Best Melbourne 22 Seen In Your Time

[58er 5,619]

On 4/9/2023 at 8:18 AM, D4Life said:

Agree fun thread indeed.

Flower a must in any Demon team.

Fritta, Kossie, Salem all gotta be in

Flower should  only be picked in teams prior to 1987. 
Stynesy and Tod Viney earlier than very early 2000's.

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,177]

Been watching closely since '94 and have seen some amazing forwardlines, but only recently have we had great backlines and midfields.  In that time we've had an amazing run of All Australian rucks with Stynes, White, Jamar and Gawn, but could only field two.

Apologies to Robertson, Jakovich, Ingerson, White, Whealan, Johnstone, Pickett, B.Lovett, Langdon and J.Viney.

 

LEVER.            MAY.            JETTA. 

SALEM.       FRAWLEY.     S.FEBEY. 

TINGAY.       T.VINEY.         GREEN. 

LYON.         SCHWARZ.            YZE. 

FRITSCH.      NEITZ.          FARMER. 

GAWN.        PETRACCA.      OLIVER. 

 

Int.   STYNES.  BRUCE.  WOEWODIN.   JONES.

Sub: DAVEY.

 

 

[layzie 29,088]

B: Bizzell FB: May B: Whelan

HB: Brett Lovett CHB: Neitz HB: Yeats

W: Yze C: Oliver W: Tingay

HFF: Robertson CHF: Schwarz HFF: Davey

F: Farmer FF: Lyon F: Jakovich 

R: Gawn RR: Petracca R: T. Viney

Int: Lever, J. White, Bruce, Fritsch

Emerg: N. Brown, Frawley, B. Green and "Here I am rock you like a Jurracane" 

[Go the Biff 3,170]

As a kid, the first number I asked for on the back of my footy jumper was Greg Parke's #26. So I've been going to watch the Demons since the late 60's. Named a "modern" line-up with 23 players but not naming the sub !

 

B	Jake Lever	Steven May	Matty Whelan
HB	Brett Lovett	Gary Hardeman	Adem Yze
C	Robbie Flower	Greg Wells	Stan Alves
HF	Garry Lyon	David Schwarz	Kozzie Pickett
F	Jeff Farmer	Allen Jakovich	Gerard Healy
R	Max Gawn	Christian Petracca	Clayton Oliver
Int	Jim Stynes	Brian Wilson
	David Neitz	Stephen Tingay	Alan Johnson
Emer	Todd Viney	Cameron Bruce	Brad Green

 

Some of these were easy. May, Lovett, Flower, Schwarz and Farmer were standouts in their positions

Lever nudges out Jared Rivers in the "third tall defender" position.

We've had some terrific back pockets but went for Wheels over Nev, Laurie Fowler & Alan Johnson.

On the "other" HBF, Yze beat out Steve Febey & Salo

The second wing was tough too but gave Stanley Alves the nod over Stinga, Alan Johnson, Trapper & Lingers.

Greg Wells in the guts over Willo because I've used Clarrie & Trac in the on-ball division
Garry Lyon could have made the grade in 3 or 4 spots.
Jako at FF ahead of Neiter, Lyon, Darren Bennett. Even the other Jacko got some consideration. Much better footballer than he's remembered & kicked over 150 goals in 2 seasons as a Demon. Mad unit that he was.

Max has gone past Jimmy as the best ruck we've had in my time

I've used Clarrie as my "rover". In my time we've not had a top class rover of the Platten / Ashman / Wilson / Bartlett ilk. Now they are just called midfielders so Clarrie slots in there nicely.

I've left out some bloody good footballers

Edited April 10, 2023 by Go the Biff

[IRW 1,251]

What wonderful fantasy teams..straight from the hearts of Demon fans. 

But am I the only one who thinks ( insists) that Luam Jurrah should be a lock.

Half forward flank perhaps.

If the 2022 pathetic kick to the pocket system  was on place he'd have kicked 50..half from bring free on the other side and still getting the ball ( unlike Watts) and half from flying high in the contested  pack  sifting sunlight through his fingers or kicking goals  from impossible angles.

Geez  short memories

Edited April 11, 2023 by IRW

[Ollie fan 2,184]

14 hours ago, ManDee said:

None of these teams are complete without Allen Jakovich.

Do yourself a favour and look for some of his highlights on YouTube. 

I did just that and agree - although in the highlights on YouTube you don’t see much of his marking which I recall as generally pretty good.

He could be an average kick for goal – missing some sitters quite often – but if the kick was important, he never missed.

[Go the Biff 3,170]

12 minutes ago, IRW said:

What wonderful fantasy teams..straight from the hearts of Demon fans. 

But am I the only one who thinks ( insists) that Luam Jurrah should be a lock.

Half forward flank perhaps.

If the 2022 pathetic kick to the pocket system  was on place he'd have kicked 50..half from bring free on the other side and still getting the ball ( unlike Watts) and half from flying high in the contested  pack  sifting sunlight through his fingers or kicking goals  from impossible angles.

Geez  short memories

If based purely on talent then yeah. But we've all got our own memories & opinions.

Can't remember the poster but someone on here once said that Jurrah had the habit of turning what should have been six goal games into four goal games and four goal games into two goal games. I thought that was a pretty good analysis.

His star blazed all too briefly and he was talented, exciting and sometimes exhilarating. But his footy was not without flaws. For all his courage in the air he could be a bit selective in the contest. I guess I'm saying I thought he was a bit soft. Probably not a popular view but as I said, we've all got our own memories & opinions.

[rjay 23,930]

4 hours ago, 58er said:

Flower should  only be picked in teams prior to 1987. 
Stynesy and Tod Viney earlier than very early 2000's.

Why?

I saw him play and the topic is about the best I've seen.

He is...

If you want to select by decades start another topic.

[58er 5,619]

22 minutes ago, rjay said:

Why?

I saw him play and the topic is about the best I've seen.

He is...

If you want to select by decades start 

1 hour ago, Go the Biff said:

If based purely on talent then yeah. But we've all got our own memories & opinions.

Can't remember the poster but someone on here once said that Jurrah had the habit of turning what should have been six goal games into four goal games and four goal games into two goal games. I thought that was a pretty good analysis.

His star blazed all too briefly and he was talented, exciting and sometimes exhilarating. But his footy was not without flaws. For all his courage in the air he could be a bit selective in the contest. I guess I'm saying I thought he was a bit soft. Probably not a popular view but as I said, we've all got our own memories & opinions.

Cannot understand the comment about Liam Jurrah turning 6 goal games into 4!!  Could  the person who posted or commented on that please explain? 

[chook fowler 18,326]

11 hours ago, rjay said:

Love this HB line

What a great player Gary Hardeman was

My centre line would be

Flower Mann Alves

Don Williams from the same era was a gun off half back

[rjay 23,930]

12 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

Don Williams from the same era was a gun off half back

He sure was...

Edited April 11, 2023 by rjay

[Gator 16,893]

B:    Fowler        May              Lever

HB: B Lovett     Hardeman    A Johnson

C:   Alves          Wells            Flower

HF:  Lyon          Schwarz        Gerard Healy

F    Farmer        Neitz            Fritsch

R:   Gawn          Oliver           Petracca

I/C:  Yze        K Pickett       Wilson       Jakovich

I wasn't going to put Jako in because of only 47 games, but his career was so spectacular I couldn't leave him out.

Pickett is a little pre-emptive, but also a certainty assuming he stays.  An incredible talent.

Including Jako meant one ruck only - sorry Jimmy.

Whelan, S Febey, R Robertson, Tingay, Bruce, Green, Langdon, Jones, Hibberd and others given consideration.

If I made this team again in a month it would probably be different.

Disappointed I've only included 7 x 2021 flag team.

Edited April 11, 2023 by Gator

[He de mon 730]

17 minutes ago, Gator said:

Disappointed I've only included 7 x 2021 flag team

Agreed, it was a tough decision. The way I looked at it was, would I find a place in the side for the players from different era’s?

That said, there is no guarantee that players from other eras would excel in the modern game, with the exception of Robbie perhaps.

[Fritta and Turner 3,728]

B:    Jetta    Tassie Johnston May

HB: B Lovett     Hardeman    Lever

C:   Alves          Wells            Flower

HF: Lyon           Schwarz         Farmer

F    Johnstone        Neitz            Fritsch

R:   Gawn         Oliver            Petracca

I/C:    Moore    B Wilson        Jones    White

EMG Woey

[Monbon 1,523]

13 hours ago, rjay said:

Love this HB line

What a great player Gary Hardeman was

My centre line would be

Flower Mann Alves

I had to play Neitz as Full Forward, hence Lyon CHB where he played some great games. 

[In Harmes Way 7,569]

I'd have Stinga and Flower on my two wings, which would be a problem as they both wore #2.

[58er 5,619]

4 hours ago, rjay said:

He sure was...

Agreed Williams Should be on one flank at least with Brett Lovett on the other and Hardemann at CHB, with Beckwith May and Tassie Johnson as the Backline. 

Alves Wells Flower C

Lyon Schwarz Farmer HF

Fritsch Neitz Jakovich  F

Gawn Clarry Trac  R 

Interchange:  RDBarassi Stynes Lever Gerard Healy Jeff White. 

Emergencies  K.Pickett T.Viney Jones Hassa Mann. 

 

[IRW 1,251]

11 hours ago, Go the Biff said:

If based purely on talent then yeah. But we've all got our own memories & opinions.

Can't remember the poster but someone on here once said that Jurrah had the habit of turning what should have been six goal games into four goal games and four goal games into two goal games. I thought that was a pretty good analysis.

His star blazed all too briefly and he was talented, exciting and sometimes exhilarating. But his footy was not without flaws. For all his courage in the air he could be a bit selective in the contest. I guess I'm saying I thought he was a bit soft. Probably not a popular view but as I said, we've all got our own memories & opinions.

Thanks for your opinion Mr Neeld ..Jack Watts was soft, Liam was not.

The 6 into 4 and 4 into 2 is the most unusual thing I have ever heard.

It's certainly not analysis 

Try and imagine 5 seasons of LJ and how he would have factored in his style and his many games he would have "won" for a crepe team.

Nor enough games to qualify  maybe

Edited April 11, 2023 by IRW

[Bobby McKenzie 2,191]

12 hours ago, chook fowler said:

Don Williams from the same era was a gun off half back

He certainly was . A real dasher and showed amazing recovery from being on the ground to dashing away from all and sundry.A star high jumper meant he had a great leap also. Langdon is our current Don Williams I believe.

 

[chook fowler 18,326]

14 minutes ago, Bobby McKenzie said:

He certainly was . A real dasher and showed amazing recovery from being on the ground to dashing away from all and sundry.A star high jumper meant he had a great leap also. Langdon is our current Don Williams I believe.

 

A magnificent drop kick on the run.

[dee-tox 4,827]

B: A Johnson, S May, M Whelan

HB: J Lever, Neitz, B Lovett

C: Flower, Oliver, Alves.

HF: Fritta, Schwarz, Jurrah.

F: Farmer, Lyon, Jakovich

R: Gawn, Petracca, T. Viney.

Interchange: Spalding, Kozzie, Ger. Healy, S. Febey.

Sub. Jones

Emerg: Stynes, Charles, Ingerson, Wells. 

[Ausrak 7]

B    Graeme Yeats    Steven May    Matthew Whelan    
HB    Jake Lever    David Neitz    Brett Lovett    
C    Robert Flower    Gerard Healy    Stephen Tingay    
HF    Garry Lyon    David Schwarz    Christian Petracca    
F    Sean Charles    Allen Jakovich    Kysaiah Pickett    
R    Max Gawn     Clayton Oliver     Todd Viney    
I    Jim Stynes    Martin Pike    Adem Yze    Alan Johnson

Emergencies: Sean Wight (for Graeme Yeats), Neville Jetta (for Matthew Whelan), Steven Febey (for Jake Lever), Jeff Farmer (for Sean Charles), Bayley Fritsch (for Adem Yze).
If we didn't get rid of Martin Pike after 2 seasons he'd be in the starting line up in place of Stephen Tingay. Great player, tough and skillful.

[rjay 23,930]

On 4/11/2023 at 12:15 PM, Gator said:

C:   Alves          Wells            Flower

Great centre line...

I'm probably a little bit older than you and that's why I had Hassa Mann (a hero of mine when I was a kid) instead of Wells.

...but Wells was a great player, a hard choice.

Saw more of him live than Hassa.

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by rjay

[daisycutter 28,609]

20 hours ago, chook fowler said:

A magnificent drop kick on the run.

which is why i don't see the comparison to langdon. he also played tall

[Macca 16,173]

B:     A Johnson  May  Wight

HB:   B Lovett   Hardeman  Lever

C:     Alves  Wells  Flower

HF:   Fritsch  Schwartz  Lyon

F:      Farmer  Neitz  Jakovich

R:      Gawn  Petracca  Oliver

Int:    Stynes  Salem  Yze  Wilson

Sub   Kozzie

 

Emer: S Febey  Tingay  J Viney

T Johnston  Grinter  Langdon  T Viney

Robertson  Biffin  Gerard Healy  Jurrah

Spalding  Whelan  Jones  David Williams