Top 10 individual seasons last 30 years

[What 18,810]

Hard exercise, I'm sure many will disagree with some selections and on those I did not include. (and no I didnt overlook Woewodins brownlow medal year, Im well aware I omitted it).

 

1.  David Schwarz, 1994 -  Led competition in marks, kicked 60 goals at CHF, dominated the first two weeks of finals. Widely regarded as the equal to Wayne Carey.  And he did it in style.

2.   Jim Stynes, 1991    -   Brownlow medal winner with 25 votes.  AA ruckman  Redefined the ruck position by averaging 26 disposals, 9 marks and chipping in  15 goals.  B and F.

3. Garry Lyon,  1994 -      79 goals, including 10 in a final.  Went into the midfield in numerous final quarters when the team needed  a lift, and he always delivered. All Australian. B and F.

4. David Neitz, 2002  -    82 goals, AA full forward and a rare Coleman Medal for the Melbourne Football Club. Became a great leader and one of the comps best enforcers and most intimidating big men. B and F.

5.  Clayton Oliver, 2017   -  One of the greatest seasons a  teenager has ever played, culminating in a landslide victory in the Best and Fairest. Became the only Melbourne player in club history to average 30 disposals in a season.

6.  Jeff Farmer, 2000 -    Electrified the comp, kicking 76 goals including 9 on Queens Birthday and 8 in the Prelim FInal, helping the Dees into the granny. All Australian.

7.  Garry Lyon,  1995  -  ,Makes it 70+ goals in back to back seasons, and earns his third straight All Australian selection. 

8. Max Gawn, 2016  -  A dominant season, winding the clock back to the days of the great Jimmy Stynes. AA ruckman and polled 16 Brownlow votes.

9.  Allen Jakovich, 1991 -  71 goals in 14 games, it was a record breaking season.  Eight goals in the first final, vs Essendon, eliminating them. Fastest player to 50 career goals. 19 scoring shots in a single game.  Possibly would have been number 1 on this list if he had played even just  a few more matches. 

10.   David Neitz, 1995  -  In just his third season, future skipper David Neitz holds down centre half back with distinction, and is named in the All Australian team.

 

 

[P-man 13,367]

Nathan Jones, 2013 - In a 2 win season, his support in the midfield comprised of a barely interested Colin Sylvia and Jones of the Matt variety. Still, he busted his guts every week giving Demons fans everywhere a reason to keep believing in brighter days ahead. B and F. No All Australian selection. A tonne of respect.

[Little Goffy 14,984]

I'd want to add a nod to Russell Robertson's 2005.

Kicked 73.30 for the season and was absolutely decisive in our last gasp push back into finals.

Round 20 - kicked 7 goals in our1 point win over the Cats

Round 21 - kicked 6 goals in our 4 point win over the Dogs

Round 22 - kicked 4 goals in the 10 point win over the Bombers.

That he didn't get an All-Australian position that year (because they opted for a spare ruck in the forward pocket) is an enduring travesty. I would actually say it was the moment that the AA selectors' credibility jumped the shark.

 

Anyway, a lot of other names that I sifted through were just 'highly respectable seasons' like Brad Green and Aaron Davey in 2010, or Yze and Johnstone who really looked like something special in 2002. Other than that, it hasn't been so much about individual seasons as about consistency, the obvious models being James McDonald and Nathan Jones.

Tell y' what, it's a funny feeling, to look back over these great efforts of the past and realise we could be sitting on something that looks like a bunch of it all happening at once. Touch wood. A lot.

[FarNorthernD 5,863]

Woewodin’s brownlow year was handy.

[Big Carl 333]

Darren Bennett - 1990

87 goals for the year  including 5 great goals to best Essendon from 5 goals down at Windy Hill.

[SFebes 4,884]

19 hours ago, Petraccattack said:

Hard exercise, I'm sure many will disagree with some selections and on those I did not include. (and no I didnt overlook Woewodins brownlow medal year, Im well aware I omitted it).

 

1.  David Schwarz, 1994 -  Led competition in marks, kicked 60 goals at CHF, dominated the first two weeks of finals. Widely regarded as the equal to Wayne Carey.  And he did it in style.

2.   Jim Stynes, 1991    -   Brownlow medal winner with 25 votes.  AA ruckman  Redefined the ruck position by averaging 26 disposals, 9 marks and chipping in  15 goals.  B and F.

3. Garry Lyon,  1994 -      79 goals, including 10 in a final.  Went into the midfield in numerous final quarters when the team needed  a lift, and he always delivered. All Australian. B and F.

4. David Neitz, 2002  -    82 goals, AA full forward and a rare Coleman Medal for the Melbourne Football Club. Became a great leader and one of the comps best enforcers and most intimidating big men. B and F.

5.  Clayton Oliver, 2017   -  One of the greatest seasons a  teenager has ever played, culminating in a landslide victory in the Best and Fairest. Became the only Melbourne player in club history to average 30 disposals in a season.

6.  Jeff Farmer, 2000 -    Electrified the comp, kicking 76 goals including 9 on Queens Birthday and 8 in the Prelim FInal, helping the Dees into the granny. All Australian.

7.  Garry Lyon,  1995  -  ,Makes it 70+ goals in back to back seasons, and earns his third straight All Australian selection. 

8. Max Gawn, 2016  -  A dominant season, winding the clock back to the days of the great Jimmy Stynes. AA ruckman and polled 16 Brownlow votes.

9.  Allen Jakovich, 1991 -  71 goals in 14 games, it was a record breaking season.  Eight goals in the first final, vs Essendon, eliminating them. Fastest player to 50 career goals. 19 scoring shots in a single game.  Possibly would have been number 1 on this list if he had played even just  a few more matches. 

10.   David Neitz, 1995  -  In just his third season, future skipper David Neitz holds down centre half back with distinction, and is named in the All Australian team.

 

 

No Woewodin in 2000?

[Nasher 33,686]

1 hour ago, SFebey said:

No Woewodin in 2000?

Intentionally omitted, ala the first paragraph. I took it as a cue not to bother reading any further.

[IvanBartul13 2,564]

19 hours ago, P-man said:

Nathan Jones, 2013 - In a 2 win season, his support in the midfield comprised of a barely interested Colin Sylvia and Jones of the Matt variety. Still, he busted his guts every week giving Demons fans everywhere a reason to keep believing in brighter days ahead. B and F. No All Australian selection. A tonne of respect.

Is statistically one of his lesser years and had Colin Garland not missed a game through injury he would have won the best and fairest in one of the worst editions of the award in the club history.  Wouldn't be in the top 100 individual seasons.

[What 18,810]

48 minutes ago, Nasher said:

Intentionally omitted, ala the first paragraph. I took it as a cue not to bother reading any further.

It was a very good year but overrated.  The midfield was deep but very even, he was one part of that machine.  Dont rate his season any higher than Rigoni, leoncelli or Powell.

Didn't even make the AA team (and rightly so).. Averaged a very low disposal count, lowest ever for a Brownlow medal winning midfielder.   Basically he stole the medal.

Would easily take any of the 10 seasons I listed ahead of it.  

 

[What 18,810]

2 hours ago, Big Carl said:

Darren Bennett - 1990

87 goals for the year  including 5 great goals to best Essendon from 5 goals down at Windy Hill.

Yes that was one of my honorable mentions (which I  forgot to list.)... in fact it was the first one.   Great season. 

 

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,525]

1995 was an amazing year for Neitz, but I believe it’s something of an urban myth that he was rewarded with All Australian selection whilst playing at center-half-back.

In the absence of Schwartz, Lyon and Jakovich, Neita played 1995 at centre-half-forward, with occasional pinch hitting in defence.

He kicked goals/behinds in 18 out of his 22 matches and pulled in a pretty handy 140 marks for the year.  He played his early years in defence so the story goes that he was AA as a defender and a forward... truth be told, he was a two time AA forward.

[praha 11,274]

1 hour ago, Nasher said:

Intentionally omitted, ala the first paragraph. I took it as a cue not to bother reading any further.

His season was good. Not great. IMO none of the mentioned should be replaced in favour. Oliver had a better 2017 than Woewodin did 2000.

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,525]

I think Todd Viney’s 1998 often flies under the radar.  Captain, All Australian and Best and Fairest in a year we went from wooden spoon to the preliminary final.  

He was an absolute beast that year and single handedly dragged us over the line in several games.  Should comfortably sit about halfway down that list.

[What 18,810]

52 minutes ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

1995 was an amazing year for Neitz, but I believe it’s something of an urban myth that he was rewarded with All Australian selection whilst playing at center-half-back.

In the absence of Schwartz, Lyon and Jakovich, Neita played 1995 at centre-half-forward, with occasional pinch hitting in defence.

He kicked goals/behinds in 18 out of his 22 matches and pulled in a pretty handy 140 marks for the year.  He played his early years in defence so the story goes that he was AA as a defender and a forward... truth be told, he was a two time AA forward.

You are right...  I forgot to mention all the goals he kicked that year.

To be honest I had forgotten he had pinch hit as a backmen, while playing forward.  Thought it was the other way around.

Was a superb season.

[SFebes 4,884]

3 hours ago, praha said:

His season was good. Not great. IMO none of the mentioned should be replaced in favour. Oliver had a better 2017 than Woewodin did 2000.

Not great? He won the F-ing Brownlow FFS! He was judged the best player in the league that year.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,137]

18 hours ago, goodoil said:

Is statistically one of his lesser years and had Colin Garland not missed a game through injury he would have won the best and fairest in one of the worst editions of the award in the club history.  Wouldn't be in the top 100 individual seasons.

If you add in the mental strength required to play with the consistent commitment that he showed in possibly the worst VFL/AFL team of the last 50 years, I'm happy to have him in the top 10.

[poita 3,948]

Sorry, but Woewodin was absolutely elite in 2000. Yes, it was a deep midfield, but he was definitely the star performer.

Best & fairest winner in a GF team, to say nothing of the Brownlow. Even before the Brownlow was awarded, it was a disgrace that he was not All Australian - the Brownlow only emphasised it.

There is far more to impact than mere disposals.

[Forest Demon 4,681]

Through the dark years, Nathan Jones has been consistent, but no stand out year that belongs in the top 10.

I would say Frawley's AA year would be the only one in consideration. He was unbeatable that year.

[Deespicable 2,886]

Given your criteria is the best seasons of the past 30 years I will exclude Gerard Healy's 1985 season which was simply amazing and sadly we did an Adelaide and altered our B@F votes that year because of his Sydney move.

Like you I couldn't fit Woey into the top 10 and our midfield batted pretty deep that year. I cheated with No.10 and would hope that Olly's best years are ahead of him even though he was mega handy this year. Apologies to Brad Green and Chip Frawley on 2010 when they had exceptional years/

1. Garry Lyon 1990 - the lynchpin of Northey's side as he switched roles from forward to defence to save games or had a run on ball. And up until then, he was injury free pretty well apart from his 1987 broken leg. In 1990 he even carved up Gary Ablett. All subsequent years he was impeded a bit by injury and was forced to play full-forward to limit his body destruction. 

2  Jim Stynes, 1991    Agree with this as it was his Brownlow year and he was clearly the best ruckman in the game at the time and his fitness was extraordinary.  Plenty of other good years, but this was the one where the whole league took notice.

3.  David Schwarz 1994 -  Led competition in marks, kicked 60 goals at CHF, dominated the first two weeks of finals. A few regarded him as the equal to Wayne Carey. Schwarter was more flamboyant and had a bigger leap, but Carey, regardless of the field antics, was a superstar enforcer - hence why North won flags and we didn't.

4 Alan Johnson 1989 - Came back from two hamstring-riddled seasons and turned his new role of back pocket into a weapon. Tagged throughout our finals campaign, such was his impact.

5 Todd Viney 1998 - He had many fine seasons with the occasional hamstring tear, but he became our enforcer in the middle and whenever he missed a game, we lost.

6 Sean Wight 1987 - While Stretcher provided the long precise kick and Grinter the hard edge, Wight and his gung-ho attack on the contest was a main reason for us emerging into a force that year -  ending our 23-year finals drought. 

7 David Neitz 2002  -    82 goals, AA full forward and a rare Coleman Medal for the Melbourne Football Club. Became a great leader and one of the comps best enforcers and most intimidating big men. B and F. His Luke McCabe bump in Rd 1 was the defining moment.

8. Max Gawn 2016  -  A dominant season, winding the clock back to the days of the great Jimmy Stynes. He's still got a way to go to match Jimmy, but he could be the best marking tapman since Gary Dempsey. Hopefully not a one-season wonder!

9 Nathan Jones 2014 - First year under Paul Roos and he took his game up a notch, becoming an elite ball-mover. His game on Marc Murphy in our upset win against Blues was a season highlight.

10.  Allen Jakovich 1991 / Jeff Farmer 2000 -   Both electrifying and crowd favourites and like almost all forwards, prone to running hot and cold and incurring the wrath of the tribunal. 

[Deemania since 56 6,814]

Other than both his running and attach on the ball, it's good to see Deespicable mention the talents of Sean Wight. Impossible heritage, unstoppable player. 1987 was just one of his big years. He made many a player look good with his initiating foot passes over great distances. Grinter's passing up the field can never be ignored, either. He was just superb at finding a team mate's space to mark with a kick deliberated 50m upfield.

[jumbo returns 6,745]

Steven Tingay in 1994 had an amazing year

Big, strong, great kick and fast

 

[RalphiusMaximus 6,112]

On 11/4/2017 at 7:28 PM, Little Goffy said:

I'd want to add a nod to Russell Robertson's 2005.

Kicked 73.30 for the season and was absolutely decisive in our last gasp push back into finals.

Round 20 - kicked 7 goals in our1 point win over the Cats

Round 21 - kicked 6 goals in our 4 point win over the Dogs

Round 22 - kicked 4 goals in the 10 point win over the Bombers.

That he didn't get an All-Australian position that year (because they opted for a spare ruck in the forward pocket) is an enduring travesty. I would actually say it was the moment that the AA selectors' credibility jumped the shark.

I totally agree.  Robbo was seriously underrated because of a lack of defensive effort, but he carried the forward line for years.