Mine don't come out till near the end of the month but this is how this week's edition of Inside Football ranks MFC's top 30"-

1. J. White

2. D. Neitz

3. B. McLean

4. T. Johnstone

5. N. Carroll

6. J. Rivers

7. C. Bruce

8. R. Robertson

9. B. Green

10. J. McDonald

11. M. Whelan

12. B. Pickett

13. A. Davey

14. M. Jamar

15. B. Holland

16. D. Ward

17. N. Jones

18. A. Yze

19. B. Moloney

20. D. Bell

21. C. Sylvia

22. C. Johnson

23. C. Bartram

24. B. Miller

25. M. Bate

26. L. Dunn

27. P. Wheatley

28. N. Brown

29. S. Godfrey

30. R. Ferguson

This is sure thing to be a hotly debated topic over the weeks to come as round 1 and the first team selection near.

Also interesting to note how many of our highly regarded players have missed out either or both of the Nab Cup and last weekend's practice match.

It's the usual fluff list you'd expect to see from people viewing the club from a long distance away without watching any footy or doing any real analysis. Jeff White at #1? Please. And if Daniel Ward is a more important player than Nathan Jones them I'm a... you get the drift.

is this a stats based list or a person perception of how valuable a player is?

Ward ahead of Jones???

Yeah, a fairly bogus list, but I kind of feel for the people who have to write these things for the Dees. It's not like it's easy. The demons best players varied from week to week last year (except for one or two), and there's probably any one of ten that have legitimate claim to being the most important on their day on the right ground.

White's not the correct pick for mine, but he's not all that far off. In a sense I worry more about losing him because I just don't reckon we have a proper backup. Even if in that scenario MJ can play well, HIS backup would be a problem. In other cases, for example Neita, Trav, Brock there are experienced or talented players who can step in and at least pick up SOME of the slack. As far as Jeff's selection here is concerned, you couldn't blame an outsider for thinking his form will govern the team's form moreso than any other player.

PS Bate WAAAAY higher, Bell higher too.

I'm guessing "importance" is most needed to be playing well to win a flag, in which case I can't disagree with the top three.

After that I'd have a few ahead of Daniel Bell (namely Bate and Dunn). Jones and Holland would be higher as well.

These lists are usually a load of crap anyway.

FB M. Whelan N. Carroll D. Bell

HB J. Rivers B. Holland C. Johnson

C T. Johnstone C. Bruce N. Jones

HF B. Green ???? B. Pickett

FF R. Robertson D. Neitz A. Davey

R J. White B. McLean J. McDonald

I M. Jamar C. Sylvia D. Ward B. Moloney A. Yze

Interesting that if you take out 'best 22' and put it into a team what do we lack...a CHF! and also probably an extra tall on the bench. We have 3 tall backs, 2 tall forwards (incl. robo), a back up ruckman, plenty of midfield depth, a couple of running half backs but we're still short a forward. i have put yze on the bench and started jones on the wing. i think he deserves it more but it is much of a much-ness, they will play running rolls, or yze will rest forward.

Davey at 13????

He's a top 10 in my book!

Davey 13? What the hell

And White number 1?

Wow

What a crap list

Davey 13? What the hell

And White number 1?

Wow

What a crap list

Yes I think they're both high.

Yes I think they're both high.

I take it you're not a fan of Davey, Old.

While Davey has sublime skills, he has yet to show that he can demonstrate these skills at the highest intensity....finals football. Its a question mark that hangs over him until he performs at this level. If he can demonstrate his skills and make an impact in September at that level his importance will rise.

While I do not agree with the order I think the top six fit and in form are absolutely crucial to our success this year. If one or more is out of form or injured then we will be very exposed. I think Bruce at 7 is an interesting one. If we are to be a serious tilt at the flag, Bruce will need to be in Brownlow form for the whole year and kick better too.

All that said some of the ordering of the players is odd.

Bate, Jones, Beamer CJ and Dunn will be higher than Ward after Rd 1.

No PJ either in the 30.

The real top 10

1. D. Neitz

2. B. McLean

3. T. Johnstone

4. C. Bruce

5. J. Rivers

6. N. Carroll

7. Davey

8. J. White

9. J. McDonald

10. M. Whelan

yeah i was surprised to see white number 1 as well

id go with Yze Magics list and i dont think holland is 15, more 20 , godders should of been higher

Seen the SEN Ad on the back cover of the last week's Issue No.1179 21-27 Feb Inside Football?

That's almost more beautiful than Jennifer Hawkins in the buff.

I think they are ranked in importance to the team. White is our number 1 ruckman and a valuable asset to the team.

I don't understand all the fuss about White being our most important player. If White got injured it would the biggest possible blow for us, as there is no adequate replacement. Jamar can wins hitouts but can't find the footy around the ground. White is irreplaceable. Neitz is also up there, but as we saw at the end of 2005, Robbo can fill in at full forward and do a decent job.

My top 10:

1. White

2. Neitz

3. McLean

4. Carrol

5. Whelan

6. Davey

7. McDonald

8. Johnstone

9. Bruce

10. Green

McLean and McDonald are our only 2 proven inside midfielders.

Davey is so important because without him the ball is cleared way too easily out of our forward line.

Carrol is clearly the number one full back.

TJ, Bruce and Green are important outside midfielders who we need to be playing well to add that extra polish and class.

Whelan has taken over from McDonald as the most underated player in the team. He is one of the best small defenders in the game and is rarely beaten, while still managing to give us drive out of the backline.

I don't have any objections to the list per se as it is only the view of an impartial view of an outsider. Mind you a bloke that has only played 8 games for the club ranked a bloke that has played 200 odd is a damning indictment.

Seen the SEN Ad on the back cover of the last week's Issue No.1179 21-27 Feb Inside Football?

That's almost more beautiful than Jennifer Hawkins in the buff.

you wanna run that past me again?

Seen the SEN Ad on the back cover of the last week's Issue No.1179 21-27 Feb Inside Football?

That's almost more beautiful than Jennifer Hawkins in the buff.

Now that I've seen the back page in question Old I've become very worried about you. I appreciate that the sight of three distraught (and fully clothed) Collingwood supporting females in a disturbed state after a Collingwood defeat would warm the cockles of most Demon supporters' hearts but - and pardon the political incorrectness - "more beautiful than Jennifer Hawkins in the buff"????

You have got to be kidding!

Considering Demons supporters on this board can't even agree on whether certain players had a great game or a shocker in any given match, I think it's a good effort.

White may struggle against the very best rucks in the comp these days, but if he falls over we're in big trouble.

It's the usual fluff list you'd expect to see from people viewing the club from a long distance away without watching any footy or doing any real analysis. Jeff White at #1? Please. And if Daniel Ward is a more important player than Nathan Jones them I'm a... you get the drift.

Last year the list had Jack Nicholson at #8. Unless the Ratings Panel has undergone serious personnel changes it cannot be taken seriously.

Just a bit of food for thought Re-Davey.

The two games he missed last year (with a hammy):

Round 18 - V Carlton (MFC kicked 10 goals)

Round 19 - V Sydney (MFC kicked 10 goals)

(Then he exploded on his return game V Roos with 4 goals and the MFC kicked 20)

Add in the NAB Cup game V Hawthorn.

All 3 games we didn't have a crummer in the forward line and we averaged just 10/11 goals a game. That score won't win you games of footy.

He is a hell of a lot more important than a poultry 13.

Just a bit of food for thought Re-Davey.

We definitely seem to lack options when it comes to small crumbing forwards.