Best midfield ever?

[Lingsface]

With some amazing midfields around atm and developing ones as well, who do you rate as the best midfield of all time.

The first few that pop into my mind are
West Coast 2000's - Kerr Cousins Judd Embley and they what they have that alot of others don't is a star ruckman Cox.
Brisbane 2000's- Voss Black Akermanis Lappin Power
Melbourne- Now Gawn Petracca Oliver Viney

 

[Rustin Cohle]

Ablett, Bartel, Selwood, Corey, Ling goes alright.

 

[Lingsface]

Ablett, Bartel, Selwood, Corey, Ling goes alright.

Throw in chappy for a run as well

 

[Juddernaut08]

eagles if u ask me

 

[Hippster]

Brisbane’s for me. Voss, Lappin, Power, Aker, Black..and Keating / maybe another Ruck? Always peaked at finals time.

 

[Lingsface]

The one year cameo from des headland

Des Headland

Age

43

Ht

186cm

Wt

91kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.9

4star

K

11.6

4star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.5

4star

T

2.6

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

13.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

2.4

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.8

4star

was great as well.

 

[PhatBoy]

I think of the modern ones ours was probably the deepest and most ‘complete’ - Ablett, Bartel, Selwood, Corey, Kelly, Ling, Ottens all All Australians, Johnson, Chapman and Enright all played on the ball as well and were AA too.

But at its cream and playing their best football the Eagles one I think was pretty f**ken hard to go past

 

[Lingsface]

What about 80s?
Any standouts or 70s.
I imagine Hawthorn having Platten Matthews around wouldn’t of needed much more to get into the elite category.

North Melbourne Cable era as well.

Carlton 90s with Bradley Williams Brown Kouta is a bit underrated.

Also 1998 Crows with Riccutio Goodwin McLeod Jarman Edwards Johnson.

 

[ClintEastwood]

Voss, Akermanis, Lappin, Black

 

[PerthBoy86]

The Eagles trio of Judd, Cousins, Kerr, but not because of personal bias, but because that mid 00s side didn't have much firepower up front but still dominated, and you could see how good our midfield was. I've never seen a midfield dominate/carry a side as much before or since the 05-06 Eagles.

 

[Ricmel]

The way footy was played pre 2000s - more set positions - I don't think it compares so easily to "midfield" today. You could maybe make a case for the 1995 Carlton team with Williams, Bradley, Ratten, Kouta, Brown, Camporeale all going through the mid.

Since 2000 I think Eagles 2005/2006 were the most X factor. Brisbane's 2001 - 2003 was exceptional but personally I think a bit more pedestrian than Eagles. Probably similar commentary on Cats group.

 

[M Malice]

If you could pick a combined midfield from the 4 Dynasty sides this century my group would be >

Dean Cox

Dean Cox

Age

43

Ht

203cm

Wt

107kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.9

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

G

0.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

13.0

4star

K

5.8

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.0

1star

- Gary Ablett Jnr, Chris Judd, Michael Voss, Ben Cousins.
_____________________________________________________
I see Dusty as a Fwd/Mid, Cousins by a whisker over Akermanis... Sam Mitchell close as well.

 

[RAPPA]

The one that separates the eagles from the power mids from the Lions and Cats is the start ruckman in Cox. You could definitely be splitting hairs between the mids of all three teams but Cox is the clear dominant ruckman across Eagles, Cats and Lions. Obviously Gawn would be the most comparable opponent, but the demons’ midfield pales in comparison to the eagles, Lions and Cats.

 

[sleep]

If you could pick a combined midfield from the 4 Dynasty sides this century my group would be >

Dean Cox - Gary Ablett Jnr, Chris Judd, Michael Voss, Ben Cousins.
_____________________________________________________
I see Dusty as a Fwd/Mid, Cousins by a whisker over Akermanis... Sam Mitchell close as well.

Bartel/selwood/black > cousins

 

[Blackas87]

Bartel/selwood/black > cousins

Selwood/Black maybe over Cousins, Bartel no.

 

[Smithdogmaddog]

Going purely on the 4 starting in the centre square the ruckman is the tie breaker here, the rest cancel each other out.

1. Eagles (Cox)
2. Geelong (Ottens)
3. Brisbane (Keating)

 

[sleep]

Selwood/Black maybe over Cousins, Bartel no.

How so?

 

[Outtatym]

Brisbane

 

[kickazz]

Cousins Kerr Judd.

 

[juss]

The one that separates the eagles from the power mids from the Lions and Cats is the start ruckman in Cox. You could definitely be splitting hairs between the mids of all three teams but Cox is the clear dominant ruckman across Eagles, Cats and Lions. Obviously Gawn would be the most comparable opponent, but the demons’ midfield pales in comparison to the eagles, Lions and Cats.

If the ruck counts then Eagles have the edge with Cox miles ahead of the comparable rucks

 

[Tandy]

This reminds me of what would have happened if Bryan Cousins had played 33 more games for Geelong. Ben would have been F/S!

 

[joe444]

"Bourke Barrett Clay"

Didn't see them myself, but when the phrase can still be found on google, the debate is probably over.

 

[juss]

"Bourke Barrett Clay"

Didn't see them myself, but when the phrase can still be found on google, the debate is probably over.

They're in VFL/Richmond folklore but it's to hard to compare from eras back then.

I would assume without seeing them some power teams from the 70s & 80s Hawks must have had all time midfields too, but it's the same non comparable challenge.

 

[Cyclops]

Are we throwing in wings as well? What about the dosey-do of the early 80s? Maybe need to sharpen up some definitions.

Bourke Barret Clay was very feared, add in the golden boy Bartlett (not nearly as good as Richmond say he was but still a star rover) that was a devastating midfield that came out on top in an era of great sides like Carlton, North and the Pies. I didn't see it though.

This century? If we're adding in the rucks its Cox Judd Kerr and Cousins, so much attacking potential, all day run. Arguably Cousins is the best player in there (with no disrespect to Judd or Kerr, all three HOF locks) and there's no weaknesses, except maybe a bit of stopping power. West Coast 00's had awesome depth too, the third stringers were bulls, fantastic wings, the lot.

Aker Voss Black has so much class, enough grunt and even more goal scoring. Keating? Not so much. You could argue the best balanced starting 3.

The Melbourne and Geelong ones go close, GAJ alone drags them into contention. This present Melbourne midfield doesn't seem super deep but the first line is gold, and Gawn a big improvement on most premiership rucks. The Dank and 2011 Geelong midfield was like the West Coast of 00's and 90's, about 9 blokes able to run through and be effective.

Going back Carlton had a mosquito fleet in the early 80's that terrorized football. Johnson, Buckley, Marcou, Ashman, Sheldon, Hunter, Wells, Glascott, Harmes, I have probably forgotten some because of the trauma. The stuff of nightmares, they played ruck rovers at CHB sometimes and ran opponents to death. Deepest midfield ever I'd say and not lacking class. Rucks went OK, Percy Jones, and Fitzpatrick relieving from CHF.

They were surpassed by the Hawthorn midfield built around Platten. Wallace Buckenara or Eade in the centre, the second stringers like Tuck, Greene and Loveridge, superb wings like Dipper Pritchard and Hall (before the knee), pinch hitters like Ayres (2 Norms when switched to the centre) and Jencke. Later guys like Whtiman Anderson Morrissey Allan etc got a run, the standard was high for a decade. They could stop opponents, score buckets of goals, run hard, cover injuries. Byrne and Dear solid defensive rucks, but not stars.

The old timers rightly talk of Melbourne Barrassi led midfield in the 50s, I am told their energy wa even more a feature than their proven class.

The 1930's was the golden age of the rover with arguable GOATS like Dick Reynolds, Chicken Smallhorn and Haydn Bunton Snr burning bright...but all of them were shaded by The Machine. Syd Coventry in the ruck, Harry Collier at his feet, Beverige, Libbis, Bowyer and Chesswass on the wings. A handy bloke called Murphy playing shepherd ruck (which was the style at the time, they used to play 2 rucks on the ball, one to jump and the other to...ahem...keep the peace). They managed the only ever unbeaten season (just a curious loss in the finals), and four straight flags.

 

[windyhill]

How many times has this been done ?
Brisbane Lions btw.