone Jakovich I would have gone Glendinning. If not Judd, there is an arguable host of players who could reasonably fit here as the thread has already shown.

Cox probably the most contentious one, over the likes of Madden, but honestly believe he changed what was expected of a ruckman and dominated the position for a number of years.

If any of these are to change from the current crop of players, full back is the one that I believe could make a case over coming years if Rance puts in another couple of stellar years.
 

Occidental

Club Legend
Oct 2, 2016
2,385
6,791
AFL Club
Collingwood
Spine
Jack Regan - greatest full back ever
Leeter Collier - Brownlow
Harry Collier - Brownlow
Ron Todd - twice 100 Goalkicker
Gordon Coventry -1299 goals
Ruck
Syd Coventry - Brownlow
Marcus Whelan - Brownlow
Des Fothergill - Brownlow
Pies of the 30's
 
May 10, 2004
24,853
5,687
The Mothership
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Geelong
Other Teams
Pistons/Hammers/Sri Lanka/The Exers
Dench over Scarlett?
My oath. Without Dench there would have been no Scarlett.

Denchy and Geoff Southby were the godfathers of attacking full backs turning the last line of defense into the first line of attack.

The thing about David Dench that makes him the best I've seen - While there have been several full backs in my time who were equally adept at playing a close checking role, or being damaging rebounders, Denchy is the only one who could do both simultaneously week in week out.

Most others I can think of, like Scarlett, tended to be one or the other during a game/season/career. Scarlo was a great one on one FB early on in his career and when occasion required over the years, and retired as one of the truly great rebounding FB's in the history of the game. Rarely did he combine the two roles during a game from week to week.

That's not to say he, and others, couldn't do it. Just that most FB's aren't asked to combine both each week. Particularly in recent years where the emphasis is more on team defense than one on one battles.
 
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Tyler Hodges

Club Legend
Jun 28, 2013
2,155
3,125
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Philadelphia 76'ers
Scarlett
Rance
Cox
Carey
Ablett Snr

Fol: Ablett Jr
Matthews
 
Based on players I've seen (which rules out Peter Hudson as I was born after he finished playing for Hawthorn and Leigh Matthews as I was six when he retired):

FB: C. Langford (Haw)
CHB: Jakovich (WCE)
C: S. Mitchell (Haw)
CHF: W. Carey (NM)
FF: J. Dunstall (Haw)
Foll: D. Cox (WCE)
RR: M. Voss (BL)
 
Feb 9, 2015
4,650
9,169
AFL Club
Geelong
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 Flanagan
FF: Ablett Snr

Ruck: Polly Farmer, Ablett Jnr.

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

Club Legend
Jul 2, 2015
1,658
2,230
AFL Club
Carlton
From today.

J Kennedy
L Franklin
D Martin
A Rance
D Tahlia

Ryder, Dangerfield

Wanted to squeeze in the big Kruez but Ryder is more dynamic.
 

Occidental

Club Legend
Oct 2, 2016
2,385
6,791
AFL Club
Collingwood
98% of people in this joint know nothing about football.

How many people would have bothered to research Laurie Nash?

29 disposals/13 marks @ CHB & BOG in the 1933 grand final. 246 goals from 99 games predominately played at CHB. Kicked 18 goals for Victoria v SA when swung to FF to fill in for an injured Bill Mohr. Back to back champion of the colony in 1934-35.

Jack Dyer rated him the greatest player he ever saw.

The bloke was also a fair cricketer:

"his presence in the team would be a psychological threat to England whether he bowled bouncers or underarm grubbers". - Don Bradman
When Laurie Nash was asked "who is the greatest player you've ever seen?". His famous reply was "I see him in the mirror every morning when I shave".
Love it.
 
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