Who are the top 5 key defenders in the comp?

[adammania9]

Pick your 5 from the lot.

1. Alex Rance (indisputable)
2. Jeremy McGovern
3. Daniel Talia
4. Michael Hurley
5. Heath Grundy

Reid, Taylor, Hooker and May all splendid. Tarrant will be top five if he can back up his season with another.

 

[Jeremias]

I think you forgot to include Weitering as an option.

Hard to argue with the top 5 you have put forward, other than perhaps the order.

 

[The_Eagles]

Alex Rance
Jeremy McGovern
Phil Davis
Daniel Talia
Harry Taylor (reputation/runs on the board/incumbent still if there was an Australia national team for me)

 

[Sprout]

Davis would be in my top five. Could well be AA next year.

 

[ManOfClay]

Rance
McGovern
Morris
D. Talia
Taylor

 

[Bokonon_]

Talia
May
Rance
Mcgovern
Grundy

I can dispute Rance. I get his class and run. I selected on the basis of who I would want under under the ball coming into the 50

 

[Mofra]

May underrated. If he played for a Victorian club he'd get far more credit.

 

[juss]

Talia and Rance are the best overall I feel. Talia is the best pure stopper, Rance is the best overall defender including defensive and offensive work.

 

[Supersuns]

May underrated. If he played for a Victorian club he'd get far more credit.

This. The only attention he got out of Victoria is when he cleaned up Stef Martin. He is a genuine star and holds our backline together by himself 99% of the time

 

[Rockstar6]

Talia - Great negating key defender
Taylor - Genuine gun
May - Big brute who can handle the big boys
Tarrant - Held North's defence together all year when they were being bombarded
Grundy - Very under rated his whole career

 

[KissKiss]

May underrated. If he played for a Victorian club he'd get far more credit.

I hate him for how he plays agaisnt us, but would love him to play for my team.

 

[Skipper_]

Current top 5 poll order is as following:

1. Rance
2. Talia
3. McGovern
4. Tarrant
5. Hurley

 

[KissKiss]

Current top 5 poll order is as following:

1. Rance
2. Talia
3. McGovern
4. Tarrant
5. Hurley

That's pretty fair. My only question will be whether the year out of the game hurt Hurley.

 

[scaryness]

Heath Grundy still gets no respect.

 

[ManOfClay]

Heath Grundy still gets no respect.

Played very well on zaine cordy in the grand final. Struggled against the more genuine forward in Tom Boyd

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

May underrated. If he played for a Victorian club he'd get far more credit.

Heath Grundy still gets no respect.

I don't agree with these posts. Both terrific players and I think most acknowledge that. Top five is massive though in a league saturated with excellent key defenders. Really you could make the case for probably 12-15 of those listed in the poll. There's not much separating them; I don't think those two not being named in a top 5 is a disgrace.

 

[Mofra]

I don't agree with these posts. Both terrific players and I think most acknowledge that. Top five is massive though in a league saturated with excellent key defenders. Really you could make the case for probably 12-15 of those listed in the poll. There's not much separating them; I don't think those two not being named in a top 5 is a disgrace.

Nobody said it would be a disgrace, but realistically the case could be argued that May is behind only Rance.
His rebound is superior to Talia, he can play mobile or gorilla, and was playing with a midfield of kids who provided less defensive pressure than anyone except Brisbane's.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Nobody said it would be a disgrace, but realistically the case could be argued that May is behind only Rance.
His rebound is superior to Talia, he can play mobile or gorilla, and was playing with a midfield of kids who provided less defensive pressure than anyone except Brisbane's.

I agree with you, but I think you could make the same argument for a number of others. Hell, Rance is often put up as the clear best in the competition, but I don't even think the gap between him and second- or third-best is really that significant.

I voted Rance, Hurley, Talia, Tarrant and McGovern but on further thought I think I'd put May in over McGovern. Don't think May not being included is a sign that he's underrated though, nor is Grundy not being selected "disrespectful" - more of an indicator that you could throw a blanket over the lot of them.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Heath Grundy still gets no respect.

He was looking cooked in 2015, but came back strong in 2016.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Rance - is clear number 1
Taylor - has been so good for so long, since day 1 really
Hurley
Tarrant - proved me wrong this last season
Davis

 

[jakefooty23]

Rance
Talia
Hurley
McGovern
Hooker

 

[adammania9]

Who are the 14 posters who didn't select Rance?

 

[jakefooty23]

Who are the 14 posters who didn't select Rance?

That is what I was thinking. He is the best by a fair margin in my opinion.

 

[jakefooty23]

How is Hooker only one vote in front of Davis.... he is a much better player (imo)

 

[footyfan1978]

Maybe not a strong era.
Would have thought Barass get a gig in poll as an option btw.