Would the Allies have been the strongest State of Origin team in the early 2000s?

[Chaisa]

Aren't the Burgoyne's SAussies?

 

[Atomboy]

Western Australian.

back in my box.....

 

[GC2015]

Yeah from the mid to late 90s it was pretty much acknowledged they’d be super-strong. Same old stuff though, even if there was SOO players wouldn’t play - much less for an artificial thing like the Allies.

Here is the second last game the Allies ever played in 1997 where they beat WA at Subiaco. They were missing the reigning Brownlow Medallists in Voss and Hird so they weren't even close to full strength but still beat WA out west. This was obviously a very talented team that was about to get a lot stronger over the next few years with other Allies eligible players like Nick Riewoldt about joining the league shortly after.

 

[just_kick_it]

Aren't the Burgoyne's SAussies?

I though both Burgoynes played footy in Port Lincoln before being picked up by Port in the SANFL.

 

[Seeds]

It's interesting to note an explosion of high end talent from the northern states and territories of Australia in the mid to late 90s. A midfield of Voss (QLD), Buckley (NT), Hird (ACT), Akermanis (QLD) and Crawford (NSW) is quite possibly the strongest of starting five midfielders of all-time. We're literally talking about five Brownlow Medal winning midfielders in the same side and all in their physical peak! I don't know if any team in the history of the game can lay claim to that kind of midfield talent. Even an ultra talented player like Andrew McLeod misses selection for the starting five midfield positions IMO.


The Big V would probably look something like this in 2001:

VICTORIA
B: Damien Hardwick (Ess), Dustin Fletcher (Ess), Joel Smith (Hawthorn)
HB: Brad Sholl (Gee), Ben Graham (Gee), Shannon Grant (NM)
C: Brent Harvey (NM), Brett Ratten (Car), Nigel Lappin (Bri)
HF: Leon Cameron (Ric), Scott Lucas (Ess), Andrew Hickmott (Car)
F: Nathan Brown (WB), Matthew Lloyd (Ess), Brad Johnson (WB)
Fol: Matthew Primus (PA), Jason Johnson (Ess), Chris Johnson (Bri)
Int: Shane O'Bree (Col), Nick Stevens (Car), Blake Caracella (Ess), Peter Everitt (StK)

After more thought, my 2001 Allies team would look like this:

ALLIES
B: Joel Bowden (Ric), Mal Michael (Bri), Jade Rawlings (Haw)
HB: Andrew McLeod (Ade), Darryl White (Bri), Marcus Ashcroft (Bri)
C: Jason Akermanis (Bri), Michael Voss (Bri), James Hird (Ess)
HF: Peter Burgoyne (PA), Matthew Richardson (Ric), Nick Davis (Col)
F: Che Cockatoo-Collins (PA), Alastair Lynch (Bri), Wayne Carey (NM)
Fol: Clark Keating (Bri), Nathan Buckley (Col), Shane Crawford (Haw)
Int: Michael Long (Ess), Paul Kelly (Syd), Lenny Hayes (StK), Nick Riewoldt (StK)

Which team wins?

Mccleod doesn’t miss selection in the top 5 mids.

he is picked alongside Voss in the first two.

 

[GC2015]

Mccleod doesn’t miss selection in the top 5 mids.

he is picked alongside Voss in the first two.

You really think McLeod gets in the midfield ahead of five Brownlow Medallists in Voss, Hird, Buckley Akermanis and Crawford?

 

[Seeds]

You really think McLeod gets in the midfield ahead of five Brownlow Medallists in Voss, Hird, Buckley Akermanis and Crawford?

F*** yeah.

only Hird is the other one up at that level.

mccleod was a more Talented player then Buckley, Crawford and Akermanis.

one of the Greats of the modern era.

 

[BronCrow]

Western Australian.

Born in Mt Isa

 

[BronCrow]

You really think McLeod gets in the midfield ahead of five Brownlow Medallists in Voss, Hird, Buckley Akermanis and Crawford?

Do any of them get in the midfield ahead of a back to back Norm Smith Medallist?

 

[GC2015]

Do any of them get in the midfield ahead of a back to back Norm Smith Medallist?

F*** yeah.

only Hird is the other one up at that level.

mccleod was a more Talented player then Buckley, Crawford and Akermanis.

one of the Greats of the modern era.

I did state the team I listed was based on 2001 form so I'll accept that McLeod would have been chosen in the starting midfield considering he finished second in the Brownlow count that year behind Akermanis. For the record Voss finished 4th, Crawford finished 10th and Buckley finished 11th that year in the Brownlow count. Clearly it would have been a very strong Allies midfield.