All Time Fantasy Draft: Clubs

[Ringo]

Nice pick Sid.  Tossed a coin between him and Ruthven

[Boomz]

Will pick soon. Thinking.

[Boomz]

Garry Wilson

Despite being thought too frail for league football by some people, Fitzroy's Garry 'Flea' Wilson proved himself one of the most brilliant rovers of his era. Between 1971 and 1984 he played a total of 271 VFL games, frequently displaying courage and persistence above and beyond the call of duty. In 1977, for example, he sustained a badly fractured jaw, and doctors wrote him off for the season, but within weeks he was back playing as though nothing had happened.

His importance to Fitzroy was amply illustrated by his feat in winning no fewer than five club best and fairest awards. He also topped the club's goal kicking list on two occasions. From 1982-84 he fulfilled a long term ambition by emulating his hero, Kevin Murray, with whom he had played at the outset of his career, and captaining the Lions:

Have other rovers in mind so he'll slot in on the HFF for me.

2nd Brownlow Medal 1979, 3rd Brownlow Medal 1978.
Fitzroy Best & Fairest 1972, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980.
Fitzroy leading goalkicker 1972, 1973.
Fitzroy captain 1981 to 1984.
All-Australian Team 1979, 1980
Fitzroy Team of the Century.
Victorian representative (12 games, 22 goals)

FB: ___ ___ ___
HB: ___ Paul Roos ___
C: ___ ___ ___
HF: Garry Wilson ___ ___
FF: ___ ___ ___
R: ___ ___ ___
I/C: ___ ___ ___

[DazBurg]

i'll take Wilfred "Chicken" Smallhorn

Recruited from Collingwood Technical School, Smallhorn made his VFL debut with Fitzroy in 1930. Built like a stick man in a Lowry painting, he had a long, loping stride which carried him over the ground at a deceptively expeditious pace. He was also adept at extracting the ball from the tightest of packs and making use of it intelligently. Moreover, the nickname 'Chicken' assuredly had nothing to do with his disposition or demeanour.

Despite the fact that he played in losing sides for most of his eleven season, 150 game VFL career, Smallhorn regularly caught the eyes of the umpires when Brownlow votes were apportioned. Winner of the award - the real one, that is - in 1933, he finished among the top ten vote getters on another four occasions. When you consider that one of his team mates for much of his career was arguably the greatest vote magnet in the history of the game, Haydn Bunton senior, the accomplishment becomes even more impressive.

Smallhorn played for most of his career as a wingman, in which position he also represented the VFL. His failure to win a Fitzroy best and fairest award might seem baffling until you realise that the club only made such an award on two occasions during the 1930s.

[BratPack]

Options abound....but I'll take Simon Black

[Boomz]

Daz up again for Carlton

[DazBurg]

ok my next pick

John Nicholls

John Nicholls was one of if not the greatest ruckmen of all time simply because he knew how to use his abilities and physique - which in and of themselves were far from extraordinary - to the best possible effect. Not blessed with the supreme all round skills of a Graham Farmer, or the mountainous height of a Len Thompson, nor yet the fearsome aggressiveness of a Jack Dyer, Nicholls was nevertheless consistently able to outmanoeuvre opposing ruckmen of all physical types and attributes. Moreover, he had an uncanny and arguably unequalled knack of extracting the maximum advantage from almost any on field situation, no matter how ostensibly inimical.

None of the above should be taken as implying that John Nicholls was a player devoid of skill, however. Without wishing to become embroiled in a philosophical consideration of the nature of skill it is nevertheless worth pointing out for example that, unlike Farmer, say, Nicholls was very much a two-sided player. Furthermore, his kicking was accurate and penetrative, and he handled the ball cleanly. Whilst not possessed of blinding pace his astute judgement repeatedly enabled him to make position ahead of speedier opponents. And while not given to indiscriminate violence his "piercing blue eyes gave the most frightening stare in football".



    Carlton premiership captain 1968, 1970
    Carlton premiership captain-coach 1972
    Australian Football Hall of Fame, inaugural legend 1996
    AFL Team of the Century
    Carlton Team of the Century, ruck
    Carlton Best First Year Player, 1957
    Robert Reynolds Trophy 1959, 1963, 1965â€"1967
        Renamed "John Nicholls Medal" in 2004
    Carlton captain 1963, 1968â€"1974
    Victorian representative 31 times

[Boomz]

I'll take Greg Williams. Dual Brownlow medallist and one of the best mids of all time.

[AFEV]

Difficult choice between 3 different blokes. I'll take Bruce Doull and hope 1 of the other 2 fall to my next pick.

[Ringo]

Alex Jesaulenko

Playing Career: 1967 - 1979; Games: 256; Goals: 424; Premiership Player: 1968, 1970, 1972, 1979; Leading Goalkicker : 1969, 1970, 1971; Captain: 1975, 1976; Captain-Coach: 1978, 1979; Best and Fairest: 1975; Carlton Hall of Fame; Carlton Team of the Century; AFL Team of the Century; Carlton and AFL Legend

[nostradamus]

This is a fantastic thread guys.......am watching with interest

[BratPack]

Stephen Silvagni and Stephen Kernahan

[Ringo]

Robert Walls

Playing career: 1967 â€" 1978: Games: 218; Goals: 367, Premiership Player: 1968, 1970, 1972; Captain: 1977 & 1978; Carlton Coach: 1986 â€" 1989: Games: 84; Premiership Coach 1987; Carlton Hall of Fame: 1990; Carlton Team of the Century; AFL Hall of Fame 2006

[AFEV]

Going to lock down my FB and pick up Geoff Southby.



Current Team

B: _______, Geoff Southby, _______
HB: _______, _______, Bruce Doull
C: _______, _______, _______
HF: _______, Bernie Quinlan, _______
F: _______, Jack Moriarty, _______

[Boomz]

FB: ___ ___ ___
HB: ___ Paul Roos ___
C: ___ Greg Williams ___
HF: Garry Wilson ___ Craig Bradley
FF: ___ ___ ___
R: ___ ___ ___
I/C: ___ ___ ___

I'll take Craig Bradley.
In a senior career spanning 22 seasons, Bradley was renowned as one of the games tireless champions, and in particular his amazing fitness that meant he could play the physically demanding game of Australian rules football until the age of 38. For much of his career, Bradley played in the midfield, rotating into the forward line during games, where his nous allowed him both to score and assist many goals through his career. In his final few seasons, Bradley spent more time acting as a loose, sweeping half-back flanker, and much of Carlton's drive forward came from his play through the wings.

Port Adelaide Premiership Player 1981
Port Adelaide Best & Fairest 1982, 1984, 1985
All-Australian 1983, 1985â€"86, 1993â€"95, 1997
Fos Williams Medalist 1985, 1986, 1991, 1993
VFL debut with Carlton on 31 March 1986 v Hawthorn at Waverley Park
Carlton Best & Fairest 1986, 1988, 1993
Carlton Premiership Player 1987, 1995
Carlton Vice-Captain 1990â€"97
Michael Tuck Medalist (AFL night series/pre season) 1997
Carlton Captain 1998â€"2001
19 State games for South Australia 1983-99 (Captain 1997, 1999)
9 International rules football games for Australia 1984-2002
Australian football Senior Games Record Holder (501)
Carlton Games Record Holder (375 - 1986-2002)
Australian Football Hall of Fame Inductee 2006
South Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee 2006
Official Legend of the Carlton Football Club
Port Adelaide Team of the Century - Wing
Carlton Team of the Century - Wing