If the VFL/AFL greatest team of all time, was selected today, who is in, and who is out of the team of the century

[Coolangatta]

Out: Jack Dyer
In: Cale Morton

Cale Morton

Age

35

Ht

192cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.9

5star

K

10.8

4star

HB

8.1

5star

M

5.8

5star

T

1.6

4star

CL

1.3

3star

No current season stats available

D

17.0

5star

K

10.2

4star

HB

6.8

5star

M

4.4

4star

T

1.0

3star

 

[Cleansweep17]

Out: Jack Dyer
In: Cale Morton

Are we sure it’s not Nick Daicos-Morton that’s currently playing? The resemblance is uncanny

 

[Frewy]

Is Ted Whitten and Barrassi a little overrated as footballers because of their iconic figure and after footy playing days legacy?

Not at all to my mind and I was open to replacing any player in the team. Both had 3 x AA carnival selections as two of five only.

They have their equals/competition in other state leagues, but in a VFL/AFL greatest team I think they are worthy selections.

 

[Frewy]

In:
Paul Roos
Andrew McLeod
Simon Madden
Wayne Carey
Tony Lockett
Dustin Martin
Gary Ablett Jr.
Gavin Wanganeen

Out:
John Nicholls
Bruce Doull
Francis Bourke
Royce Hart
John Coleman
Jack Dyer
Greg Williams

2025 Update (Position Integrity Changes):
Gary Ablett Sr. to wing from bench, Dangerfield (Out) from wing
Paul Roos to bench from back pocket as general defender
Simon Madden (In) on fourth bench spot as second ruck/forward
Gavin Wanganeen (In) to back pocket

B:	Bernie Smith (Geelong, West Adelaide)	Stephen Silvagni (Carlton)	Gavin Wanganeen (Essendon, Port Adelaide)
HB:	Andrew McLeod (Port Adelaide (SANFL), Adelaide)	Ted Whitten (Footscray) Captain	Kevin Murray (Fitzroy, East Perth)
C:	Gary Ablett Sr. (Hawthorn, Geelong)	Ian Stewart (Hobart, St Kilda, Richmond)	Keith Greig (North Melbourne)
HF:	Dustin Martin (Richmond)	Wayne Carey (North Melbourne, Adelaide)	Dick Reynolds (Essendon)
F:	Leigh Matthews (Hawthorn)	Tony Lockett (St Kilda, Sydney)	Haydn Bunton Sr. (Fitzroy, Subiaco, Port Adelaide)
Foll:	Graham Farmer (Geelong, East Perth, West Perth)	Ron Barassi (Melbourne, Carlton)	Bob Skilton (South Melbourne)
Int:	Alex Jesaulenko (Carlton, St Kilda) (util)	Gary Ablett Jr. (Geelong, Gold Coast) (mid)	Paul Roos (Fitzroy, Sydney) (def)
	Simon Madden (Essendon) (ruck/fwd)
Coach:	Norm Smith (Melbourne)

 

[Fadge]

^^^^

No. Just no.

 

[peetoo]

Surprised they aren’t trying to get Dangerfield in somehow

 

[PhatBoy]

Surprised they aren’t trying to get Dangerfield in somehow

Who is ‘they’ - the tigers fan who started the thread or the dogs fan who bumped it

 

[STPer18]

In: Patrick Dangerfield

 

[Carringbush2010]

Growing up in the 70s and 80s my grandfather, first cousin of the late great Daniel Minogue (<AFL hall of famer, check it out at the MCG museam), would take me to watch live footy, I watched the best of these beasts live at Vic park, Kardinia park, Princes park, Glenferrie oval and of course the MCG, even took a trip to Windy hill once.

There's so many players that come to mind that 'miss out'. Maybe not TOC but certainly in conversation from their impact in the game.

I'm gonna reel off a few from that era.

-Simon Madden
-Glenn Hawker
-Len Thompson
-Ricky Barham
-Peter Knights
-Jamie Turner
-Trevor Barker (oh wow some exceptional marks)
-Peter Bosustow
-Paul Van De Haar
-Ronnie Wearmouth
-Mark Lee
-Emmit Dunne
-Mick Malthouse
-Neville Bruns
-Leon Baker
-Peter Moore (2x Brownlow medalist, 5 time Grand Finalist)
-John Greening (This guy was cut short, by all reports could've been anything - a full career woul've definitely seen him in this team, and probably more pie flags)
-Peter McKenna
-Billy Picken
-Malcolm Blight
-Barry Cable
-Wayne Schimmelbush
-Terry Waters
-Peter Hudson
-Peter Crimmons
-Arnold Briedis
-Terry Waters
-Carl Ditterich
-Rene Kink
-Mal Brown
-Bernie Quinlan
-Garry Wilson
-Wayne Richardson

.................. I could go on, this is just from two decades of absolute freaks, it's just too much talent over the length and breadth of the competition to outright name the best of the best.

I mean, you could include guys that get zero mention from other eras like Bobby Skilton, 3 x Brownlow, Ray Gabelich a behemoth from WA, Hayden Bunton, Roy Cazaly, Fred Fanning. - also zero mention, (Unless I've missed them)

Of course, you're gonna include, over the course of the competition guys like GAS and GAJ, Carey, and Lethal. But to comprehensively put together a list of the best of the best and say 'this is categorically it' is a bridge too far imo.

 

[Fire]

Is this a team to recognise and honour the greatest through their eras, or a team which you would want to go out and win assuming every player was in their prime?

Because those would be very different teams. The latter would include the likes of Franklin, and potentially even Koutoufides.

 

[Cyclops]

This team gets worse and worse as time goes by.

Dick Reynolds and Polly Farmer stand the test of time, bith arguably GOATS. Whitten Barrassi and a few others defensible.

Norm Smith may not even be Melbournes best coach, Barrassi arguably better and a chance for Captain Coach. McHale so far ahead of all other coaches it isn't funny.

I know Collingwood pisses people off, but how does the club who won the most games, came top thd most and equal most flags get zero (0) players in?

Political garbage, this honours no one.

 

[Frewy]

Growing up in the 70s and 80s my grandfather, first cousin of the late great Daniel Minogue (<AFL hall of famer, check it out at the MCG museam), would take me to watch live footy, I watched the best of these beasts live at Vic park, Kardinia park, Princes park, Glenferrie oval and of course the MCG, even took a trip to Windy hill once.

There's so many players that come to mind that 'miss out'. Maybe not TOC but certainly in conversation from their impact in the game.

I'm gonna reel off a few from that era.

-Simon Madden
-Glenn Hawker
-Len Thompson
-Ricky Barham
-Peter Knights
-Jamie Turner
-Trevor Barker (oh wow some exceptional marks)
-Peter Bosustow
-Paul Van De Haar
-Ronnie Wearmouth
-Mark Lee
-Emmit Dunne
-Mick Malthouse
-Neville Bruns
-Leon Baker
-Peter Moore (2x Brownlow medalist, 5 time Grand Finalist)
-John Greening (This guy was cut short, by all reports could've been anything - a full career woul've definitely seen him in this team, and probably more pie flags)
-Peter McKenna
-Billy Picken
-Malcolm Blight
-Barry Cable
-Wayne Schimmelbush
-Terry Waters
-Peter Hudson
-Peter Crimmons
-Arnold Briedis
-Terry Waters
-Carl Ditterich
-Rene Kink
-Mal Brown
-Bernie Quinlan
-Garry Wilson
-Wayne Richardson

.................. I could go on, this is just from two decades of absolute freaks, it's just too much talent over the length and breadth of the competition to outright name the best of the best.

I mean, you could include guys that get zero mention from other eras like Bobby Skilton, 3 x Brownlow, Ray Gabelich a behemoth from WA, Hayden Bunton, Roy Cazaly, Fred Fanning. - also zero mention, (Unless I've missed them)

Of course, you're gonna include, over the course of the competition guys like GAS and GAJ, Carey, and Lethal. But to comprehensively put together a list of the best of the best and say 'this is categorically it' is a bridge too far imo.

I agree that my opinions/list are not the categorically correct answer and I can 100% see how someone could say for instance Royce Hart is better than Wayne Carey. I didn't see Hart play he might have had a higher peak game to those who watched him play.

This list is also comparing professional eras and amateur eras which I believe is pointless although I've seen footage from the 40's and 50's which suggest some players from that era could have been stars in modern Aussie Rules. You have to work out your own value weighted system for accolades if you are attempting it which will differ widely, for example I don't really value Brownlows after the intro of AFLCA and increasingly even before that.

To my mind these lists I think are best to see what might be, less so what was eg. what does a CHF that might be more dominating and stronger than Carey and Hart possibly look like or midfielder greater than both Skilton and GAJ. The irony is researching and doing lists like these has made me appreciate the older generation players more and discovered stars of by gone eras that I had never even heard of such as Albert Collier as a prime example.

 

[Frewy]

This team gets worse and worse as time goes by.

Dick Reynolds and Polly Farmer stand the test of time, bith arguably GOATS. Whitten Barrassi and a few others defensible.

Norm Smith may not even be Melbournes best coach, Barrassi arguably better and a chance for Captain Coach. McHale so far ahead of all other coaches it isn't funny.

I know Collingwood pisses people off, but how does the club who won the most games, came top thd most and equal most flags get zero (0) players in?

Political garbage, this honours no one.

Yep, objectively there are some bewildering decisions like John Nicholls in the back pocket, for the record they probably should have had Albert Collier on the bench from the Pies. This actually got me thinking that Nicholls should also probably be ruckman over Farmer in the side as well.

I agree that Farmer is the most impactful ruck of Australian Rules (not VFL/AFL) but he only played 66 games in the VFL. Farmer as ruck is probably for an Australian Rules Team of the Century/All-Time which is a totally different thread and team list the AFL wouldn't touch with a sixty-foot pole.

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

I'm presuming this has been posted but cant be arsed checking, but this is Derm, Slobbo and Jon Anderson (disappointingly not the lead singer of Yes) discussing the subject: