The best team from the last 50 years.

[Harrysz]

FROM THE BACKLINE
Heath Shaw, James Clement, Leon Davis
Heath Shaw was (is) a competitive beast who was a great attacking defender. Who will ever forget his “smother of the century” in the 2010 Grand Final Replay? But then, who will ever forget his undisciplined “double goal” given away just before half time that may have cost us a final against Port Adelaide in 2013? James Clement could play “tall or small”. He had great skills and was terrific under pressure. Leon Davis is the only player I can think of who made All-Australian as a forward and All-Australian as a defender. He had sublime skills. Mick Malthouse once said of him “Even when he kicks the ball out of bounds on the full, it’s a beautiful kick.”

THE HALFBACKS
Scott Burns, Bill Picken, Nick Maxwell
Scott Burns was as hard as nails who would be a star in any era. He was an accurate kick for goal but his best position was on the half back line. His leadership qualities were first class. Bill Picken was a fantastic defender. He was a brilliant mark and had an excellent finals record, unlike some of his compatriots. It’s a shame that his son Liam doesn’t play for us. Nick Maxwell captained our last premiership team. He was not the best player in the side but he was very important. It was like having another coach out on the field. He was the General organising the defence, the setups and the plays.

THE CENTRELINE
Gavin Brown, Tony Shaw, John Greening
Gavin Brown looked frail and light when he started his career. But within two years he was dominating a wing on the MCG for Victoria. No player was more courageous. He played at full forward in the 1990 grand final and was knocked out in the infamous quarter-time brawl. Tony Shaw was captain of the 1990 premiership team. He won the Norm Smith Medal. Some said that he couldn’t kick over a jam tin. What he lacked in pace and skill he more than made up for in courage and persistence. John Greening had exquisite skills. He was a brilliant mark, had great pace and was a lovely kick. Who could ever forget the seven goals he kicked as a ruck rover against Carlton at Princes Park in 1969. His career was cut short in 1972 when in a round 14 encounter with St Kilda he was felled behind play. He didn’t play again for two years. In 1972 he finished seventh in the Brownlow Medal despite only playing 14 games.

THE HALF FORWARDS
Darren Millane, Travis Cloke, Des Tuddenham
Darren Millane was a raging bull. He was enormously strong and supremely talented and inspired his teammates. He suffered a broken finger on the eve of the 1990 finals series but he played throughout the finals with that injury. He tragically died in a car accident in 1991. Travis Cloke was a very long kick and is one of the best contested marks of all time. If his goal kicking had been better, he would have been regarded as a truly great player but he was important in helping Collingwood win the 2010 premiership. In the 2011 grand final he kicked two incredible goals that lifted the side. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Des Tuddenham is the toughest player I’ve seen at Collingwood. In an era when defenders defended and forwards attacked, Tuddenham was a half forward who played like a defender. In the 1966 second semi-final he kicked seven goals against St Kilda and booted Collingwood into the grand final. In the grand final he kicked three goals but it wasn’t quite enough. In 1969 he had the temerity to ask for a pay raise. He got the extra money but stupidly was stripped of the captaincy. Nevertheless, the VFL appointed him as Captain of Victoria in 1971.

THE FORWARDS
Phil Carman, Peter McKenna, Peter Daicos
Phil Carmen was an enigma. He had extraordinary skills and he knew it. He could run like a small player and mark like a tall player. In 1975 he missed six weeks with a broken bone in his foot and still nearly won the Bownlow Medal. In the 1977 second semi-final he played brilliantly and kicked four goals. He also got reported and missed the grand final and the replay. This was unforgivable. Peter McKenna was not a high mark but he could lead very well. He was an extremely reliable kick for goal. He kicked five goals in the first half of the 1970 grand final before being accidently ironed out by Des Tuddenham. This cost Collingwood dearly. Peter Daicos raised goal kicking to an art rarely seen before. Although he was a great centre man, his best performances were near goal. Daics could make the ball talk. In the premiership year of 1990 he kicked 97 goals without playing at full forward. A true legend of the game!

FOLLOWERS
Len Thompson, Nathan Buckley, Scott Pendelbury
Len Thompson was an athletic run-all-day ruckman in an era when most rucks were of the ponderous John Nicholls variety. He changed the art of ruckwork. He won the Brownlow Medal in 1972 and had an even better year in 1973. He had a reasonably good finals record and in the 1970 grand final and the 1973 preliminary final played well at centre half forward. Some say that Nathan Buckley is Collingwood’s best ever player. He was a great mark and an elite kick. He was a perfectionist and would be in anybody’s best- ever list. He won the Norm Smith Medal in 2002 in a losing side. He won the Brownlow Medal in 2003. Scott Pendelbury is the current Captain. He challenges Einstein’s laws of relatively in that when he has the ball, time stands still. He has amazing peripheral vision.

THE INTERCHANGE BENCH
Mick McGuane, Dane Swan, Peter Moore, Paul Williams
Mick McGuane could run all day, was a good kick and was always a force to be reckoned with. Dane Swan was drafted in a low position and took a few years to get his act together. He became a brilliant on-baller who racked up numerous possessions week after week. He was almost untaggable. He won the Brownlow Medal in 2011. Peter Moore was an athletic ruckman in the mould of Len Thompson. Like Thompson, he won a Brownlow Medal. He was also a dangerous forward and almost won the grand final for us in the 1977 draw. Paul Williams was very fast and could kick the ball a mile. He was electrifying and often would kick a brilliant goal from a long way out which would ignite the team.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS
Dale Thomas, Barry Price, Ben Johnson, Ricky Barham, Terry Waters, Alan Didak, Saverio Rocca, Anthony Rocca, Paul Licuria, Ben Reid, Ray Shaw, Tony Francis, Wayne Richardson, Scott Russell, David Cloke, Ross Dunne.

[sem]

To give this topic a bit more credibility

B BURNS McCORMACK WORTHINGTON

HB CLEMENT PHILLIPS BUCKLEY

C GREENING PRICE MILANE

HF TUDDENHAM STARCEVICH BARHAM

F MOORE McKENNA DAICOS

R THOMPSON PENDLES T SHAW

INTERCHANGE WILLIAMS RUSSELL MCGUANE BROWN

Credibility / Skill / Strength / Tough

No team playing today would come within 15 goals of this team / each one a champion and each one walked across the white line of battle wearing the BLACK AND WHITE JUMPER .

This team would have made battle of THE GUNS OF NAVARONE last a shorter time so much so there would be no need for intermission .

Only one current player PENDLES which further shows the standard of playing group today and last few years

[Sir Alan of Didak]

Without too much thought, here's my version...

B. H.Shaw Prestigiacomo Clement
HB. S.Burns Picken Crosisca
C. Millane Pendlebury N.Buckley
HF. P.Williams A.Rocca D.Tuddenham
F. G.Brown McKenna P.Daicos

Rucks - L.Thompson, Swan, T.Shaw

Inter - McGuane, G.Wright, P.Moore, Didak

Emerg - Greening, Carman, B.Reid

[Harrysz]

I think that Presti and Wright are worth honourable mentions but otherwise, I'll stick with my team.

[Jpies]

Lol... I know it's nice to be nostalgic, but leaving Swan out? Unlikely.

[5 from the wing on debut]

[Damien]

Billy ahead of Flip at CHB for sure.

As far as CHF goes, A.Rocca kills both Starcs and Cloke.

No love for Banksy anywhere yet I see.

[Harrysz]

Denis banks - yes, deserves an honourable mention.

[duke750]

Anyone who doesn't put Greening or Carmen in their team did not see either play. They are walk up starts. Both vie with Daicos as the best player at Collingwood in the last 50 years.

Billy Picken is the best mark I have seen at the Pies, and was also a big game player.

The biggest hole we have had over 50 years is CHF. A Rocca was a very good player, and Cloke won a Copeland and played in the 90 premiership, but I think Terry Waters was even better.

Anyway, just putting my 2 cents worth in...

Wonder whether anybody has put together a team of Pies All Australians, or even melded the 1990 and 2010 teams...

[RudeBoy]

These are the 10 walk up starts:

Greening (best player ever)
Tuddy (best leader ever)
Daicos
Thommo
Carman
Buckley
Pendles
Millane
McKenna
Swan

You can argue about the remaining spots, but these 10 are automatic inclusions.

[stui magpie]

I'd agree with that. Some of the others are bloody hard.

In the Backline, Picken for mine has to have a HB spot, Clement is in the running, McCormack narrowly over Presti as FB. I'd love Magro in but would take Heater.

I wouldn't have Starcevich in the best team from 1990 to 1990.

[sem]

RE Starcevich

he was great and underrated

1] he was a mobile CHF could run all day

2] I remember in last quarter in time on he kicked 3 goals which resulted in CFC beating CARLTON


in my selection i cannot get over the CENTRE LINE

GREENING PRICE MILANE

never in all history could there be a better Centre LINE
.

i remember when TERRENCE JOSEPH WATERS was introduced the day he had a minor driving offence .Even though i did not witness the CRIME i am sure he was innocent .

[Sir Alan of Didak]

[Pies2016]

A brilliant read. We all have opinions.
To hard to stop at 22 and get it right but I agree that you can't be fair dinkum and not have greening or Carman in the starting 18.
I also feel the same about Clement, he was elite for his position throughout that era.

I would have A Rocca at CHF but I reckon Starcevich was also seriously underrated ( by some ) Loved the MCG where he could run his opponent off his feet. I reckon Sexton was the only bloke who repeatedly had his measure on the G. Also a big grand final when he came on.

Keep em coming. It's going to be a long off season.

[stui magpie]