A hypothetical: 3 players from the last decade

[Quicky]

Heres a pointless hypothetical for a slow day on BF.

If you could pick three Pies players from the last decade to improve the current side who would they be? and why?

The obvious answer would be Buckley, Clement and Rocca. Their inclusions would make the team look like this:

FB: ------O'Brien-----Presti-----Toovey-----
HB: ------Shaw-----Clement---Maxwell----

C: ------Thomas-----Buckley----Swan-----
Fol: ------Jolly--------Ball------Pendlebury--

HF: ------Didak------Cloke-------Rusty-----
FF: ------Davis------Rocca-----Medhurst---

INT: Wellingham, Beams, Dick, Macaffer (I think i've forgotten someone )

Pretty damn impressive. With Rocca we'd be straightened up, we'd be able to play one ruck, and Cloke would be freed up.

Buckley speaks for himself I think but would probably free up a good player like Swan into a more utility role maybe as a tagger, HBF, HFF depending on circumstance.

Clement would provide class, experience and versatility at CHB.

Perhaps a more interesting debate would be if Buckley, Clement and Rocca were unavailable to choose from which 3 players would you pick? and why?

FB: ------O'Brien-----Presti-----Toovey-----
HB: ------Shaw-----Wakelin---Maxwell----

C: ------Thomas------Swan------Holland--
Fol: ------Jolly--------Ball------Pendlebury--

HF: ------Didak------Cloke-------Rusty-----
FF: ------Davis------Tarrant-----Medhurst--

INT: Wellingham, Beams, Dick, Macaffer

Much harder to do but i'd choose the bolded.

Wakelin I think is obvious at CHB.

Tarrant may be a bit contentious as he was always a flakey player for us but I feel if we could get 02 Tarrant back he's a great choice at FF.

Holland is less obvious. I think Burns is probably the best choice but I think Holland would fill a more pressing need in our current side. He'd add tenacity, speed and a top quality defensive option in midfield.

So who would you choose?

 

[eddiesmith]

Pretty easy, would agree on Wakelin, but not on the other 2

B: O'Brien Presti J.Cloke

HB: Johnson Wakelin Shaw

C: Thomas Swan Beams

HF: Didak T.Cloke Fraser

F: Davis C.Cloke Medhurst

R: Jolly Pendlebury Ball

I: Sidebottom Dick Lockyer Wellingham

Would win the flag this year

 

[Youthful Pie]

Pretty easy, would agree on Wakelin, but not on the other 2

B: O'Brien Presti J.Cloke

HB: Johnson Wakelin Shaw

C: Thomas Swan Beams

HF: Didak T.Cloke Fraser

F: Davis C.Cloke Medhurst

R: Jolly Pendlebury Ball

I: Sidebottom Dick Lockyer Wellingham

Would win the flag this year

.. loading up on the duds haha!

 

[mattys123]

If Bucks, Clement and Rocca aren't available, the next 3 has to be;

Burns.
Licuiria.
Tarrant (as a forward in 02 and 03, not a backman)

 

[eddiesmith]

Not really, side would be stronger than the current team

J.Cloke is a massive improvement on Maxwell
Wakelin is obviously an improvement on Reid
C.Cloke is a more reliable option than L.Brown

 

[loki04]

My 3 would of been Buckley, Tarrant and Clement, if those 3 weren't allowed it would be Rocca, Wakelin and Burns.

 

[Football God]

When did Sav leave us? D:

Buckley
Clement
Molloy

 

[ThePheonix]

I think if we had Clement, Buckley and Rocca..we would be favorites to win the flag. Rocca at his peak is simliar to Lance Franklin.

I never got Tarrant, I just don't understand a forward who can't kick straight. To me its a sign something not right, eg he probably doesn't practice hard enough.

 

[mattys123]

Not really, side would be stronger than the current team

J.Cloke is a massive improvement on Maxwell
Wakelin is obviously an improvement on Reid
C.Cloke is a more reliable option than L.Brown

On the J.Cloke call, LOL, not even worth having a go at you over that, one has been All Australian, one played one good season and didn't even make the AA squad.

Wakelin was "ok", was never great, and always got beat by the best forwards. Ben Reid will be better long term then Wakes.

C.Cloke = LOL. But the Leigh Brown comparison isn't too far off.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Clement
Buckley
Brusn

If they're unavailable...

P Williams
Freeborn
Rocca

 

[TradeDraft]

When did Sav leave us? D:

Buckley
Clement
Molloy

2001 Sav Left when MM gave him the Ass

 

[Quicky]

Wakelin was "ok", was never great, and always got beat by the best forwards. Ben Reid will be better long term then Wakes.

Thats crap. At his best Wakelin was a gun. He is massively under-rated in here and would slot straight into our current team. He slowed a bit with age but in the early 2000's he was very hard to kick a goal on. He had Lynchs measure, and he (and Lloyd) are probably the measure from that period.

 

[Football God]

2001 Sav Left when MM gave him the Ass

FML. Now i'm so pissed off with MM, couldn't f***ing wait another 2 or 3 years could he.

 

[knightwheelrqr]

Without A.Rocca, Clement, Buckley:

= Paul Williams (F/Mid - Excellent kick and had some nice pace), S.Rocca (FF - Was a goal kicking machine who would take the pressure of Cloke perfectly giving him a true power forward), Burns (Utility - Hard nut with leadership qualities. Can play anywhere and his versatility would be valued greately).

B: Alan Toovey Simon Prestigiacomo Harry O'Brien
HB: Ben Johnson Nick Maxwell Heath Shaw
MID: Dale Thomas Dane Swan Scott Pendlebury
HF: Alan Didak Travis Cloke Paul Williams
F: Leon Davis Saverio Rocca Paul Medhurst
FOLL: Darren Jolly Luke Ball Scott Burns
BENCH: Dayne Beams Steele Sidebottom Sharrod Wellingham Ben Reid

Close: Chris Tarrant and Shane Wakelin both could have their cases argued. Tarrant as an AA, FF. Wakelin would be a perfect compliment at CHB to go with Presti.

 

[PieBeast]

Thats crap. At his best Wakelin was a gun. He is massively under-rated in here and would slot straight into our current team. He slowed a bit with age but in the early 2000's he was very hard to kick a goal on. He had Lynchs measure, and he (and Lloyd) are probably the measure from that period.

Spot on Quicky, In his last few years Wakes was as good as Presti is now.

 

[mdc]

Thats crap. At his best Wakelin was a gun. He is massively under-rated in here and would slot straight into our current team. He slowed a bit with age but in the early 2000's he was very hard to kick a goal on. He had Lynchs measure, and he (and Lloyd) are probably the measure from that period.

Lynch kicked 29 goals in 9 matches against us 2001-2004, which is over 3/game (i.e. right around his average from that period). Not terrible by any stretch, but not exactly a badge of honour either.

I personally never rated Wakes much as a stopper, and think his best years were actually his last couple, when he began to rebound more off half-back.

As for your question, I'd take Tarrant, Burns and Paul Williams, roughly in that order.

 

[sr36]

Burns -A hard nut midfielder with good disposal. He would be great.
Licuria - Surprised so few have mentioned him, especially seeing he fits the need of a genuine midfield stopper.

To me these 2 plus Clement and Buckley were easily our four best players for the majority of 2000-2007

The third one - on talent I would probably go for Paul Williams, but he didn't play for us much in this period.
Maybe S. Roccas for needs, but he was bloody inconsistent and completely useless when out of form.
Maybe Tarrant.
Maybe Wakelin.
Maybe Mal Michael - on Brisbane form

I'd probably just ask to have Presti's clock wound back 7 years.

 

[Snag Breac]

Buckley, A.Rocca and James Clement.

 

[Damon_3388]

I think if we had Tarrant now in his key backman incarnation, we'd be a bigger chance to win the flag. Obviously Clement circa 2004-2005 (we pretty much wasted his best years) and a fully fit Rocca would be very helpful too.

 

[Smoky]

FML. Now i'm so pissed off with MM, couldn't f***ing wait another 2 or 3 years could he.

You don't seriously think that Malthouse would have the sole authority on a call like that do you?

 

[SwanBet]

Definitely Buckley, Rocca and Clement.

those 3 aside what do we lack at them moment? A Key forward yes. and maybe another star midfielder, and maybe another key back or small back will skill.

I would bring in Chris Tarrant (O2) was a star back then and would really help us having that gun up forward.

Paul Licuria (2001) Another real midifeld grunt, could even be used as our tagger, his fitness was elite would be a real asset to our team.

My last spot, is either a Tall back(to replace reid) or a small backmen (replacing toovey). This may seem out of the blue but Ryan Lonie. In his prime was an elite kick and really ran and carried the ball. Injuries took him down but in his prime was very good of half back, he wouldv'e released shaw a bit. Wakelin is another i'd love in our side in saying that.

B: N.Maxwell S.Prestgiacomo R.Lonie
HB: H.Shaw B.Reid H.Obrien
C: D.Thomas D.Swan S.Sidebottom
HF: A.Didak T.Cloke L.Davis
F: P.Medhurst C.Tarrant B.Dick
R: D.Jolly P.Licuria S.Pendlebury

B: J.Fraser, D.Beams, S.Wellingham, B.Johnson

 

[Bay Pie]

Clement, Buckley & A.Rocca

Clement-just didn't get beat one-on-one (except N.Brown one day) and provided great rebound with his 60m passes. He'd replace probably Maxwell or Reid.

Bucks-no justification needed

Rocca- Go and have a look at his 2002 & 2003 year and even some of his 2006. He was unstoppable when on his game, which he was plenty during those years. Wicked contested mark and very good kick for goal.

Outside of these guys:

Burns- Another tough head over the footy onballer
P.Williams- Speed, disposal efficiency and ball winning ability
Big Sav due to his contested marking and goal kicking ability.

 

[Football God]

You don't seriously think that Malthouse would have the sole authority on a call like that do you?

He had the most say in it than anyone

 

[Optimax]

He had the most say in it than anyone

Sav was next to useless in 2001, he would have offered no more probably less then the strange recruiting decision that was cummings

Would also have had other effects, like Anthony's form improved when he realised if his brother could and did get cut anyone especially him could.

What was disappointing is that we didn't trade Sav, instead just cut him where pagan used a late 2nd or early 3rdrounder on him such was the demand, the decision to cut him was neither here nor there

 

[kevind]

What we really lack at the moment is a key forward target, one who could take a contested mark and kick accurately, so I would go for A Rocca. He could also ruck, so that would solve another of our weaknesses, 2nd ruck.

Paul Williams would be the next choice. IMO, the 2nd best footballer we have had in the last 15 years. We lack a midfielder with break away speed, good foot skills and who is a goalkicker. Williams would fit the bill perfectly.

Thirdly, Scott Burns. Quality player and a hard nut to boot.

I would not pick Clement. He was a very good 3rd tall defender and superior to Maxwell and O'Brien, but would not improve our side greatly.

A Rocca, Williams and Burns in their prime would take us up to Geelong and StKilda's level.

PS Can't believe the poster who selected Holland, a very ordinary footballer. Was it sarcasm and I missed the hook?????