AFL Team of the 21st Century (Rolling)

[Noidnadroj]

This is where we differ, I guess. If the bulk of their career was this century, then I'm taking them into selection consideration and basing it on their overall career and skills as a player. I'm not taking out individual seasons and then comparing them against guys that have more seasons in this century. Cousins played more of his career this century and I would rate him as a player above several included in your team.

Yep, my assumption is the team of the 21st century as per the title takes into account only football played from 2000 onwards. If it’s entire careers then my team would have included Hird, Buckley, Lloyd, Voss and Ricciuto and maybe one or two others… including perhaps Cousins.

As a midfielder I’d have Cousins on the rung below Judd, Buckley, Bont, Voss, GAJ, Martin and in the same discussion as the likes of Selwood, Danger, Fyfe, Pendles, Black and S Mitchell.

Cousins was a great player, as are all of those listed above.


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[curnow inferno]

Yes, I thought I was responding to the original poster.

The idea that Bont, who has never won a Brownlow, is ahead of Cousins shows just how insular Victorian fans can be. Cousins won the Rising Star, Brownlow, Leigh Matthews Medal, six AAs, four B&Fs while playing alongside Judd... Bont would need to seriously lift his game to come close. Pendlebury has longevity but his peak was never near Cousins. Cousins was practically carrying the team in his third and fourth years and was brilliant through the 2000s.

Im the OP.

I have cousins on field and bont on bench…

 

[RUNVS]

Im the OP.

I have cousins on field and bont on bench…

I don't think Bont has done quite enough yet to make the team, and that is no insult to him, he is a great player, but I think he needs another few years at a high level before he can be in contention.

 

[Noidnadroj]

I don't think Bont has done quite enough yet to make the team, and that is no insult to him, he is a great player, but I think he needs another few years at a high level before he can be in contention.

He’s been at a very high level since his debut season of 2015 when he should’ve won the Rising Star … that’s 9-years. More elite level seasons than the likes of Cousins, Buckley or Voss whose careers overlapped the turn of the century.

So to me you’re deciding between Bont or the likes of S Mitchell/Swan/Selwood, not those other guys who played 4+ of their best years in the 1990’s.


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[Lingsface]

Jason Akermanis at the bulldogs is very underrated, 08 and 09 Prelim final team he leads the goal kicking one year and second the other while still having stints in the midfield and bringing in close on 20 touches every game as well. 4th last when he arrives next 2 years 3rd position.

 

[The Punter]

Jason Akermanis at the bulldogs is very underrated, 08 and 09 Prelim final team he leads the goal kicking one year and second the other while still having stints in the midfield and bringing in close on 20 touches every game as well. 4th last when he arrives next 2 years 3rd position.

Is there a better high half-forward in the history of the game?

 

[Cleansweep17]

This is where we differ, I guess. If the bulk of their career was this century, then I'm taking them into selection consideration and basing it on their overall career and skills as a player. I'm not taking out individual seasons and then comparing them against guys that have more seasons in this century. Cousins played more of his career this century and I would rate him as a player above several included in your team.

I agree, Cousins over Pendles easy even discounting his career pre 2000. His peak football is like twice as good.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Gibson won 2 x B&F’s in premiership years. 200+ games and the best defender in a dynasty team. The other candidate were Chris Johnson, but he played a lot of footy priory to 2000. And Tom Stewart, but he’s only played 140-odd games. If Stewart has another 2-3 quality seasons he will probably take Gibsons spot.

Boomer played 360 odd games in the 2000’s. 4 x AA. 5 x B&F’s. 11 x seasons kicking 25+ goals.

Fyfe is 8th for total Brownlow votes this century and easily the best per game average. He’s also averaging 3+ coaches votes per game which is top-5. 2 x Brownlows. I’d be happy to swap him out for Swan or S Mitchell.


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I personally really liked your team. People can always argue for changes but no one looks really out of place.

I'm biased but I also really like the suggestion of swapping Fyfe for Sam Mitchell.

Fyfe was an absolute beast and his best was probably a bit better than Mitchells (albeit very different style players) but Sam was at an elite level for basically twice as long.

Fyfe's last elite season was in 2019- when he played about 170 games whereas Mitchell had close to 300 games at an elite level. In Fact, all of Fyfe's individual awards come from the same 3-4 seasons whereas Mitchell was the Rising Star winner in '03, winning B&F and top 3 in the Brownlow in '06/'07 and was still winning AA's, flags, BnF's and placing in the Brownlow in '15/'16, with incredible consistency in between.

Mitchell is in front for Brownlow votes, Coaches votes (despite them not existing for the first 4 years of his career) and has 5 B&F's to Fyfe's 3 (in a far stronger side).

Mitchell was also a key member of 4 flags (including 1 as captain) and was Hawthorn's best finals player during our era of dominance. Fyfe was a bit more hot and cold in finals.

 

[Lingsface]

Is there a better high half-forward in the history of the game?

maybe the guy that beat him in the goal kicking one of those years but other than that not many!

 

[Cleansweep17]

I think 1 more AA will put Lachie Neil in front of Pendlebury. 2 Brownlows is incredibly difficult, people have Fyfe in for the same reasons.

Neil almost had the Brownlow triple. Lost by 1 vote I think in 2022 and was arguably robbed by Carlton lawyers.

And before you laugh at my comment Fadge. Every mid in the OPs team has a Brownlow or is a dual MVP winner. Except for Pendlebury, he’s obviously the ugly duckling here. Peak just wasn’t good enough.

 

[Fadge]

I think 1 more AA will put Lachie Neil in front of Pendlebury. 2 Brownlows is incredibly difficult, people have Fyfe in for the same reasons.

Neil almost had the Brownlow triple. Lost by 1 vote I think in 2022 and was arguably robbed by Carlton lawyers.

And before you laugh at my comment Fadge. Every mid in the OPs team has a Brownlow or is a dual MVP winner. Except for Pendlebury, he’s obviously the ugly duckling here. Peak just wasn’t good enough.

I'm laughing because.... what is a Lachie Neil?

 

[Mr Meow]

I think 1 more AA will put Lachie Neil in front of Pendlebury. 2 Brownlows is incredibly difficult, people have Fyfe in for the same reasons.

Neil almost had the Brownlow triple. Lost by 1 vote I think in 2022 and was arguably robbed by Carlton lawyers.

And before you laugh at my comment Fadge. Every mid in the OPs team has a Brownlow or is a dual MVP winner. Except for Pendlebury, he’s obviously the ugly duckling here. Peak just wasn’t good enough.

Neil who?

 

[Cleansweep17]

I'm laughing because.... what is a Lachie Neil?

You’re 60 years old and still being the grammar police. Jesus

 

[Cleansweep17]

Neil who?

You know the random guy off the street that has the same number of flags as GAS. Actually I do too!!!

 

[Mr Meow]

You’re 60 years old and still being the grammar police. Jesus

Do you even know the difference between spelling and grammar?

It appears not, but we're meant to believe you can discern between the quality of these teams?

You're struggling on all fronts.

Once again the poll is pretty spot on and I say that with Geelong only in third place. Richmond well off in last place, which lines up with commonsense.

 

[Cleansweep17]

Do you even know the difference between spelling and grammar?

It appears not, but we're meant to believe you can discern between the quality of these teams?

You're struggling on all fronts.

Once again the poll is pretty spot on and I say that with Geelong only in third place. Richmond well off in last place, which lines up with commonsense.

So you agree Geelong is 3rd? Great now we are getting somewhere. So do I

 

[Piggy Smalls]

Pavlich?

 

[JackOutback]

Pavlich?

Criminally underrated over east. You’d have him simply because he’s the most versatile star you could have on the team. Can dominate up forward, down back, then run through the middle.

 

[Mr Meow]

So you agree Geelong is 3rd? Great now we are getting somewhere. So do I

People will always rate going back to back (let alone back to back to back) higher unless the side was quite obviously several levels below (e.g Adelaide '97-98 and Richmond '17-'20). At least Adelaide beat some very good sides away from home at the G, so are ahead of Richmond.

But yeah I don't have an issue with that logic when splitting three truly great sides. And Brisbane had the most adversity plus did it first in the AFL era (all on the road) so are worthy of their comfortable number 1 ranking.

Hawthorn and Geelong in their own tier makes sense.

Richmond miles behind the rest makes sense.

 

[Mr Meow]

Criminally underrated over east. You’d have him simply because he’s the most versatile star you could have on the team. Can dominate up forward, down back, then run through the middle.

Pavlich was an absolute star and you could easily argue ahead of Riewoldt.

He'd be almost first picked.

 

[Cleansweep17]

People will always rate going back to back (let alone back to back to back) higher unless the side was quite obviously several levels below (e.g Adelaide '97-98 and Richmond '17-'20). At least Adelaide beat some very good sides away from home at the G, so are ahead of Richmond.

But yeah I don't have an issue with that logic when splitting three truly great sides. And Brisbane had the most adversity plus did it first in the AFL era (all on the road) so are worthy of their comfortable number 1 ranking.

Hawthorn and Geelong in their own tier makes sense.

Richmond miles behind the rest makes sense.

Oh dear, Fadge logic has infected your brain. Not sure if you realise 3 flags is more than 2. But keep going, you amuse me.

 

[Mr Meow]

Oh dear, Fadge logic has infected your brain. Not sure if you realise 3 flags is more than 2. But keep going, you amuse me.

Man for man that Adelaide side was very close to the quality of Richmond 2017-2020. They beat better teams and on the road so go ahead.

I reckon Blighty would've figured out how to disassemble the Tigers swarm too.

 

[Cleansweep17]

Man for man that Adelaide side was very close to the quality of Richmond 2017-2020. They beat better teams and on the road so go ahead.

I reckon Blighty would've figured out how to disassemble the Tigers swarm too.

Exempt no coach pre-Clarkson showed they could devise such complex systems.

But it’s ok I know you don’t mean it, you are just trying to have a dig and you think I care.
I rate the dig a 4/10, wanna have another go?

 

[Fadge]

You’re 60 years old and still being the grammar police. Jesus

Not sure where you got the idea I'm 60 years old from, and I reckon if I knew so little about football that I continually referred to 'Dustin Marvin' I'd have a few people correcting me.

 

[Fadge]

I think 1 more AA will put Lachie Neil in front of Pendlebury. 2 Brownlows is incredibly difficult, people have Fyfe in for the same reasons.

Neil almost had the Brownlow triple. Lost by 1 vote I think in 2022 and was arguably robbed by Carlton lawyers.

And before you laugh at my comment Fadge. Every mid in the OPs team has a Brownlow or is a dual MVP winner. Except for Pendlebury, he’s obviously the ugly duckling here. Peak just wasn’t good enough.

Your logic is flawed due to your very simple binary assessment of winning a Brownlow gives a tick, whilst not winning a Brownlow is a cross.

Lachie Neale wouldn't have been in the top 5 players in the competition in 2023. That list is Bontempelli, N. Daicos, Butters, Greene and Curnow. Possibly not even top 10. Pendlebury has had at a minumim a handful of better seasons than Neale's 2023.

Another factor, one that has been thrown down our throats by Richmond supporters in the Dusty v. Dangerfield comparisons - if Pendlebury was wearing a Brisbane jumper and Neale a Collingwood jumper in the 2023 Grand Final, Brisbane would be the 2023 premiers... and that is with Pendlebury as a 35 year old and Neale in the prime of his career.

Neale has been a great player, but no, he doesn't replace Pendlebury in this team.