ossie85's Top 50 Players of 2012

[ossie85]

My third instalment of my top 50 players of the year - what makes me so special? Nothing. This is just one person's opinion, and everyone is free to do there own. Feel free to tear it apart :/ These are hard things to do.

My 2011 List

My 2010 List

Also, should note JROO8 did one of these also over here.


1 (4). Gary Ablett jnr (The #1 spot was very hard to choose, as my top 4 where hard to separate. But in the end couldn't go past Ablett, this year's AFL MVP, and the first time he gets #1 on my list)

2 (41). Jobe Watson (Basically carried the Bombers midfield, a very deserving Brownlow medal winner and superb leader. He needs back-up though as he is the only Don in this list)

3 (NR). Trent Cotchin (Controversy left him out of the list last year, and he made me pay for it this year. Living up to his massive potential)

4 (50). Matthew Pavlich (I almost had him at #1 before I decided on the three midfielders of the year. His dominance in the second half of the year in particular beggars belief he didn't make the All-Aus)

5 (NR). Patrick Dangerfield (Have I rate him too high? Maybe, but I don't think so, break-out year and has to be called an elite midfielder, at times against the Hawks he was awesome)

6 (NR). Tom Hawkins (I still think his 2011 Grand Final was overrated, but his season was superb - that game against the Hawks late in the year? Wow.)

7 (2). Dean Cox (So dominant every week, we take it for granted).

8 (NR). Dayne Beams (Well and truly went into the elite status this year)

9 (38). Luke McPharlin (Aging like a fine wine, superb year)

10 (1). Lance Franklin (Would have pushed for #1 spot if he hadn't missed 6 matches, and was close to a Grand Final Hero)

11 (NR). Ted Richards (All-Aus CHB is a tough position to make, a huge reason towards Sydney's flag this year).

12 (28). Cyril Rioli (Sparkling forward, but its his forward defensive pressure that amazes).

13 (NR). Sam Jacobs (Unlucky to miss out on All-Aus, his tap work was the best in the comp this year)

14 (7). Darren Glass (A rock in defence again, All-Aus captain).

15 (NR). Ivan Maric (If you had said to me at the start of the year IVAN MARIC would be #15....)

16 (8 ). Sam Mitchell (Pounded out another amazing season, disappointing Grand Final though)

17 (NR). Josh Kennedy (Knocked up his family's 8th flag this year, but for the wrong team they'd say)

18 (24). Scott Thompson (Faded a bit towards the end, but massive part of the Crows rise)

19 (NR). Beau Waters (Enforcer at the Eagles is one of my favourites)

20 (NR). Nic Naitanui (Still cops some flack, but his duo with Cox was almost impossible to stop)

21 (NR). Ryan O'Keefe (The Norm Smith medalist should have been All-Aus this year, yet he wasn't nominated)

22 (43). Josh Gibson (How did he not at least get a nomination? Played and nullified players twice his size)

23 (NR). Taylor Walker (Tex went up a notch this year, but needs to find a new partner in crime next year)

24 (36). Grant Birchall (Another one of my favourites, gets better every year)

25 (44). Brett Deledio (I think is still a vastly underrated player)

26 (6). Scott Pendlebury (Output decreased when he broke his leg)

27 (NR). Brent Reilly (One of the surprise packets for the Crows this year)

28 (NR). Jack Riewoldt (Scored a lot of goals, but I don't think influenced games as much as other key forwards)

29 (12). Dane Swan (On amount of possessions alone makes this list)

30 (17). Joel Selwood (Love Joel Selwood, but think he was slightly down this year from his own incredible lofty heights)

31 (49). Stephen Milne (3 years of terrific consistency)

32 (26). Corey Enright (Mr. Consistent)

33 (NR). Kieran Jack (Last half of the year was outstanding)

34 (NR). Sean Dempster (Big year from the veteran)

35 (NR). Lewis Jetta (What an exciting player, think his 2nd half the year faded though)

36 (NR). Eddie Betts (Small forward is a hard position to play, and he did it again this year).

37 (NR). Lenny Hayes (Inspiring comeback from the old fella)

38 (33). Andrew Swallow (The Roos new captain is incredibly close to being a superstar)

39 (NR). Shane Tuck (Perennially underrated)

40 (NR). Brad Sewell (Magnificent grand final, and terrific year)

41 (31). Matthew Boyd (Ball magnet)

42 (14). Steve Johnson (His midfield work this year was impressive)

43 (NR). Callan Ward (This kid can win a Brownlow one day)

44 (NR). Brad Ebert (Dark times for the Power, but he was a shining light)

45 (NR). Jarryd Roughead (His importance to Hawthorn's structure can't be underrated)

46 (NR). Brock McLean (Missed a lot of games early, but wow his comeback is impressive)

47 (NR). Scott Selwood (Giving his brothers a run for there money)

48 (NR). Shaun Burgoyne (Mr. Fix-It)

49 (NR). Harley Bennell (Incredibly impressed with the #2 draft pick from last year)

50 (NR). Nathan Jones (The most positive thing about Melbourne this year)

Out from last year:

Chris Judd (3), Travis Cloke (5), Dale Thomas (9), Matthew Scarlett (10), Nick Dal Santo (11), James Kelly (13), Marc Murphy (15), Todd Goldstein (16), Josh Kennedy (18), Leon Davis (19), Sam Fisher (20), Ben Reid (21), Nathan Fyfe (22), Jimmy Bartel (23), Adam Goodes (26), Heath Scotland (27), Harry Taylor (29), Brad Ottens (30), Matt Priddis (32), Andrew Embley (34), Daniel Wells (35), Tom Rockliff (37), Drew Petrie (39), Luke Ball (40), Chris Tarrant (42), Chris Yarran (45), Robert Murphy (46), Ryan Griffen (47), James Frawley (48).

Apologies....

Drew Petrie
Nick Riewoldt
Harry Taylor
Tom Lonergan
Marc Murphy
Aaron Sandilands
Matt Priddis
Ryan Griffen
Paddy Ryder
Brent Stanton
Chris Judd
Ben McEvoy
Steele Sidebottom
Rory Sloane
Heath Scotland
Heath Shaw
Shaun Grigg
Toby Greene
Adam Goodes
Jonathan Giles
Kurt Tippett
Michael Talia
Jeremy Cameron


8 Hawk: Franklin, Rioli, Mitchell, Gibson, Birchall, Sewell, Roughead, Burgoyne
5 Crow: Dangerfield, Jacobs, Thompson, Walker, Reilly
5 Eagle: Cox, Glass, Waters, Naitanui, Selwood
5 Swan: Richards, Kennedy, O'Keefe, Jack, Jetta
5 Tiger: Cotchin, Maric, Deledio, Riewoldt, Tuck
4 Cat: Hawkins, Selwood, Enright, Johnson
3 Magpie: Beams, Pendlebury, Swan
3 Saint: Milne, Dempster, Hayes
2 Blue: Betts, McLean
2 Docker: Pavlich, McPharlin
2 Sun: Ablett, Bennell
1 Bomber: Watson
1 Bulldog: Boyd
1 Demon: Jones
1 Giant: Ward
1 Kangaroo: Swallow
1 Power: Ebert
0 Lions

[elephants]

Looks exceptional mate!! Agree with pretty much all of it!!

[Capper]

Good list.

One name that should be mentioned though is Zorko. Great season and if he had played from R1 then he would be up there with the likes of Curnow and Barlow from previous years

17 (NR). Josh Kennedy (Knocked up his family's 8th flag this year, but for the wrong team they'd say)

who are these nay sayers?? To them i say nay!!!!

[RiOtChEsS]

Great Effort Ossman!!! hard to be critical, perhaps if it were a top 52 ??? 51.Ryan Griffen 52.Heath Scotland and its perfect :P

[j959]

Nice list - only critical point would be personally i would lower JROO down a few spots but otherwise totally agree!   ;)

[/////////////////////////]

Toby Greene?

[ossie85]

Toby Greene?

He got an apology, and #1 for first year's in my opinion, but his stats don't match all the other midfielders in that group IMO.

Would love to have him at Collingwood though....

[Jroo]

Nice list Ossie. Next year when I do mine I will try not to put to many Mids in, but yer yours is good

[Ringo]

Surprised you could find no Lions OSS in either the Top 50 or in the apologies.  My nomination from Lions in the Top 50 would have been the most under rated player at the Lions who at last won our B & F Joel Patful who interestingly is at No 39 in Mike Shehan's list.  Patful inevitably takes one of the oppositions talls every week and despite being shorter than most vary rarely gets beaten.
Just thought I would add a comment seeing we did not have a player in your top 50.

[tbagrocks]

Absolutely Paddy is a top 5 player in the comp

[Justin Bieber]

Surprised you could find no Lions OSS in either the Top 50 or in the apologies.  My nomination from Lions in the Top 50 would have been the most under rated player at the Lions who at last won our B & F Joel Patful who interestingly is at No 39 in Mike Shehan's list.  Patful inevitably takes one of the oppositions talls every week and despite being shorter than most vary rarely gets beaten.
Just thought I would add a comment seeing we did not have a player in your top 50.

+1

[elephants]

Surprised you could find no Lions OSS in either the Top 50 or in the apologies.  My nomination from Lions in the Top 50 would have been the most under rated player at the Lions who at last won our B & F Joel Patful who interestingly is at No 39 in Mike Shehan's list.  Patful inevitably takes one of the oppositions talls every week and despite being shorter than most vary rarely gets beaten.
Just thought I would add a comment seeing we did not have a player in your top 50.

+1

Redden deserves an apology imo but very good other than that mate :)

[quinny88]

Very hard thing to do naming a top 50. Theres always going to be the odd controversial one included or missing out or in the wrong spot in some peoples opinions but all in all this is a very solid attempt at the list. Not much I would change, good job :)

[ossie85]

Yeah, you're right Ringo. To be honest, I'm not sure I saw a single Lions game this year, probably impacted my thinking

[Ringo]

Yeah, you're right Ringo. To be honest, I'm not sure I saw a single Lions game this year, probably impacted my thinking

imo only Patfull and Reddan could be considered for Top 50 so can understand. 

As I said just wanted to put it out there as a unashamed Lions supporter as a bit of balance.  Well done on the list though and I would probably only disagree with 5.