Swooper1987

6 Gawn 5 Oliver 4 Petracca 3. Salem 2. Langdon 1. Tomlinson

One of of my best footy memories was that amazing comeback. A wonderful day!

Yep, agree. I'm waiting for the next instalment too!

I'd agree with that. North let that one slip, but then got lucky the next year when Essendon were clearly the best side but lost that unloseable game to Carlton. I think the 1998 North Melbourne side was actually the best of that 7 year period.

You've run the 2002 B&F results in the 2000 team. Woewodin beat White for the 2000 Bluey, but I think the 1994 side was the best of that lot when all were fit and firing. We were genuinely capable of winning the flag in 1994. In 2000 were probably the third best side in the comp but by besting Carlton in the first final we ensured they had to play Essendon in the prelim. Nobody was beating Essendon that year. 2018 was exciting to watch but at no stage did I think we were likely to be premiers. Richmond, Collingwood and West Coast were all better sides than us.

Gawn easily. Viney was a great player but Gawn has him covered already, even with 100 less games.

Loved Flower, then Jedda Healy, Schwarz, Jakovich and Lyon. Stynes, Neita, Wight and Gawn would be next. Had a soft spot for Danny Hughes, Todd Viney and really liked Warren Dean in 1987.

Have to say I'm really enjoying this trip down memory lane. It was a magnificent win - I was 14 at the time and remember getting very carried away. Unfortunately it was the end of what was a great run from memory. Did we get belted by Essendon the next game or very soon after?

At Waverley: 87 - lost to Hawks after the siren 88 - beat WCE by 2, 89 - beat Collingwood 90 - lost to WCE by 5 goals 91 - lost to WCE again, but beat Essendon the week before (all finals at Waverley that year) At the G we got hammered in the 88 GF, and the 89 semi v Geelong. Our record at Waverley was no worse than at the G, and we did win the 87 and 89 Night flags at the old VFL Park!!

Dropped rounds 13-15 before that comeback at Windy Hill. Those losses were to also rans St Kilda, North Melbourne and Geelong. The North Melbourne loss was unforgivable and absolutely decimated our percentage. 10.13.73 to 31.14.200.

McDonald was a far superior footballer to Jones. A smarter player, as nearly everyone has said; a much better user of the ball; an inspirational leader; quite possibly the most courageous player we've had in the last generation. An outstanding player in good MFC teams - B and F and AA in the last MFC team to make finals before 2018. Jones has been a loyal servant, and I don't want to do him any disservice at all, but he is an honest foot soldier. His Club Champion awards were all won in very poor sides (not his fault), he's never made an AA squad, let alone team and his record just doesn't stack up against Junior.

He did. He finished equal 4th with 15 votes. Libba 18, Wright 17 and Silvagni 16. Brett tied with David Bain from the Bears and Andy Collins from Hawthorn. He was a an excellent player, cool, calm and composed. Disposal and vision was outstanding. One of the stars of our best era since the 50's and 60's, and certainly the most consistent.

Gawn is an absolute elite ruck. That's all he can be judged on. He's only ever played ruck and since 2016 he's been the best or equal best in that position ( remembering that he missed half a season in 2017 which certainly cost us a spot in the 8). By any measure Gawn is an elite player. Three AA's, 2 Club B&F's and the AFLCA Player of the Year in that time. He seems to get judged very harshly at times. I'd love to see him spend a few minute forward each quarter like he did against North in the last game last season. As for the rest of the side - some potential elites - Oliver, May, Lever, Petracca but nobody has been ranked among the absolute top end of their position like Gawn has for an extended period of time.

Peter Patrick Pius Paul Crackers Keenan - 1970-1975 101 games; 1981-82 - 30 games

Prelim was always played at Waverley in those days. In 1987 we played the first 2 finals at the G, and in 88 we played the 1st Semi v Collingwood at the G.

Warren Dean was outstanding in 1987. Three Brownlow votes in Round 22 out at Footscray from memory, and played a great first couple of finals. Could have been anything but for his wonky knees. He, Viney and Spalding were the big three interstate recruits funded by the "Give Robbie one last chance to play finals" campaign.

Moore had a history of hamstring injuries from his time at Collingwood. He foolishly played the 1981 GF with a hamstring injury sustained the week before. Management at Melbourne had nothing to do with his history of injuries.

1998 we really struggled through the middle of the season. Had heaps of injuries and then when the senior men came back in we strung a few together towards seasons end and the final game of the season we were comfortably in the 8 but a chance for 4th if we could beat the Tigers, who were playing for a spot in the finals. We smoked them, the Bombers got 8th, the Tigers finished in their then usual spot of 9th and we ended up 4th. Unfortunately under that finals system it didn't carry the same advantages as the present system. We were stiff in 98 - we were the only team to beat the eventual Premiers in that finals series. 1990 was our year and really the one we let slip. We won 16 games - a very high number to finish only 4th (in the final year of the old final five) and but for a terrible hiding we got against North Melbourne we would have been outright second. We beat Essendon (top) twice; we beat the Eagles in Perth; we beat Hawthorn in successive weeks including the Elimination Final, to end their run of successive GF's (1983-1989, then back in 1991) and we had ended Collingwood's finals series in 1988 and 1989. We really were probably the best side in the comp in 1990 but a shocking performance in the semi final against the Eagles, after the enforced week off because of the Collingwood/Eagles draw and an injury during training to our 1990 Band F G.Lyon, ended any hopes of the breakthrough. Northey was a great coach but I reckon he'd think 1990 was really the one that got away. Of our 5 consecutive years of finals under him, I think we maxed ourselves out in all of them but 1990.

We finished 5th and should have worn the white shorts. That was in the days when all finals had to be played in Victoria.

He was at AFL level. He was very talented at country level as I said.

Was a very talented country player. Came up through the under 19's, originally number 46 then moved to 15. Followed Swooper Northey to the Tigers. He ended up a legend at Beaconsfield where he coached them to a number of flags and kicked the ton a few times. He was actually three years behind me in school and ended up at Rusden College with me for a year or so. I remember in our school footy teams he was the only Year 9 amongst all of the Year 12's!

Most others would, including Scott Pendlebury. I'll back his view against Jay Clark's any day!

A Demon fan as a young bloke was Pendles. He'd have a fair idea.

Cannot believe James McDonald is not on this list. He'd surely be top 10. Inspirational skipper, AA midfielder and probably the most courageous player I've seen in red and blue. A definite for this list if ever there was one. And also happy to see Lyon at 1. He was a sensational player.

Sadly for us the 87 prelim is definitely a top 50. It was an outstanding game of finals footy and it is rare that a team can lead an entire game and still not be the winner. A genuine last man standing affair and I'll make sure I'm not watching when it gets replayed. Once was enough and I still remember it like it was yesterday.