Melbourne's best players in order

[Nicho 1]

1. Brock McLean

2. David Neitz

3. Matthew Bate

4. Jarrod Rivers

5. Cameron Bruce

6. Travis Johnstone

7. Jeff White

8. Russell Robertson

9. Aaron Davey

10. Nathan Jones

11. James McDonald

12. Daniel Bell

13. Colin Sylvia

14. Brad Green

15. Nathan Carroll

16. Adem Yze

17. Matthew Whelan

18. Daniel Ward

19. Brent Moloney

20. Brad Miller

21. Lynden Dunn

22. Byron Pickett

23. Paul Johnson

24. Clint Bizzell

25. Clint Batram

26. Simon Godfrey

27. Ricky Pettard

28. Ryan Fergurson

29. Nathan Brown

30. Ben Holland

31. Chris Johnson

32. Matthew Warnock

33. Mark Jamar

34. Paul Wheatley

UNTRIED

35. James Frawey

36. Michael Newton

37. Simon Buckley

38. Colin Garland

39. Heath Neville

40. Issack Weetra

Chook is number 1 as i think he is our best player and will be a champion of the game in the nexy 5 years

Why is Master so high? Because i think he's an absolute gun!!

I have Bate, Rivers, Jones, Bell and Sylvia so high as they are so young and will soon be the elite Demons.

I tried to rate big men higher than little blockes as the old saying goes "A good big bloke is better than a little one"

Surprised how low Davey is.. Well even though hes a gun he has perfromed consistently yet. Like alot of indigenous players come in and out of a game

The young blokes that havent played a game will only go up the order with games experience.

The bolded players will soon make up our best players in the next 2-3 years.

Anyway tell me what you think and create your own evaluation of our list.

[45HG 1,539]

yeah i don't really see the worth in a list like this. i would find it difficult in rating even our backline from best to worst given the different important natures of each player, i.e. whelan is our best small defender, carroll/rivers our best tall, who goes #1? who cares i say

saying players are young and will be elite may be correct, but this does not put them at the top our best players list, as this is not a 'foresight' best list. i'd have junior, wheels and green higher, and it's hard to argue godfrey not being in our best 22 at the moment. more to the point however is that i'd definitely have bartram in our top 18, can't see how he'd miss a game in our dreamteam

[Adzman 2,154]

Bate at 3??? Not likely!

Love him, but he is not our 3rd best player

[waynewussell 5,502]

1. David Neitz

2. Brock McLean

3. Jarrod Rivers

4. Cameron Bruce

5. Aaron Davey

6. James McDonald

7. Travis Johnstone

8. Matthew Whelan

9. Russell Robertson

10. Adam Yze

11. Jeff White

12. Nathan Jones

13. Brad Green

14. Matthew Bate

15. Nathan Carroll

16. Colin Sylvia

17. Brent Moloney

18. Simon Godfrey

19. Byron Pickett

20. Clint Bartram

21. Daniel Bell

22. Ricky Pettard

23. Nathan Brown

24. Lynden Dunn

25. Daniel Ward

26. Paul Johnson

27. Brad Miller

28. Ben Holand

29. Ryan ferguson

30. Clint Bizzell

31. Paul Wheatley

32. Matthew Warnock

33. Chris Johnson

34. Mark Jamar

[Lord Travis 10,710]

Bate isnt that high unfortunately. Maybe in the future he could be, as he has the attributes to be a great player, but not yet. He was on the verge of being dropped just a few weeks ago due to poor output.

1. Travis Johnstone

2. Brock McLean

3. David Neitz

4. Cameron Bruce

5. Jared Rivers

6. James McDonald

7. Matthew Whelan

8. Aaron Davey

9. Russell Robertson

10. Brad Green

Can't even be bothered to finish. Think the top 5 is spot on though, maybe order could be shuffled. Jeff White, Adem Yze, Daniel Bell are all right there vying for a top 10 spot too I'd have thought.

[re draft molan 1]

Whats with the'a lot of indgenous players come in and out of the game'????? Hey NEWSFLASH, a hell of a lot of 'anglo saxon' players come in and out of the game.Particularly some of the players you have in your top 15. Surely Junior has to be rated highly due to how high finishes in our B & F every year. I think Bate is too high @ the moment.

1. Trapper

2. Bruce

3. Brocky

4. Rivers

5. White

6. Neita

7. Flash

8. Wheels

9. Greeny

10. Robbo

11. Jones

12. Ooze

13. Belly

14. Miller

15.Moloney

I decided to only do to 15 cos if any one of the others perform well, its icing on the cake. These top 15 have to deliver week in week out for us to succeed.

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,780]

[quote name='re draft molan'

I like yours best, "Redraft", but I'd leave the skipper out of the top 10 till he presents, and holds his chest marks.

How I hope he makes me look silly on Sunday, but I'm not confident!

[re draft molan 1]

[quote name='re draft molan'

I like yours best, "Redraft", but I'd leave the skipper out of the top 10 till he presents, and holds his chest marks.

How I hope he makes me look silly on Sunday, but I'm not confident!

Thanks JJC, but idiot me, I accidently left Junior out. Probably slip him between Flash and Wheels.

[tooly 0]

1 - Cameron Bruce

2 - Travis Johnstone

3 - Brock Mclean

4 - Aron Davey

5 - David Netiz

6 - James McDonald

7 - Jeff White

8 - Russell Robertson

9 - Adam Yze

10 - Matthew Whelan

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Until Davey can show that he can perform in September and in high pressure games against phyisical sides I cant see that he is Top 10.

For that those that have anymore than one of Davey, Yze and Robbo in their Top 10 best players is conceding any opportunity to seriously challenge when it comes to September football. We may not challenge this year we should in 2008 (barring injuries???). We cant take more than one of the three into a finals match and be serious about progressing.

FWIW, Yze will struggle for a game by end of 2008. Robbo may struggle to repeat his contributions of 2005 as well. Davey is an unknown.

Here's my Top 10 based on importance to the team.

1. McLean

2. Rivers

3. Neitz

4. Bruce

5. TJ

6. White

7. Carroll

8. Jones

9. Green

10. Moloney

-------

11. JMac

12. Bate

13. Davey

14 Sylvia

15. Bell

16. Whelan

17. Bartram

18. Robbo

19. Dunn

20. Pettard

21. PJ

22. Brown

----

23. Yze

I would expect thast Frawlwy will challenge for the top 22 spot very quickly.

I had Wheels and Junior there at the start of the year. However I reckon their fortunes have waned from their peaks and would expect them to fall away somewhat in the coming years.

Pickett is about 40. Gone

[GoDs 0]

1. McLean

2. Rivers

3. Neitz

4. Bruce

5. TJ

6. White

7. Carroll

8. Jones

9. Green

10. Moloney

-------

11. JMac

12. Bate

13. Davey

14 Sylvia

15. Bell

16. Whelan

17. Bartram

18. Robbo

19. Dunn

20. Pettard

21. PJ

22. Brown

----

23. Yze

I like it, but...

Rough on Yze given current form. I mean Brown dog makes your 22 but yze doesnt? I think we differ in opinions on both these players then.

and moloney making the top 10 based on "importance to the team" i disagree, maybe based on his potential but he has only played a handful of games in 2006/7 and has struggled to get his body right. I would substitute Davey or Robbo or Jmac (or on his past couple of games the Bater.

Like it or not Yze, Davey and Robbo are match winners. Each of them has the ability to turn a game on its head and break it open with that something special, the skilled x factor.

That said I respect blokes like Godders more... those who try their guts out week in week out. Davey did last week and was spent at the end of the match and if he could practice his tackling I would put him in the top 10.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I like it, but...

Rough on Yze given current form. I mean Brown dog makes your 22 but yze doesnt? I think we differ in opinions on both these players then.

and moloney making the top 10 based on "importance to the team" i disagree, maybe based on his potential but he has only played a handful of games in 2006/7 and has struggled to get his body right. I would substitute Davey or Robbo or Jmac (or on his past couple of games the Bater.

Like it or not Yze, Davey and Robbo are match winners. Each of them has the ability to turn a game on its head and break it open with that something special, the skilled x factor.

That said I respect blokes like Godders more... those who try their guts out week in week out. Davey did last week and was spent at the end of the match and if he could practice his tackling I would put him in the top 10.

After three years of downhill skiing, Yze is starting to realise that he can no loger cut corners. He played well against 2 of the least hardc bodied teams in the AFL. Soon as it gets tight and physical, he dissolves and disappers

Yze is a finisher not a match winner and what ever x factor his supporters believe he has is gone. He has burned his credits and is a week to week proposition. And none of the three have done well in tight physical games or September. Its clayton's stuff that is overrated on this site. Robbo is useless when the ball hits the turf and does not chase. He was lucky not to be dropped last year.

I was undecided about Brown but at least he gives his all when he plays. I would see Frawley replacing him by year end.

[drdrake 3,163]

I can't see why everyone wants to put Mclean at No 1, he has had some good games last year but he is not our most omportant player or best player on our list. He is showing signs that he will be but maybe 2008/9. IMO I would have as follows, Melbournes Best players, based on them at their best and the importance of them playing.

1) TJ, our most skillfull, damaging and creative midfielder only problem is consistancy

2) Neitz, our target when fit can kick big huals of goals

3) Rivers best tall defender by far

4) Mclean has what it takes to be our best player in the next few seasons

5) Bruce would be our best player but can't kick

6) Davey the pace we need and X Factor

7) Robbo Contests hard and can kick bags

8) White pains me to say but when he rucks well we generally win, but this year he has been beaten in Ruck work but still does enough around the ground

9) Carroll KPP hard nuts we need him down back

10) McDonald B&F winner can stop players and get the hard ball

11) Whelan greta small attaching defender

12) Green has become more of a hard working midfielder no flair gets enough of it and good skills

13) Yze he is a freak should never handball

14) Pickett Hard nut composed greta foot skills

15) Sylvia I wish his OP would go away

16) Bell Mid size defender has shown good form this year

17) Jones Hard gets the footy, will be a better player once Mclean gets fit

18) Bartram is our no. 1 Tagger he came in last year first year had the hard jobs enabled JMAC to get the footy

19) Bate we just need to find the right role for this kid Kicking over short distances need to improve

20) Godfrey in Bartrams absence has got back to the great tagger he was a few years back, kicking and skills let him down.

21) Moloney hard worker but predictable with the footy

22) Miller just hard working needs to take contested marks still our best option at CHF

Then you have some youngsters Petterd, PJ, Dunn who look to have the ability to play consistant AFL footy but by the end of the season we will know where they stand. Jamar and CJ I don't know where to put them he has been one of the bigger disappointments of this season, I thought they could come in and play good footy but they has shown nothing.

The untried Newton, Buckley, Frawley should play this year and we can rank them on their AFL performance. The others are so far away from playing AFL wwe can't rank them.

The older players Ward, Brown, Holland, Biz, Ferguson, Wheatley IMO are only filling spots until the kids are ready to play, I wouldn't expect any of these players at the club next season, you may keep holland for his size and Wheatley for his versatility.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I can't see why everyone wants to put Mclean at No 1, he has had some good games last year but he is not our most omportant player or best player on our list.

Its simple. What does our midfield look like without McLean there? Its crap

Its ironic that your No 1 is highly talented but very inconsistent. Too often he has been out there but he is not visible or prominent.

TJ is important but if he is No 1, we are really in a pickle.

I dont think that is the case.

P.S. I do acknowledge your placement of Carroll. He makes some errors but if he goes down who plays full back to cover him? To me it increases his importance to be fit and firing.

[pantaloons 2,019]

1. Neitz

2. Johnstone

3. McLean

4. Bruce

5. Rivers

6. Robertson

7. White

8. Green

9. Davey

10. Yze

11. McDonald

12. Jones

13. Carroll

14. Moloney

15. Whelan

16. Bate

17. Sylvia

18. Pickett

19.Bartram

20. Godfrey

21. Bell

22. Dunn

23. Miller

24. Petterd

25. Ward

26. Holland

27. Brown

28. P Johnson

29. C Johnson

30. Wheatley

31. Ferguson

32. Frawley

33. Jamar

34. Bizzell

35. Buckley

36. Warnock

37. Newton

38. Garland

39. Neville

40. Weetra

[Doggo 32]

And none of the three have done well in tight physical games or September. Its clayton's stuff that is overrated on this site. Robbo is useless when the ball hits the turf and does not chase. He was lucky not to be dropped last year.

Harsh on Robbo in regards to finals performances. I may be incorrect, but in our last 4 finals appearances, Robbo has scored 12 goals. More than any other player on the list since and including the 2004 finals series. Very much a big game player for mine...

[drdrake 3,163]

Lets see how Mclean goes when he gets the heavy tag Trav gets each week.

[deanox 9,905]

as soon as mclean steps on the park he will be getting that tag in preference to TJ. no doubt at all.

[Nicho 1]

Bate at 3??? Not likely!

Love him, but he is not our 3rd best player

By the end of the season Bate will be a star and will be a top 5 player.... Like Peppels Okeefe from Syd..

He is a absolute sensation and its good to see our latest recruits who are perfroming are genuwinbe footballers who dont worry about the way their hair looks.. Chooka, Batey and Jones for example

I love Junior McDonald but he lacks penertration and doenst kick goals however has a goos defensive side.. Thats why i didnt place him higher.