Here's a test.

Rate the Melbourne team in comparison to the rest of the AFL.

Split the sections of the ground up (Putting in your best 7 defenders - 6 Midfielders - 7 Forwards - 2 Ruckman) Then rank it out of 16. 1 being the best and 16 the worst.

Backline: ?/16

Midfield: ?/16

Forward: ?/16

Ruckmen: ?/16

Backline - Caroll, Rivers, Whelan, Holland, Bell, C.Johnson, Pickett - 6/16

Midfield - Bruce, McLean, Johnstone, McDonald, Moloney, Jones - 4/16

Forwards - Neitz, Robertson, Davey, Green, Bate, Dunn, Sylvia - 3/16

Rucks - White, Jamar - 6/16

uve turned into one of them Yze magic (99% of people on this site).

PESSIMISTIC ......

midfeild 4/16 and backline can do better than that i think

midfield would have to be 2 or 3

backline top 4. when u put holland in there it just looks like a 6

Pessimistic?

My average score has us as a top 4 side

we are a top 4 side. easy.

but we cant get there for some crap reason.

Backline - Caroll, Rivers, Whelan, Holland, Bell, C.Johnson, Pickett - 6/16

Midfield - Bruce, McLean, Johnstone, McDonald, Moloney, Jones - 4/16

Forwards - Neitz, Robertson, Davey, Green, Bate, Dunn, Sylvia - 3/16

Rucks - White, Jamar - 6/16

You overrate our rucks. I'd say we're 10/16. White is on his last leg, and isn't getting any taller, and Jamar is unproven. If either of those guys are injured, we're left with PJ and that would be ugly to watch!

You overrate our rucks. I'd say we're 10/16. White is on his last leg, and isn't getting any taller, and Jamar is unproven. If either of those guys are injured, we're left with PJ and that would be ugly to watch!

well said

i'd love to put jeff white's mobility and smarts into mark jamar's body.

as for the question at hand...

backs - 6/16

mids -4 or 5/16 (behind westcoast, sydney and adelaide at the very least)

forwards - 4/16, although at our best we can be the most effective in the league, at our worst we look awful and the "no neitz no melbourne" rings very true.

We not the best ruck team out there but 10th out of 16.

We would be more likely about 6th/7th. We would struggled to hold WCE and Freo on a good out for them. HoweverI dont believe that Geelong, Carlton, Collingwood, Western Bulldogs, Essendon, Hawks and Kangas have a better ruck outfit than us.

We can sometimes be a bit harsh on our own.

Our ruck is a concern, White hasn't adjusted to the new rules very well and Jamar doesn't produce.

Our midfield is our strength but we a level below the Eagles, Fremantle and the Saints.

We have some good running defenders but we struggle against teams with big, powerful forwards.

Our forward line is inconsistent and we rely on a 32 y/o bloke too much.

Brownlow Bruce, i dont see how you could possibly have our midfield as high as the 2nd best in the league. Potentially in a couple of years maybe but definitely not yet. We would be at 5-6 on par with Sydney.

WestCoast, Adelaide, St.Kilda and Freo all better than ours right now.

Our ruck is a concern, White hasn't adjusted to the new rules very well and Jamar doesn't produce.

Our midfield is our strength but we a level below the Eagles, Fremantle and the Saints.

We have some good running defenders but we struggle against teams with big, powerful forwards.

Our forward line is inconsistent and we rely on a 32 y/o bloke too much.

You're right......

.......He only came third in hitouts last season and against blokes ALL taller than him; he should lift his game.

Back to the thread.

Backline, midifield, forward, rucks. Rating them doesn't matter, it is the whole, the TEAM that counts.....

....and by the way that includes coaching staff and, oh yes, DEPTH players. FWIW if there is something that I have learned watching footy for a very, very long time, you WILL have to cover injuries at some stage.

Go Dees Your stage awaits.