Current Champions of the Game?

[galindez]

Obviously it depends on how you view the phrase, but for me, the ones it brings to mind are Ablett, Judd and Goodes. Those three seem to have an aura about them. There's a certain weight to their names.

 

[Squida25]

Judd, Ablett and Scarlett. Maybe Cox too.

 

[raskolnikov]

Pendlebury is way young to be considered a champion. He's had a couple of good years. Come back in 5 years time and we'll consider it.

Fletcher is definitely a champion, as is Harvey. You don't play over 300 games without being a champion.

 

[muesli]

Judd, Ablett and Scarlett. Maybe Cox too.

Agreed.
Goodes would be close.

 

[HugeJohnson]

Chad Cornes anyone?

 

[AG]

Haven't seen that guy for 2 years.....

 

[Kaiser Powser]

If the world ended today, anyone worthy of HOF entrance is a champion imo. So while Judd, Goodes, Ablett are on another level, I'd call guys like Steve Johnson champions. Yes, he's a wank on the field at times but he has been a sensational forward for years.

Enright is another who many would consider just a very good player but 2 time B&F in a premiership season, multiple AA's, best medium defender I've probably seen. Champion written all over him imo.

EDIT: Johnson borderline actually. Enright definitely for mine.

Adelaide: 0
Brisbane: Black, Brown
Carlton: Judd
Collingwood: Swan
Essendon: Fletcher
Fremantle: Pavlich
Hawthorn: Franklin, Hodge
Geelong: Enright, Bartel, Scarlett
Gold Coast: Ablett
Melbourne: 0
North: Harvey
Port: 0
Richmond: 0
St Kilda: Hayes, Riewoldt
Sydney: Goodes
West Coast: Cox
Western Bulldogs: 0

Kerr, Selwood, Mitchell, Chapman, SJ borderline. Might be forgetting others.

Franklin, Selwood are young but have already done enough to be mentioned in conversations like these. Swan likewise due to being a late bloomer but his best is good enough to also be mentioned. They don't have the longetivity of the obvious candidates like Judd, Black, Goodes etc.

Not many defenders. Glass and Rutten are probably two who have had excellent careers but just fall short?

Typically quality Aussie Gun post.

 

[roosaints]

There are plenty of club champions but i'd consider a true champion of the game to be a top 20 player in the game's history. Currently that would be Ablett and Judd, with Franklin only a year or so off inevitably joining and likely surpassing them.

If you considered it top 50 ever, i'd include Goodes, Scarlett and Cox.

 

[Jcpdragonx]

Adelaide: Scott Thompson
Brisbane Lions: Simon Black, Jonathan Brown
Carlton: Chris Judd, Marc Murphy
Collingwood: Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas, Luke Ball, Travis Cloke, Heath Shaw, Ben Reid, Alan Didak
Essendon: Dustin Fletcher, Jobe Watson
Fremantle: Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands, David Mundy
Geelong: Matthew Scarlett, Jimmy Bartel, Corey Enright, Joel Selwood, Paul Chapman, Steve Johnson, James Kelly, Joel Corey
Gold Coast: Gary Ablett
GWS Giants: 0
Hawthorn: Lance Franklin, Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell
Melbourne: 0
North Melbourne: Brent Harvey
Port Adelaide: 0
Richmond: Brett Deledio
St Kilda: Lenny Hayes, Nick Riewoldt, Brendon Goddard, Stephen Milne
Sydney: Adam Goodes
West Coast: Dean Cox, Daniel Kerr, Darren Glass, Andrew Embley
Western Bulldogs: Adam Cooney, Matthew Boyd, Ryan Griffen

Generous list, but no way in hell is Dale Thomas a champion of our game.

 

[Squida25]

Agreed.
Goodes would be close.

Ah true, knew I was forgetting someone.

 

[Seeds]

If the world ended today, anyone worthy of HOF entrance is a champion imo. So while Judd, Goodes, Ablett are on another level, I'd call guys like Steve Johnson champions. Yes, he's a wank on the field at times but he has been a sensational forward for years.

Enright is another who many would consider just a very good player but 2 time B&F in a premiership season, multiple AA's, best medium defender I've probably seen. Champion written all over him imo.

EDIT: Johnson borderline actually. Enright definitely for mine.

Adelaide: 0
Brisbane: Black, Brown
Carlton: Judd
Collingwood: Swan
Essendon: Fletcher
Fremantle: Pavlich
Hawthorn: Franklin, Hodge
Geelong: Enright, Bartel, Scarlett
Gold Coast: Ablett
Melbourne: 0
North: Harvey
Port: 0
Richmond: 0
St Kilda: Hayes, Riewoldt
Sydney: Goodes
West Coast: Cox
Western Bulldogs: 0

Kerr, Selwood, Mitchell, Chapman, SJ borderline. Might be forgetting others.

Franklin, Selwood are young but have already done enough to be mentioned in conversations like these. Swan likewise due to being a late bloomer but his best is good enough to also be mentioned. They don't have the longetivity of the obvious candidates like Judd, Black, Goodes etc.

Not many defenders. Glass and Rutten are probably two who have had excellent careers but just fall short?

Gee Enright has gone from massively underrated to massively overrated. He is a great half back flanker but not in the same class as Chapman or Johnson let alone a champion. Probably on the same level as Milburn.

Personally I think the Hawthorn poster above probably got the list right. Wouldn't label any others as champions. The rest are atleast one level below. Although how good do you have to be to be a champion? Everyone has their own definition of champion let alone their own definition of what defines a good footballer so comparing is a bit difficult. When people start threads like these they should really define what they mean by champion.

 

[yakka man]

Frankin can already be counted as a champion, absolute freak of the game. Will kick 1000 goals before he retires. I hate Judd and he is overrated but because of his second gifted Brownlow he will be remembered as a champion. Ablett Jnr is for sure and Scarlett and Goodes. I don't count Riewoldt and Brown as champion forwards because if you did Fevola would have to be a champion also because he scored more goals from less games.

Pav has six All Australians, six Best and Fairests while playing multiple positions and multiple season in the midfield to help out our underperforming team. Swan is a DT champion and has to be pretty close for his huge possession accumulation and high goal scoring ability.

 

[AG]

Gee Enright has gone from massively underrated to massively overrated. He is a great half back flanker but not in the same class as Chapman or Johnson let alone a champion. Probably on the same level as Milburn.

Personally I think the Hawthorn poster above probably got the list right. Wouldn't label any others as champions. The rest are atleast one level below. Although how good do you have to be to be a champion? Everyone has their own definition of champion let alone their own definition of what defines a good footballer so comparing is a bit difficult. When people start threads like these they should really define what they mean by champion.

Rate Enright highly. We all have players who we pump up and Enright is one I've always been a fan of. No issue with Chapman and SJ above him, I'd put them on the list, rather than take Enright off it.

 

[GoTheSwannies]

I have Ablett, Judd & Goodes as the standout guys in the league.
Franklin's still too young imo but is only 2-3 years from being up there but will definitely get there.

Brown & Reiwoldt aren't champions imo. If Brown hadn't been hampered by injuries over the last couple of seasons he'd be up there but he hasn't had the continuity/consistency to be considered imo, it's a shame, but that's just the way it is.

Reiwoldt's a great player, but he's not a champion. A premiership probably would have elevated him to that status but it just wasn't to be.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Surely this guys taking the piss?

The guys bolded are not champions, and there's a few others I didn't bold that are highly highly questionable too.

This will come off as being biased, but take a look at Joel Corey's career achievements compared to some of the guys you didn't decide to bold sometime. They're nowhere near him.

You would think in 20 years time, those 3 will be the names that are mentioned among the greatest ever players to play the game out of the blokes running around today.

Goodes is every chance too, especially if he can get to 400 (shows no signs of slowing down yet).

 

[Hump 17]

I have Ablett, Judd & Goodes as the standout guys in the league.
Franklin's still too young imo but is only 2-3 years from being up there but will definitely get there.

Brown & Reiwoldt aren't champions imo. If Brown hadn't been hampered by injuries over the last couple of seasons he'd be up there but he hasn't had the continuity/consistency to be considered imo, it's a shame, but that's just the way it is.

Reiwoldt's a great player, but he's not a champion. A premiership probably would have elevated him to that status but it just wasn't to be.

How do you workout Riewoldt isn't a champion but if his team kicks one more point he becomes one?

You'd think his five B&F's four all Australians at CHF one as Captain abc a MVP not to mention being one of the best CHF ever would get you there alone.

 

[Sttew]

Ablett, Goodes, Judd, Scarlett, Harvey, Reiwoldt & possibly Mitchell

Mitchell & Harvey are good, solid, dependables but not champions. Pavlich, on the other hand, is a champion of our game. Its been said before - if he'd played for a Melbourne based team he'd get the recognition he deserved.

 

[raskolnikov]

Mitchell & Harvey are good, solid, dependables but not champions. Pavlich, on the other hand, is a champion of our game. Its been said before - if he'd played for a Melbourne based team he'd get the recognition he deserved.

I agree that Pavlich is underrated but I really don't think it's because he is from a non-Victorian team. Goodes, Brown and Cox are from non-Victorian teams but they're not underrated. Judd was always rated a superstar, even when he played for the Eagles. Really when you're watching a game of footy on TV does it matter what state the team's from? I think I watched more Freo or Sydney games last year than I did of say the Western Bulldogs or Melbourne. I don't know why Pavlich is so underrated. It could be because he plays for Freo, who are chronic underachievers, but it's not because he is from a non-Victorian team.

 

[Donakebab]

As always, Simon Black seems like the forgotten man in the majority of lists.

 

[sainter35]

Being a superstar doesn't necessarily mean they're a champion, that's a pretty important distinction for me.

Buddy - not a champion (yet)

Dustin Fletcher - champion (i reckon, anyway)

Great post - agree

Buddy's a great player and will be a champion but he doesnt have the consistency over the time period some of the others have for mine.

Surely we are looking at sustained excellence over 8-10yrs + to justify it?

 

[sainter35]

I have Ablett, Judd & Goodes as the standout guys in the league.
Franklin's still too young imo but is only 2-3 years from being up there but will definitely get there.

Brown & Reiwoldt aren't champions imo. If Brown hadn't been hampered by injuries over the last couple of seasons he'd be up there but he hasn't had the continuity/consistency to be considered imo, it's a shame, but that's just the way it is.

Reiwoldt's a great player, but he's not a champion. A premiership probably would have elevated him to that status but it just wasn't to be.

I never understand when determining an indivuals record we use a team based measure?

Robert Harvey never won a Premiership.....I reckon he was a champion??

If your measure is consistency - might be wise to have a look over Riewoldts WHOLE career,...and not just 2011.

 

[hodge#15]

Great post - agree

Buddy's a great player and will be a champion but he doesnt have the consistency over the time period some of the others have for mine.

Surely we are looking at sustained excellence over 8-10yrs + to justify it?

I dont quite understand how Franklin cannot be classified as a champion yet or how you say he hasn't been consistent? He has dominated ever since 2007 which is pretty much when Abblet exploded aswell? The bloke has the highest expectation and if he doesn't kick 5+ a game his opponent has won? His finals record and performance alone speak for itself. His 7 goals against Adelaide in the elimination final, 8 goals against bulldogs in finals 2008 + 113 goals in a season, and goal agaisnt collingwood last year just scream modern day champion. I don't see why ablett is a champion now yet buddy is 3 years away since they came onto the scene and dominated around the same time. If pavlich is champion despite his continuous chokes when games matter surely Franklin is to? Replies and thoughts not taking the piss or bagging hawthorn would be appreciated.

 

[Budgey]

["I don't know why Pavlich is so underrated."]

It is probably because he has repeatedly kicked points (or fumbled) when the game is on the line. It has just happened too many times. To me, the ability to kick the match winner/stand up under maximum pressure is a defining quality of champions.

 

[hodge#15]

["I don't know why Pavlich is so underrated."]

It is probably because he has repeatedly kicked points (or fumbled) when the game is on the line. It has just happened too many times. To me, the ability to kick the match winner/stand up under maximum pressure is a defining quality of champions.

Exactly my thoughts.. Whilst Pavlich has been a star of the competition for 8+ years, when the game is on the line and you need your best player to stand up he just doesn't deliver. Its similar to the NBA where there is just so many superstars that it comes down to delivering when it counts that matters most and defines a superstar, Hence why Lebron James whilst being a freak of nature and probably a top 5 player of all time is copping so much scrutiny. He doesn't deliver when it counts and 'chokes' as they call it. You could be averaging 40 10 10 in the NBA but if you don't deliver in the playoffs or finals you will not be classified as a top 10 player.

Ablett did it for Geelong, especially when the chips were down in the 2008 grand final. He was the only bloke who put his head down over the footy and won the hard ball trying to will his team over the line. Amongst many other occassions including last year against Port Adelaide, that was just an amazing performance and he truly willed his team over the line. AN ABSOLUTE CHAMPION.

Judd well in my opinion will be one of the best players ever. The guy carries Carlton on his shoulders every week and does everything he can to make sure his team will win. Superstar and during his prime West Coast days probably performed better than any player has ever performed.

Franklin's performances when games count speak for itself. I have never seen a player perform so well when it counts. Hate him or love him you have to respect how the bloke goes about it. When ever Hawthorn are playing shit its Franklin that keeps them in the game. His highlight reel is ridiculous and finals performances are just unbelievable for a key position forward. I dont know how people can say he is not consistent.

These 3 are the greatest champions of the game now imo.

 

[Bollox]

No shortage of feedback every year
Enough to decide what the general consensus is.
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=668519
http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=791932

Once you've done enough to be labelled a champion by the majority of unbiased/non teenie/more educated/past player type footy community (not this place), its not really practical nor right to then take that away due to a bit of recent form or injury. Its not a tag that should come easily, nor should your career achievements be taken away easily with short memories.