Mike Sheahan's top 50 for 2010

[45HG 1,559]

Mike's top 50 for the year.

Thomas number 9? Honestly?

Riewoldt 10? Kelly/Didak top 20... Interesting. Not an easy job to do, though.

[e25 5]

Daisy at 9? Only 3 places behind Judd??!

Mental.

Good to see he put Green, Chip & the Rush in his 50 though.

Was very satisfying to see Chip above Scarlett.

[Chook 15,023]

It's hilarious to me that people still don't rate Dale Thomas. I'd definitely put him in my top ten players of 2010.

[45HG 1,559]

He is the only player in the top 17, aside from Hayes, to not have made the All-Australian side.

There was almost universal uproar when Hayes missed. Hardly the case with Thomas, who didn't even make the squad of 40.

He's been very good this year, but not top 10 - no way.

Pavlich at 23...behind Rawlings. Pull the other one.

[biggestred 5,237]

mike sheehan wouldnt be in my top 50 journalists...

[titan_uranus 25,174]

Absolutely no way Dale Thomas is one of the league's top 10 players. Not even sure Riewoldt is.

I'd have had Hayes in there for sure.

[Demon16 69]

He is the only player in the top 17, aside from Hayes, to not have made the All-Australian side.

There was almost universal uproar when Hayes missed. Hardly the case with Thomas, who didn't even make the squad of 40.

He's been very good this year, but not top 10 - no way.

Pavlich at 23...behind Rawlings. Pull the other one.

what is Rawlings doing in the top 50?

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

It's hilarious to me that people still don't rate Dale Thomas. I'd definitely put him in my top ten players of 2010.

Yup. Not a star but he gets the job done each week with the occasional cameo. Poofy looks aside I'd almost kill to have him at the MFC.

[Guest grimes4]

Mike's top 50 for the year.

Thomas number 9? Honestly?

Riewoldt 10? Kelly/Didak top 20... Interesting. Not an easy job to do, though.

This is clearly based upon his two grand final performances!

[titan_uranus 25,174]

I'd have had Hayes in there for sure.

Oops, he is, which is good to see.

Sandilands, Didak, Lake and Enright are all better players than Thomas though.

[John Crow Batty 8,880]

Why does anyone bother commenting on a hack journalists opinion of the top 50 players. Its just his opinion. Is he the pope or some higher authority on the matter that must be respected?

[45HG 1,559]

Why does anyone bother commenting on a hack journalists opinion of the top 50 players. Its just his opinion. Is he the pope or some higher authority on the matter that must be respected?

Not by much, but I care more about Sheehan's view of the top 50 AFL players than the Pope's.

I see this as a vehicle to talk about who we view as the top 50 players of the year. Pretty simple really.

[jacey 333]

I see this as a vehicle to talk about who we view as the top 50 players of the year. Pretty simple really.

Which is what the whole idea but general joe blow will still ring up and huff and puff and get angry about mike.

Top 3 looks right.

JSelwood is a little bit overrated. Prob Top ten but Judd, Hodge, Hayes, Chappy are all clearly superior.

Dale Thomas at 9 is a joke. Even Pies fans will recognise that Pendlebury and Didak are better. More closer to 30-40.

James Kelly at 20 is a joke too. The Chris Heffernan, Des Headland, Tim Notting effect. Made to look better by the players around him.

Green and Mundy a tad lucky too.

[Hannabal 4]

It's hilarious to me that people still don't rate Dale Thomas. I'd definitely put him in my top ten players of 2010.

So if one doesn't think that he was worthy top 10 this year that equates to "not rating" him.

Interesting logic.

[Chook 15,023]

Which is what the whole idea but general joe blow will still ring up and huff and puff and get angry about mike.

Top 3 looks right.

JSelwood is a little bit overrated. Prob Top ten but Judd, Hodge, Hayes, Chappy are all clearly superior.

Dale Thomas at 9 is a joke. Even Pies fans will recognise that Pendlebury and Didak are better. More closer to 30-40.

James Kelly at 20 is a joke too. The Chris Heffernan, Des Headland, Tim Notting effect. Made to look better by the players around him.

Green and Mundy a tad lucky too.

Didak is nowhere near as good as Dale Thomas.

[e25 5]

Didak is nowhere near as good as Dale Thomas.

Chook, you've gone and lost your mind again.

[praha 11,253]

Thomas has had a great 2010. That list is based on 2010 performances. He was a great player in a great team. More than worthy of a top 10 place imo.

[Chook 15,023]

Chook, you've gone and lost your mind again.

Maybe. It doesn't really matter, though, does it?

[daisycutter 29,892]

mike sheehan wouldnt be in my top 50 journalists...

Hahaha, that gave me a good chuckle

[volders 22]

Aussie Gun's List on BigFooty is better IMO, I think Hodge is a tad high and possibly Selwood too but otherwise much better than Sheehan's. BTW I think Daisy is definitely top 15-20.

[Deemolition Man 0]

I thought Barlow could have got a cameo on the list. Up to round 14 for the games he did play he clearly smashed it but guessing Old Mikey Boy works it out over 22 games (even if Barlow wasn't playing) then makes his picks. However I personally still think of him as a stand out for the year.

[sylvinator 96]

I think these top 50s are worth looking at. It can be very enlightening as to how many elite players you need to win a premiership... Looking at Aussie Gun's list of best 50 players this season as a rough guide...

Collingwood: 4 in the top 20 (Swan, Pendlebury, Didak, Thomas), including the number 1 player.

Geelong: 4 in the top 20 (Ablett, Selwood, Chapman, Bartel), including 3 in the top 10

St Kilda: 3 in the top 20 (Goddard, Hayes, Montagna), they have a 4th champion in Reiwoldt who is ussually top 5 in the league

Western Bulldogs: 5 in the top 23 (Lake, Cooney, Boyd, Griffin, Cross). Very noteworthy that no players in the top 9 and imo they were not genuine premiership contender

Conclusion: The be a genuine premiership contender, you MUST have at least 4 of the top 20 performing AFL players in the league, including at least 1 in the top 5

MFC:

- a great effort for 3 in the top 50, but Green @ 25, Frawley @ 30 and Jamar @ 42 are pretty reflective of where we sit. We're not going to even make finals until we get 2 players in the top 20.

- Notable missing players this year are Sylvia and Davey, both of whom should be top 30 if they play the entire season fit and healthy.

The real question for everybody, is who will be the 4 players in the top 20 and 1 in the top 5 in our premiership contending team in 3 years time?!

My guess is:

- Sylvia @ 5: big call, but if he can play a full season, fit and firing, in a successful winning team, he should be our didak

- Frawley @10: He is so big, fast, strong and confident in the knowledge that he can smother his opponent and provide run out of defence. Expect improvement every year for next 3 yrs. Our Lake

- Grimes @ 15: If he improves the way I think he'll improve, there's no reason why in 3 years he can't be our Pendlebury. A midfield spot is beckoning

- Scully @ 20: In 3 years time he'll be bigger, stronger and more experienced. His drive for success will se him improve every year, and I see him having a Dale Thomas like season in 3 years

Notable omissions: I doubt Green, Davey or Jamar will be dominating in 2013, they'll all be into their 30s.

Young players who could surprised me: Garland, Jurrah, Watts, Trengove, Morton. All have the talent, will they 'make it' by becoming stars of the comp?

[Hobbits's 17]

worth looking at, but it's not hard producing a top 50. would be interesting to compare it to the Aull Aust squad of 40. he might use that and add another 10 using his previous top 50 as a guide.

green, jamar & frawley were always monty's. pretty sure davey was in the pre-season one.

[John Crow Batty 8,880]

I see this as a vehicle to talk about who we view as the top 50 players of the year. Pretty simple really.

Agree with that. I have worked in the newspaper industry for several years in the past. The cynic in me does not find it difficult to believe that in an exercise like this some players may be ranked in positions that encourage debate and controversy rather than the sincere beliefs of the writer. A good way to generate endless disagreements from readers thus ensuring the writer gets all the attention they wanted. No one can be proven right or wrong in these kind of meaningless exercises that cannot be measured in any rational or logical way.

[The Chazz 4,077]

Mike's top 50 for the year.

Thomas number 9? Honestly?

Riewoldt 10? Kelly/Didak top 20... Interesting. Not an easy job to do, though.

Was expecting you to be jumping up and down saying we should have more players inside the top 50, considering we won 4 1/2 more games this season than last. You were pretty adamant that we should have had more in Sheehan's preseason Top 50.

In regards to the MFC players he selected, I think given the year they had, these blokes deserve their spot in the Top 50. Would think if it were a Top 100 we would have a couple of extra blokes that wouldn't have been in my preseason list. Shows that the team is developing quite well.