Universal Love Essendon Team of the 21st Century

[boncer34]

That would mean 4 193cm+ players in the back 6 is the point i was trying to make so i only kept mcphee in for a balance of small and run.

McPhee didn't play any smaller than Ridley

 

[The Donners]

Not too sure about McPhee over Wellman.

Not a chance. Wellman only 2nd to Fletcher of that back 6. He was never beaten and read the ball better than anyone.

 

[Blind Turn]

Nah. He played 3 years in the 21st century. Monfries was better post 2000 than Mercs. Amazing player, but doesn't get in this side because of it.

I know there are those who liked Monfries and Eth, you might be one of them, but I never really rated him. He was serviceable but even Stringer has been better in his 100 games at the club and I’d be irked to have to put Stringer in that company. Mercs was still playing at close to his ‘99 level at times in 2000 which is a level Monfries could only dream about.

 

[eth-dog]

I know there are those who liked Monfries and Eth, you might be one of them, but I never really rated him. He was serviceable but even Stringer has been better in his 100 games at the club and I’d be irked to have to put Stringer in that company. Mercs was still playing at close to his ‘99 level at times in 2000 which is a level Monfries could only dream about.

Sorry but there's no way I put one year from Mercs in. If it was a team of 1990 onwards, easily, but one year out of 24?

 

[Blind Turn]

A

Sorry but there's no way I put one year from Mercs in. If it was a team of 1990 onwards, easily, but one year out of 24?

And there’s no way I’d put 150 games of Monfries in either. Perhaps we should revisit this once Perkins has won a couple of BnFs

 

[BrunoV]

It's a tough one because it's hard to work out what the criteria should be.

I've gone for what I think of as a minimum 50 really good games from 2000. I dont think 50 games from a guy who played 3 to 5 seasons is less worthy than 50 good games spread accross 10 seasons.

Got to select in position, obviously, but also with a balance I think can win.

On that basis and off the top of my head:

Fletcher Hooker Saad
Ridley Hurley Redman

Ryder J. Johnson Merrett
Rama Watson Stanton

Hird Lucas Winderlich
Daniher Lloyd Tippa

M. Johnson, Goddard, Hibberd, NLM, Zaharakis

 

[curnow inferno]

McPhee didn't play any smaller than Ridley

Mcphee was still 5cm and 5kg smaller.

Mcphee averaged almost double the running bounces as ridley.

Mcphee also averaged 2.74 tackles at ground level. Ridley only 1.18.

Once again im not saying mcphee is better than ridley. Just saying i dont have them competing with each other for a spot as mcphee is against the smalls and ridley is up against the talls (hurley fletcher hooker).

 

[boncer34]

Mcphee was still 5cm and 5kg smaller.

Mcphee had 93 running bounces in 142 games. Ridley has 29 in 85.

Mcphee also averaged 2.74 tackles at ground level. Ridley only 1.18.

Once again im not saying mcphee is better than ridley. Just saying i dont have them competing with each other for a spot as mcphee is against the smalls and ridley is up against the talls (hurley fletcher hooker).

And I'm telling you you're wrong.

 

[jdstorm]

I know there are those who liked Monfries and Eth, you might be one of them, but I never really rated him. He was serviceable but even Stringer has been better in his 100 games at the club and I’d be irked to have to put Stringer in that company. Mercs was still playing at close to his ‘99 level at times in 2000 which is a level Monfries could only dream about.

I’d rate stringers Essendon career about on par with Hird post 2000. Ducks

Hird was injured a lot and mostly played HHF/3rd tall forward by then.

And for all the bad Jake has done he didn’t drug a generation of Essendon players

 

[Blind Turn]

I’d rate stringers Essendon career about on par with Hird post 2000. Ducks

Hird was injured a lot and mostly played HHF/3rd tall forward by then.

And for all the bad Jake has done he didn’t drug a generation of Essendon players

WTF man. You can dislike the bloke without playing to the ‘drugging a generation of players’ narrative that gets about on here. And he was a class above all of his teammates up until he retired playing in the midfield whenever the team required it which was quite a bit. I’m no Hird fanboi but I can objectively say he was as good as he ever was in the latter part of his career. Stringer not even close.

 

[brutus76]

just put the 2000 Premiership team

 

[Michaels]

Hi all,

I come in peace!

Apologies if this is the incorrect thread for this.

I have been doing a series on YouTube where I put together a Mt Rushmore of players for AFL clubs, and this week it was Essendon!

Have to say this was extremely difficult given how many gun players you have had from the 90s!

This Mt Rushmore is a little different to how it usually works.

My selection criteria is:

-Must be a past player
-Must be a player I have seen play. While this does exclude a lot of past greats, I wanted it to be fairly judged so using players I have seen was the best way.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

There was a number of players that missed who could have easily made it too! I think my last pick will be very much up for debate and I'm even questioning myself now ha ha.

 

[Happyskeret]

Hi all,

I come in peace!

Apologies if this is the incorrect thread for this.

I have been doing a series on YouTube where I put together a Mt Rushmore of players for AFL clubs, and this week it was Essendon!

Have to say this was extremely difficult given how many gun players you have had from the 90s!

This Mt Rushmore is a little different to how it usually works.

My selection criteria is:

-Must be a past player
-Must be a player I have seen play. While this does exclude a lot of past greats, I wanted it to be fairly judged so using players I have seen was the best way.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

There was a number of players that missed who could have easily made it too! I think my last pick will be very much up for debate and I'm even questioning myself now ha ha.

Maybe they were players you did not see but Timmy Watson and Simon Madden were both amazing players at their peak.

 

[Michaels]

Maybe they were players you did not see but Timmy Watson and Simon Madden were both amazing players at their peak.

I was very close to putting Tim in but for whatever reason my memories were stronger of the Big Fish.

but I think if pure numbers and impact were compared Tim probably is ahead of him.

 

[Happyskeret]

I was very close to putting Tim in but for whatever reason my memories were stronger of the Big Fish.

but I think if pure numbers and impact were compared Tim probably is ahead of him.

If you seen Timmy at the end I don’t think he was quite the same player after his comeback from retirement.

I watched him down at Geelong at his peak he was running into heavy traffic so he fired a 30 metre handball diagonally behind his head without turning around to look. He hit one of our players on the chest with that disposal. He had 360 degree awareness.

 

[faible]

Mcphee was still 5cm and 5kg smaller.

Mcphee averaged almost double the running bounces as ridley.

Mcphee also averaged 2.74 tackles at ground level. Ridley only 1.18.

Once again im not saying mcphee is better than ridley. Just saying i dont have them competing with each other for a spot as mcphee is against the smalls and ridley is up against the talls (hurley fletcher hooker).

In a backline with Fletcher & Hooker (presumably the peak versions) I'd have Ridley ahead of Hurley for team balance.

His versatility to play tall and small, and being a much better overhead mark (RIP Hurley's wrists) along with being a genuinely elite kick allows him to play a highly offensive role with two strong KPD alongside him.

 

[sup3rfish]

It's a tough one because it's hard to work out what the criteria should be.

I've gone for what I think of as a minimum 50 really good games from 2000. I dont think 50 games from a guy who played 3 to 5 seasons is less worthy than 50 good games spread accross 10 seasons.

Got to select in position, obviously, but also with a balance I think can win.

On that basis and off the top of my head:

Fletcher Hooker Saad
Ridley Hurley Redman

Ryder J. Johnson Merrett
Rama Watson Stanton

Hird Lucas Winderlich
Daniher Lloyd Tippa

M. Johnson, Goddard, Hibberd, NLM, Zaharakis

How frustrating is it, well for me anyway, that we have currently got a core group of players that have been together for a little while now and only 3 can break into the best side of the last 24 years.

 

[Blind Turn]

I was very close to putting Tim in but for whatever reason my memories were stronger of the Big Fish.

but I think if pure numbers and impact were compared Tim probably is ahead of him.

I think Timmy has been criminally overlooked when ‘best-of’ lists and conversations about past greats take place. I remember in 1989, part way through the season the discussion around best player in the comp at that time centred around Ablett Sr and Watson. Ablett’s finals series blew that conversation out the door very quickly. But even so, that was after missing most of the ‘86 and ‘87 season with a knee and losing a lot of his explosiveness thereafter. Simon Madden still gets a lot of press as being the best ruckman of his generation and possibly all time, plus he was my footy hero as a kid, but I have no hesitation in saying Tim was the player opposition coaches wanted to nullify most. He was our talisman and close to the best midfielder of the 80s, up there with Greg Williams. He was an impact player who inspired us to back-to-back premierships and then inspired a young group to another in ‘93. I place him ahead of Judd as a ruck-rover. He had a more complete game and played like Ricciuto when on the ball over a decade before that type of player became the norm, and like Martin when forward. He was more of an impact player though who had great goal sense and like all great players, timed his impact to perfection.

In my time it’s;
Hird
Timmy
Madden
Lloyd

And it is fairly clear-cut too.

 

[Michaels]

I think Timmy has been criminally overlooked when ‘best-of’ lists and conversations about past greats take place. I remember in 1989, part way through the season the discussion around best player in the comp at that time centred around Ablett Sr and Watson. Ablett’s finals series blew that conversation out the door very quickly. But even so, that was after missing most of the ‘86 and ‘87 season with a knee and losing a lot of his explosiveness thereafter. Simon Madden still gets a lot of press as being the best ruckman of his generation and possibly all time, plus he was my footy hero as a kid, but I have no hesitation in saying Tim was the player opposition coaches wanted to nullify most. He was our talisman and close the best midfielder of the 80s, up there with Greg Williams. He was an impact player who inspired us to back-to-back premierships and then inspired a young group to another in ‘93. I place him ahead of Judd as a ruck-rover. He had a more complete game and played like Ricciuto when on the ball over a decade before that type of player became the norm, and like Martin when forward. He was more of an impact player though who had great goal sense and like all great players, timed his impact to perfection.

In my time it’s;
Hird
Timmy
Madden
Lloyd

And it is fairly clear-cut too.

Hard to disagree with any of that when spelt out like that!

I feel like you may be not much older than me but enough to solidify those opinions on Timmy and Madden in particular, and I always knew there would be easy cases made to fit them in for sure.

You definitely have had some quality players over a long period of time!

 

[citizen-erased]

Hi all,

I come in peace!

Apologies if this is the incorrect thread for this.

I have been doing a series on YouTube where I put together a Mt Rushmore of players for AFL clubs, and this week it was Essendon!

Have to say this was extremely difficult given how many gun players you have had from the 90s!

This Mt Rushmore is a little different to how it usually works.

My selection criteria is:

-Must be a past player
-Must be a player I have seen play. While this does exclude a lot of past greats, I wanted it to be fairly judged so using players I have seen was the best way.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

There was a number of players that missed who could have easily made it too! I think my last pick will be very much up for debate and I'm even questioning myself now ha ha.

Id probably go mercuri > big fish.
Was jibbed of a brownlow.

When he retires, merrett is there imo.

Hird, lloyd and fletch definitely in.
Good mountain

 

[Blind Turn]

Hard to disagree with any of that when spelt out like that!

I feel like you may be not much older than me but enough to solidify those opinions on Timmy and Madden in particular, and I always knew there would be easy cases made to fit them in for sure.

You definitely have had some quality players over a long period of time!

I’ve been watching our great game with interest since around 1980 when I was a passionate kid. Here’s a couple of threads I’ve kept running over the years if you’re half interested;

Top 100 players since 1980

This is very subjective and some great players will just miss out. This is based on what I can vividly remember. This makes it hard to know where to place players such as Peter Knights who I have vague memories of being a sensational player but who was winding down and injured a lot when the...

www.bigfooty.com

Each Club's Best Teams Since 1980

In conjunction with the thread I created on the top 100 players I have seen since 1980, this is the best teams from that era. It is purely based on their careers at that club. Selection was based on who I would play in my teams rather than best in a position. An example is Tony Shaw in the back...

www.bigfooty.com

 

[Zach Package]

Boris Bewick underrated here, and everywhere really.

Good genes too

 

[Happyskeret]

Boris Bewick underrated here, and everywhere really.

Good genes too

Very underrated I can’t believe they retired him when they did. Didn’t make my mount Rushmore though. My top 4 is the same as un_eggs.

 

[fishardansin]

Just pick the 2000 and 2001 sides then squeeze Watson and Merret in, and you're done.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Id probably go mercuri > big fish.
Was jibbed of a brownlow.

When he retires, merrett is there imo.

Hird, lloyd and fletch definitely in.
Good mountain