It's easy to overlook a ruckman when considering midfielders but Jimmy was a brilliant ruck rover with massive endurance. He rucked unassisted for almost 10 years and picked up heaps of possession and kicked quite a few goals.

He's my number one followed by Viney at 2 and Stinga at 3 (what a shame we didn't see more of him).

Thats a good call , big Jimma was as mobile as many smaller players

None.

Stinga could have got to a elite level.

Viney had the desire and heart (like Kirk of Sydney)

Woey was good but once tagged was very average

the rest were decent or workmanlike.

1. Viney - underated, but a genuine star!

2. Yze - May have been an outside mid, but in his prime, was an elite kick, and very dangerous player

3. McDonald - true warrior of the club, and has given his all for the MFC

All terrific players, but is it any wonder supporters are screaming for a Scully at the club!

3. Woewodin - 138 games, 00 brownlow, very good in 98, 99 & 02 also. We wont mention 01.

2. Tingay - crippled by injuries otherwise would have been even better.

1. Viney - great tough player whom we still miss today.

2. Tingay - crippled by injuries otherwise would have been even better.

3. Tingay - agree with TDs comment if he and the OX had not had injuries I may have seen a premiership cup by now.

2. Viney

1. Grimes (just pre-empting greatness)

Todd Viney

Steven Tingay

Brett Lovett

This is a great topic! Before Flower retired, Gerard Healy played a couple of great seasons as ruck-rover (1984 beat Peter Moore for the B&F in the year he won the Brownlow, and then had another great year in 1985 when he probably should have won the B& F but then went to the Swans). Prior to that he had been a forward. Brian Wilson was a top player, although injury prone and individualistic. Sharp around goals, he was quality. Our Northey coached teams had really workmanlike midfields - guys like Bret Bailey, Dean Chiron,Greg Healy, Graeme Yeats on a wing, Stretch (who was a classy player but much maligned for jumping out of Dipper's way in the 88 GF). Alan Johnson originally played midfield (wing/on-ball) and won a B&F in that position before later in his career moving to defence and winning another B&F. After Flower, I thought Andrew Obst was a whole hearted player and I really rated Leoncelli and Powell but for me, the best three on ballers since Flower have been Tingay, Viney and Glenn Lovett. Tingay had a brilliant 1994 - the reason why he was so heavily courted by Fremantle. His 98 season was also exceptional. No coincidence we made prelim finals in both of those years. Viney was a great workhorse and became a very good AFL player and Glenn Lovett had a really sharp footy brain and was cruelled by injury.

scully

scully

scully

Reading this topic makes me want to jump into a bathtub with a toaster

Mind you, it could be worse, we could be talking about our best defenders!

This is the main problem at the MFC. Midfield is where games are won and lost, and we havent had a star midfielder in decades. We are probably the only team not to have had one! It highlights that we NEED to get Scully.

My top 3:

1. Tingay - Could've been a star, but injuries robbed us of that. I was young, but I still remember the long blond hair and my dad raving about him and how hard he worked.

2. Travis Johnstone - I'm a TJ fan. I know this site mostly just criticize him, but in my adult life watching footy, he has probably been the most talented Melb player I've seen. If his head was right, he'd have won a Brownlow and been considered one of the players of the decade. Unfortunately he was inconsistent, and it is telling that a player who amounted to what is widely regarded as a disappointing career at Melbourne can still comfortably be seen as one of our best.

3. Viney - tough as [censored]. He gave his all and was a great leader. I remember people just bouncing off him and those chunky arms firing off handballs out of packs. Hope his son is just as good in a few years

Honourable mentions to:

Yze - great outside mid for us for a long period of time. Most just knock him due to his later years, but he was an AA wingman and deservedly so. His rebounding and kicking skills were fantastic, and he was also a goal kicking mid.

Woewodin - Our only Brownlow winning midfielder of the last 20 years cant be left off the list. He played a few really good years for us, and then just faded away really quickly. He probably holds the record on here for most threads also

Todd Viney was no slouch, once he got over his hammy problems..GET HIM BACK AS A COACH. Look how much the Froot Loops have improved this year & Hawthorn have Fallen. Get Viney Back....

I agree! Viney was extremely popular with the playing group at Melbourne and IMHO was our best midfielder in recent decades (then Tingay and Obst).

I well remember during one of those Sunday football shows, Sam Kekovich saying that pound for pound Tod Viney was the best player in the AFL.

And I remember no one disagreeing with him.

The combination of Viney and Jeff White in 1998 was magic.

Viney and Stynes were (I think) good mates - Get him back Jimmy, get him back!!!!!

Edited July 17, 200916 yr by discworld demon

The combination of Viney and Geoff White in 1998 was magic.

Great ruckman was our Geoff!

1) Tingay

2) Viney

3) G Lovett (sadly played 2 games from 1998 - 1999)

Special mention to Stephen Powell. Was sensational for us in 2000 and 2002. Was a high possession getter, tough, generally used the pill well and most importantly was a goal kicking midfielder. Who could forget his 2000 finals series - 4 goals V's North and then 3 goals V's Essendon in the Gf.

After the Flower era

Viney

Tingay

Lovett

Brief discussion from H in the Scully stats thread got me thinking about who has been our best midfielders over the last twenty years (plus I reckon I need to stop yapping on about priority picksl). Robbie has been our most recent champion so the guidelines are pick your three best midfielders you've seen since he graced the members wing. Doesn't matter what method you use to judge them, be it stats, skill or heart, just give a reason for your decision.

Third, in my opinion, is Glenn Lovett. Only played 127 games, his career decimated by lower back/hamstring problems. 1992 & 93 were his standout seasons. Great link player, could win his own ball, run all day and good disposal. He's the sort of player that we're currently desperately needing. Touch of calm class about him.

In second I've got Stephen Tingay. 162 games. Stinger in top flight was elite, he was an impact player, loved the physical side of his game and had a great long kick. Sadly he never recovered after his girlfriend at the time accidently pushed him through a glass sliding door. If he and Glenn Lovett had of managed to stay injury free then who knows what we could have achieved in the last 90's.

My standout midfielder is Todd Viney. 233 games. Not the best kick (far from it), nor the best handball or mark, but what he lacked in class he made up in spades with pure heart and determination. Our last genuine onfield leader. Phillipousos (or however you spell the gooses name) you blew it big time.

Apologies to Brian Wilson, A.Obst, S.Woewodin & Sugar Healy.

If your memory is a bit hazy try this link

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/alltime/melbourne.html

I think Tingay actually went through that plate glass window early in his career.

Viney

Tingay

Yze

Viney

Tingay

Lovett.

TJ was better than all - When he wanted. Unfortunately.

Viney

Tingay

Lovett.

TJ was better than all - When he wanted. Unfortunately.

However, to be rated you have to be consistent and TJ was anything but!

Viney's other quality was - natural leadership, he had loads of it.

The few times TJ put it together he was sublime. But unfortunately such times were rare. A pity!

1 Stinga. Even moreso had he not been tragically injured. 2 sided skills were superb.

2 Toddy. Less skilled but an absolute bullish champion of the Dees.

3 AJ (Not Jarrott or Jakovich) but a wonderful centreman/wingman who also starred at 1/2 back later in his time.

I would loved to have seen a centreline of Flower, Viney & Tingay play together for a number of years!

Flower finished in '87. Those picking Alan Johnson and Brian Wilson aren't taking into consideration the OP's timeline.

Based purely on impact on game on their best day:

1. S Tingay.

2. T Johnstone.

3. G Lovett.

It's a pretty depressing thread. I reckon we may be the only team of the last 20 years to not have an elite midfielder! Let's hope Scully or whoever we pick up turns out to be that player, because lord knows we need one if we're going to win a flag down the track.

It's a pretty depressing thread. I reckon we may be the only team of the last 20 years to not have an elite midfielder!

Steady on. Its not all doom and gloom.

Whilst he played mostly off half back, Yze had a 4-5 year period where he was constantly in the running for AA honors. It amazes me how people forget just how good he was in his prime. Should have made it AA 2-3 times IMHO.

Also, Tingay was an elite wingman. The standout at the time was Matera who had everyone covered (once in a generation player) but Tingay was as good as anyone else after that. If not for some luck with injuries could have been a great of the club.

After that the cupboard is a bit bare so we do struggle for numbers compared to other clubs (so u do have a point!).

Viney had 1 elite season where he secured AA but he didn't have a sustained run though he was a fine player and captain. Even in his brownlow year Woewodin was towelled up by Hird and Kouta when he played on them and you wouldn't call him elite anyway (albeit he was a quality player). G Lovett was good but probably never going to be elite (we'll never know though sadly) and I can still dream that Trapper will turn into the gun he should be some day.

I agree we have had quality players Sentra, and I listed all the players you mentioned in my initial post in this thread.

BUT, none of them were elite IMO. You wouldnt say any of them were amongst the top echelon of players in the league would you? Not meaning to discredit them, as they were all great players and club champions who we all love, but what it does highlight is our lack of quality midfielders over the last 20 years and currently. We may already have one on our list in Grimes, Morton, Sylvia etc. Football is a game won and lost in the midfield, and we havent had the quality to get us there in my lifetime. I'm hoping we do in the future though! Good god I want to see a red n blue flag!!!

Viney

Tingay

Lovett.

TJ was better than all - When he wanted. Unfortunately.

im with most.Tingay was the package,courage,brilliant by hand and foot,could carry the ball and kick it 50 and magnificent overhead.viney was a bull,a Sammy Mitchell clearance king.

ifs suck but Shwartz was closing on carey when his knee went.neitz was a gun centre half back ,better than jakovich.with lyon,schwartz and Tingay able to garner a little more luck we would have a flag.im glad people remember the absolute package Tingay was.

Brief discussion from H in the Scully stats thread got me thinking about who has been our best midfielders over the last twenty years (plus I reckon I need to stop yapping on about priority picksl). Robbie has been our most recent champion so the guidelines are pick your three best midfielders you've seen since he graced the members wing. Doesn't matter what method you use to judge them, be it stats, skill or heart, just give a reason for your decision.

Third, in my opinion, is Glenn Lovett. Only played 127 games, his career decimated by lower back/hamstring problems. 1992 & 93 were his standout seasons. Great link player, could win his own ball, run all day and good disposal. He's the sort of player that we're currently desperately needing. Touch of calm class about him.

In second I've got Stephen Tingay. 162 games. Stinger in top flight was elite, he was an impact player, loved the physical side of his game and had a great long kick. Sadly he never recovered after his girlfriend at the time accidently pushed him through a glass sliding door. If he and Glenn Lovett had of managed to stay injury free then who knows what we could have achieved in the last 90's.

My standout midfielder is Todd Viney. 233 games. Not the best kick (far from it), nor the best handball or mark, but what he lacked in class he made up in spades with pure heart and determination. Our last genuine onfield leader. Phillipousos (or however you spell the gooses name) you blew it big time.

Apologies to Brian Wilson, A.Obst, S.Woewodin & Sugar Healy.

If your memory is a bit hazy try this link

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/alltime/melbourne.html

i have tried to read all the replies to this and thus far have not seen one jimmy stynes.a revolutionary tall ruck rover who was the bolster we needed in an other wise generic mid field.he may have jumped at the centre bounces but he was as much a mid fielder as glenn lovett and todd viney.