Pick your favourite Demons side of all time

[Rab D Nesbitt 7,465]

1 hour ago, Engorged Onion said:

On Danny,

My recollection of Danny - and I was born in 1979, was a good enough guy, but would get towelled up fairly frequently. But I suppose the team would leak goals like nothing else through that era, until 1987...

Now granted, I had it through the lens of ABC radio in country Vic as a child, and never saw him play a game live at all.

Was he quite a good player? As I have always had him low in my estimations.

Hi EO. Yeah, he was really good. Reminds me of Maysie a little actually. Will always remember him for his speech after winning that night grand final at Waverley. "Well, it was bloody good to win anyway"....

[Jibroni 4,382]

Had to include Broady for sentimental reasons:

Edited August 17, 2023 by Jibroni

[Palace Dees 2,069]

The 3 times I've cried at a football game:

1. Beating Footscray in the final round 1987

2. R.1 2005 def. Essendon in the Troy Broadbridge tribute match

3. On my couch, watching 2021 Premiership. 

 

[WERRIDEE 5,256]

23 hours ago, Smokey said:

@WERRIDEE this is it. The moment you've been training for all these years. The ultimate 22 

It's already been mentioned but having no Brett.Lovett is a serious oversight. I started to barrack for Melbourne in 1989 so I can only pick a team from earlier stars including Barrassi and Flower can't be considered as I never saw them play.

B: A.Johnson, May, Lever

HB: B.Lovett, Wight, S.Febey

C: Tingay, Oliver, Langdon

HF: Petracca, Schwarz, Lyon

F: Farmer, Neitz, Green

FOLL: Gawn, T.Viney, J.Viney

IC: Fritsch, Stynes, Yze, Jones

SUB: J.McDonald

EMERG: Johnstone, Robertson, White

Edited August 17, 2023 by WERRIDEE

[FarNorthernD 5,848]

Perhaps we can do our own version of this comp? At least we wouldn’t be putting up Nathan Carroll as a potential best ever defender. Can’t wait to see if Simon Godfrey is on offer as a mid. 

[Dee Zephyr 18,246]

13 minutes ago, FarNorthernD said:

Perhaps we can do our own version of this comp? At least we wouldn’t be putting up Nathan Carroll as a potential best ever defender. Can’t wait to see if Simon Godfrey is on offer as a mid. 

You just reminded me of this beauty FND. Made Pendles look silly lol

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Dee Zephyr

[FarNorthernD 5,848]

6 minutes ago, Dee Zephyr said:

You just reminded me FND of this beauty.

 

God bless his cotton socks, but I am pretty sure when the Collingwood players saw Godders kicking on the run goals from just inside 50, they knew it wasn’t going to be their day

[Swooper1987 2,849]

13 hours ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

Hi EO. Yeah, he was really good. Reminds me of Maysie a little actually. Will always remember him for his speech after winning that night grand final at Waverley. "Well, it was bloody good to win anyway"....

Here it is:

 

[Roost it far 6,447]

The 21 Premiership side has no equal in my life

[old55 21,874]

17 hours ago, IRW said:

Putting Goodwin there is so delusional that no one should comment. 

So I wont

Look I prefer 13 goal GF wins to 16 goal and 10 goal GF losses - but each to his own ...

[Deespicable 2,574]

Love the concept and yes it's hard for most Demonlander youngsters to pass comments on some of the club greats and I only feel comfortable going back to 1972 as my series nearly two years ago outlined -

The snub of Brett Lovett is extraordinary, although I suspect he will be listed among the midfielders. He shouldn't be because he made a name for himself as a defender and had been at the club for four years before he was switched into more midfield roles, usually as a classy negater.

Angus Brayshaw by contrast began as a mid, played as a wingman in our flag-winning season, and has only now had two years as a defender, albeit with more than a handful of games back in the middle recently and a handful last year as well.

The snub of Danny Hughes is also a bit farcicial - he was fullback in our second most successful era since 1964. He was tough, a thumping kick - a real meat and potatoes player that as has been mentioned, spanked Brian Taylor at Collingwood several times. But a few have forgotten that he was a tad slow, you may recall that John Northey was so worried about him playing on Jason Dunstall in the 1988 grand final that he reconfigured our entire line-up - sending wingman Stephen Stretch to play on him initially.

But Danny is still right up there in our best 10 defenders of all-time I reckon - although I think now Steven May has played enough games for us to say that he qualifies as our greatest ever full back.

Another amazing snub is Don Williams, who my father always told me was the best defender he'd seen and the real key in our Norm Smith era with his pace, marking and kicking. Maybe whoever came up with this list is so old and grumpy that they still didn't like the fact that he headed to Perth in 1960.

Tony Sullivan would be a bit miffed too I reckon - he was dour, but ever reliable as were Barry Bourke and Frank Davis, not to mention Laurie Fowler who had treechunk legs but was tough as they come and won best-and-fairests in an era when Robbie was overlooked most times because he was injured for part of the season.

Alan Johnson spent his first five injury-riddled season as a wingman, but once he moved to back pocket he changed the prototype because of his dash and skill so I am comfortable with that classification and he is a walk-up start for our back six. By contrast Graeme Yeats really only became a star in 1987 when he was moved to the wing.

Jake Lever might go past Gary Hardeman in the next two years, but so far his superb 2021 has only been interspersed with the occasional amazing intercept marking games. Gary was a wonky kick, but he was a fast, marking back in the 70s, just behind Peter Knights in the overall scheme of best CHB in the league in his era. So Hardeman still gets the nod, but I am happy to review this in two years time.

No-one here would have seen Don Cordner play, but all reports from back then have him playing primarily in the ruck and his quality clearly was supreme - he won a Brownlow Medal after all. But as with our centenary team, it's hard to get him a spot as a ruckman because that's possible our strongest position - Gawn, Stynes, White, Strawb to name but a few.

So clearly the panellists who chose these names wanted to get him in somewhere, as they did in the Centenary team.

The record of Noel McMahon (captain in flag years of 55 and 56) and Tassie Johnson also are impressive and both are worth of consideration on that fact alone.

But for me, I'd be happy with the following back six:

B: Johnson, May, Wight

HB: B.Lovett, Hardeman, Williams

But I reckon Tassie and Noel McMahon probably deserve gigs more based on records and as a result I'd leave out Wight and make Brett Lovett one of my interchange choices. 

  

[Rab D Nesbitt 7,465]

4 hours ago, Swooper1987 said:

Here it is:

 

Robbie on the shoulders of Hendo the property steward with the cup. ❤️

[whatwhat say what 20,413]

14 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

It's already been mentioned but having no Brett.Lovett is a serious oversight. I started to barrack for Melbourne in 1989 so I can only pick a team from earlier stars including Barrassi and Flower can't be considered as I never saw them play.

B: A.Johnson, May, Lever

HB: B.Lovett, Wight, S.Febey

C: Tingay, Oliver, Langdon

HF: Petracca, Schwarz, Lyon

F: Farmer, Neitz, Green

FOLL: Gawn, T.Viney, J.Viney

IC: Fritsch, Stynes, Yze, Jones

SUB: J.McDonald

EMERG: Johnstone, Robertson, White

starting following footy in 84 or so, so i am more than a little similar to you...

B: Alan Johnson - Steven May - Jake Lever
HB: Brett Lovett - David Neitz - Aaron Davey
C: Robbie Flower - Christian Petracca - Steven Tingay
HF: Garry Lyon - David Schwarz - Kozi Pickett
F: Bayley Fritsch - Alan Jakovich - Jeff Farmer
Foll: Max Gawn - Clayton Oliver - Jack Viney
I/c: Nathan Jones - Jim Stynes - Todd Viney - Adem Yze
Sub: Brad Green
Emerg: Steve Febey - James McDonald - Jeff White

Edited August 18, 2023 by whatwhat say what

[Deemania since 56 6,340]

19 hours ago, tiers said:

Best coach - Norm Smith. There can be no argument.

Best defender - any list of choices that does not include Brett Lovett is embarrassing and offensive.

Ingerson, Yeats, Carroll, Dunn, Bowey, Rivers as all time best defenders - what were they thinking (or smoking)?

Please withdraw this ridiculous competition.

 Oh, never saw Hardeman? Frank Davis? Jetta? et al?

[Monbon 1,653]

3 hours ago, Deespicable said:

Love the concept and yes it's hard for most Demonlander youngsters to pass comments on some of the club greats and I only feel comfortable going back to 1972 as my series nearly two years ago outlined -

The snub of Brett Lovett is extraordinary, although I suspect he will be listed among the midfielders. He shouldn't be because he made a name for himself as a defender and had been at the club for four years before he was switched into more midfield roles, usually as a classy negater.

Angus Brayshaw by contrast began as a mid, played as a wingman in our flag-winning season, and has only now had two years as a defender, albeit with more than a handful of games back in the middle recently and a handful last year as well.

The snub of Danny Hughes is also a bit farcicial - he was fullback in our second most successful era since 1964. He was tough, a thumping kick - a real meat and potatoes player that as has been mentioned, spanked Brian Taylor at Collingwood several times. But a few have forgotten that he was a tad slow, you may recall that John Northey was so worried about him playing on Jason Dunstall in the 1988 grand final that he reconfigured our entire line-up - sending wingman Stephen Stretch to play on him initially.

But Danny is still right up there in our best 10 defenders of all-time I reckon - although I think now Steven May has played enough games for us to say that he qualifies as our greatest ever full back.

Another amazing snub is Don Williams, who my father always told me was the best defender he'd seen and the real key in our Norm Smith era with his pace, marking and kicking. Maybe whoever came up with this list is so old and grumpy that they still didn't like the fact that he headed to Perth in 1960.

Tony Sullivan would be a bit miffed too I reckon - he was dour, but ever reliable as were Barry Bourke and Frank Davis, not to mention Laurie Fowler who had treechunk legs but was tough as they come and won best-and-fairests in an era when Robbie was overlooked most times because he was injured for part of the season.

Alan Johnson spent his first five injury-riddled season as a wingman, but once he moved to back pocket he changed the prototype because of his dash and skill so I am comfortable with that classification and he is a walk-up start for our back six. By contrast Graeme Yeats really only became a star in 1987 when he was moved to the wing.

Jake Lever might go past Gary Hardeman in the next two years, but so far his superb 2021 has only been interspersed with the occasional amazing intercept marking games. Gary was a wonky kick, but he was a fast, marking back in the 70s, just behind Peter Knights in the overall scheme of best CHB in the league in his era. So Hardeman still gets the nod, but I am happy to review this in two years time.

No-one here would have seen Don Cordner play, but all reports from back then have him playing primarily in the ruck and his quality clearly was supreme - he won a Brownlow Medal after all. But as with our centenary team, it's hard to get him a spot as a ruckman because that's possible our strongest position - Gawn, Stynes, White, Strawb to name but a few.

So clearly the panellists who chose these names wanted to get him in somewhere, as they did in the Centenary team.

The record of Noel McMahon (captain in flag years of 55 and 56) and Tassie Johnson also are impressive and both are worth of consideration on that fact alone.

But for me, I'd be happy with the following back six:

B: Johnson, May, Wight

HB: B.Lovett, Hardeman, Williams

But I reckon Tassie and Noel McMahon probably deserve gigs more based on records and as a result I'd leave out Wight and make Brett Lovett one of my interchange choices. 

  

Love your post: especially the Don Williams, Fowler, Tas Johnson and Sullivan bits.

I also understand Fowler played a lot of his Melbourne games as a centreman?

[tiers 2,785]

50 minutes ago, Deemania since 56 said:

 Oh, never saw Hardeman? Frank Davis? Jetta? et al?

Hardeman is a genuine contender for best on a HBF. Frank Davis, premiership player and club captain, does not come close and Jetta was good for too short a time.

[Palace Dees 2,069]

On 8/18/2023 at 8:43 AM, Swooper1987 said:

Here it is:

 

When Danny is talking, you can see a blurred blonde kid sitting on my shoulders in the background. That little boy is now a 46yo Detective Inspector in the AFP 🤣

He's been in Canberra for 23 years but still a Melbourne member and avid supporter. 

Great memories of that night. We played in Brisbane on the Sunday and won the night Premiership 2 days later. 

[Monbon 1,653]

On 8/18/2023 at 1:22 PM, whatwhat say what said:

starting following footy in 84 or so, so i am more than a little similar to you...

B: Alan Johnson - Steven May - Jake Lever
HB: Brett Lovett - David Neitz - Aaron Davey
C: Robbie Flower - Christian Petracca - Steven Tingay
HF: Garry Lyon - David Schwarz - Kozi Pickett
F: Bayley Fritsch - Alan Jakovich - Jeff Farmer
Foll: Max Gawn - Clayton Oliver - Jack Viney
I/c: Nathan Jones - Jim Stynes - Todd Viney - Adem Yze
Sub: Brad Green
Emerg: Steve Febey - James McDonald - Jeff White

Davey HBF?????

No way: he replaces Fritsch and in comes Febey as HBF.

[wheaters31 602]

B: Whelan, May, Lever

HB: B.Lovett, Frawley, S. Febey

C: Flower, Oliver, Yze

HF: Fritsch, Schwarz, Lyon

F: Farmer, Neitz, Davey

FOLL: Gawn, Jones, Petracca

IC: Barassi, Stynes, Jetta, J. Viney

 

 

Edited March 30 by wheaters31