Best forward 6 of all time

[PhatBoy]

Yep. Harry Taylor was an absolute gun, but I would happily have stolen literally every single person you listed there. Class all round.

Likewise.
For all the ‘yes I have to hate Hawthorn because that’s what Geelong fans have to do’ hubris, I absolutely loved so many of their players. Not just the superstars either. Always thought Lewis was a superb footballer, and before we squeezed the last bit of juice from him I was a big Isaac Smith fan.

I love watching great key defenders, we’ve been very lucky as a league to have some freaks over the last 30 years in Fletcher, Silvagni, Jakovich, Scarlett, Rance, Lake etc but genuinely putting bias aside if I had to pick one just to play purely as a spoiling or marking defender with no onus on any attacking flair or rebound skill, it would probably be Taylor, he was probably as good as anyone I’ve ever seen at knowing what he could mark, and what he had to neutralise. The big downer as a Cats fan is wondering what Matthew Egan would have become if he didn’t have to retire

 

[Forward Press]

I’d have Heady before Darling and Lewis before LeCras. Neither were more prolific in front of goal but both were better players and far more creative for those around them.

Probably nostaglia glasses for you (imo) but having been around for the prime of Heady and Lewis I still rate Darling and LeCras above them. If they were to fit into the squad, they'd probably actually push out Sumich (Kennedy to FF) and Embley.

 

[Crow till I die]

If you are talking best front 6 of all time..then actually lining up in the same side its hard to think of a better forward line than the Vic 1989 state of origin side..absolutely frightening.G Ablett Snr, The greatest of them all Tony Lockett

Tony Lockett

Age

58

Ht

191cm

Wt

108kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.2

3star

K

8.4

3star

HB

1.8

2star

M

6.3

5star

T

0.5

3star

G

4.8

5star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

5.6

3star

HB

2.6

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.0

1star

G

1.4

5star

, Jason Dunstall and Dermott brereton

 

[Caligo]

Likewise.
For all the ‘yes I have to hate Hawthorn because that’s what Geelong fans have to do’ hubris, I absolutely loved so many of their players. Not just the superstars either. Always thought Lewis was a superb footballer, and before we squeezed the last bit of juice from him I was a big Isaac Smith fan.

I love watching great key defenders, we’ve been very lucky as a league to have some freaks over the last 30 years in Fletcher, Silvagni, Jakovich, Scarlett, Rance, Lake etc but genuinely putting bias aside if I had to pick one just to play purely as a spoiling or marking defender with no onus on any attacking flair or rebound skill, it would probably be Taylor, he was probably as good as anyone I’ve ever seen at knowing what he could mark, and what he had to neutralise. The big downer as a Cats fan is wondering what Matthew Egan would have become if he didn’t have to retire

I was so happy to see Isaac do so well for you guys. I knew he would.

Been sad to see gunston struggle with form and fitness, I thought he would do the same for Brisbane.

 

[PhatBoy]

I was so happy to see Isaac do so well for you guys. I knew he would.

Been sad to see gunston struggle with form and fitness, I thought he would do the same for Brisbane.

Yeah I thought he would too, assumed he’d compliment the two tall blokes and Cameron perfectly but just hasn’t happened unfortunately. Doesn’t diminish what he’d done previously though.

 

[Harrison Bergeron]

Richardson, Riewoldt, Rioli

Martin*, Bartlett, Hart

Fairly handy I'd say.

*yes I know he's played more midfield over his career and hasn't had very high season goal tallies -still don't care.

 

[Blind Turn]

Probably nostaglia glasses for you (imo) but having been around for the prime of Heady and Lewis I still rate Darling and LeCras above them. If they were to fit into the squad, they'd probably actually push out Sumich (Kennedy to FF) and Embley.

Might be a bit of recency bias on your behalf
At one point I remember thinking that Heady could be the perfect forward flanker. I’ve never had a thought like that about Darling. Lewis was all class and creative genius. LeCras is closer to bumping him due to the sheer weight of his big bags during games but sometimes the sheer Rolls Royce qualities of a player like Lewis make you err on that side when push comes to shove.

 

[Roby]

If you are talking best front 6 of all time..then actually lining up in the same side its hard to think of a better forward line than the Vic 1989 state of origin side..absolutely frightening.G Ablett Snr, The greatest of them all Tony Lockett, Jason Dunstall and Dermott brereton

I miss SoG

 

[Blind Turn]

Hird Fraser T Watson
Bewick Coleman Lloyd

This goes alright I reckon.

Timmy played a lot of footy at HF as well as ruck roving. In a full team Reynolds or Hutchy would have his RR position. Fraser was possibly the premier CHF in the comp before Royce Hart took flight. Bewick might be the weak link to some extent due to the legends around him but he was a true goal sneak, kicked 9 & 8 in a game, and performed in finals.

T Daniher, R Merrett, Salmon, Lucas, Vander Haar, and Mercuri are all in the conversation.

 

[Lingsface]

Who wins Hawthorn 80’s or Hawthorn 2008-2014 in terms of forward line?

 

[Seeds]

Haha..firstly we are picking a best ever forward 6 so of course we can put Matthews forward, just as the AFL TOTC did. Not because he wasn't a better mid than the others available but because he was so much better forward that it allows you to pick an extra gun midfielder.

Secondly, plenty of teams play with 3 KPF's or with 2 and a '3rd tall'. If they were all available, you probably would pick more than 1, just as the State teams did to devastating effect (remember when Plugger, Dunstall and Ablett all played for the Big V?). Hudson would really suit the '3rd tall' role with his smarts and positioning.

Even if for some weird reason you want to force Hudson out of the side and Matthews 'only' rests forward from the midfield,I still think a combination of Dunstall (FF), Franklin (CHF) and one of Brereton, Roughead, Moncrieff (600+ goals) or Peck (3 straight Colemans) as the 3rd tall would still be pretty bloody handy. Without Matthews, we would only have Rioli, Breust, Buckenara or Jarman to pick for the remaining pocket/flank.

Still formidable, even after you find reasons to remove 2 of the best ever.

Depends how you pick it. If it's just the best 6 forwards sure Matthews is in. If you are picking your best side and naming your foward line then he starts mid so you need another foward.

 

[Seeds]

Who wins Hawthorn 80’s or Hawthorn 2008-2014 in terms of forward line?

80s easily. No contest really.

 

[Seeds]

Yeah I think they’d manage with one at CHF somehow.

They would both be hopeless centre half fowards. Dunstall was not great in packs. One on one and on a lead he was brilliant. But he didn't have the attributes to play up the field or anywhere else really. You don't get players like dunstall anymore as they were too one dimensional.

 

[Caligo]

They would both be hopeless centre half fowards. Dunstall was not great in packs. One on one and on a lead he was brilliant. But he didn't have the attributes to play up the field or anywhere else really. You don't get players like dunstall anymore as they were too one dimensional.

Dunstall was surprisingly good defensively in the forward line, he was also pretty good on the ground. He was a lot less one dimensional than he appeared. Not so much with the pack crashing though.

 

[Seeds]

Dunstall was surprisingly good defensively in the forward line, he was also pretty good on the ground. He was a lot less one dimensional than he appeared. Not so much with the pack crashing though.

Agree he was ahead of his time in regards to defensive pressure

 

[Seeds]

The only way I could see dunstall and hudson working is if they both played as full foward and Franklin and dermie cleared out and played well up the field. Kind of like lockett and dunstall in the 89 state of origin. But Victoria smashed it in that day and locket was a bit different in that he was one of the games greatest pack marks.

 

[Caligo]

The only way I could see dunstall and hudson working is if they both played as full foward and Franklin and dermie cleared out and played well up the field. Kind of like lockett and dunstall in the 89 state of origin. But Victoria smashed it in that day and locket was a bit different in that he was one of the games greatest pack marks.

Franklin at his best just running all over the place. Not sure derm makes it sadly.