Best Swans Team 1980-2010

[Velour&Ruffles]

I'm so optimistic about the future (White, Hanneberry, Meredith, Jetta, Rohan, Smith, Vesz, Currie, Jack - have we ever had a stronger group coming through?) it makes me reflect on the past.

IMLTHO, our best '80-'10 would beat every premiership team over the same era. Hawks, Cats, Bombers, Lions, whoever - this team has as much talent and more heart.

Heavily biased towards the power teams of the late '80s and mid '90s- '00s, but why wouldn't it be?

B: Browning Dunkley D Ackerly
HB: D Carroll Bayes C Bolton
C: D Murphy G Williams Maxfield
HF:T Morwood Goodes Lewis
F: S Wright Lockett Hall
R: Round Healy Kelly
I/C: Ball Cresswell Kirk Carter

Apologies: P Williams, Mitchell, J Bolton, Kennelly, I Roberts, Barry, Capper

I hope that in 5 years' time there will be 9 new names in the starting 22.

[sharp9]

Can't comment on players pre '95..but a couple of observations from me...I would rate Williams ahead of Cresswell (different types I know but...) Have to rate Jolly a better player than Ball now that he is in his prime. Ball never dominated around the ground the way Jolly sometimes does.

Would have thought AFL team of the century CHB Paul Roos might have got a gig. Ditto Micky O.

Wish I had seen Bayes, Wright, Morwood, Williams and Healy play as their names come up pretty regularly here. Can anyone suggest a particular game and I'll try to get a torrent to improve my education.

[Velour&Ruffles]

Have to rate Jolly a better player than Ball now that he is in his prime. Ball never dominated around the ground the way Jolly sometimes does.

Would have thought AFL team of the century CHB Paul Roos might have got a gig. Ditto Micky O.
.

How embarrassing. Of course Micky O must be in there - shows the danger of doing these things late at night. Sorry Dale Lewis, you are now an apology.

As for Jolly v Ball, I'll stick with Ball. His tap work was far more effective than Jolly's ever has been, or ever will be.

Interesting argument about Roosy. He was a very fine player for us but both Bayes and D Carroll are Swans team of the century players and each spent about 200 more games than Roosy in the red and white. Apologies Paul.

B: Browning Dunkley D Ackerly
HB: D Carroll Bayes C Bolton
C: D Murphy G Williams Maxfield
HF:T Morwood Goodes O'Loughlin
F: S Wright Lockett Hall
R: Round Healy Kelly
I/C: Ball Cresswell Kirk Carter

Apologies: P Williams, Mitchell, J Bolton, Kennelly, I Roberts, Barry, Capper, Lewis, Roos

[Primmy]

I am going to hate myself after this. As much as I adore Stewie, IMHO J Bolton is a much better prospect.

Were you honestly going to leave Kirky out? Hmmmm? I mean, well, ......

[Reggi]

I think we overestimate how good the 80s era players were. We need to remember they only came close to winning one final in all of that time

I think Kennelly and Paul Roos were far better players for Sydney than either Ackerly or Browning. As much as I loved D Murphy, I have no doubt that Paul Williams and Wayne Schwass were bother better players IIRCC D Murphy played around 168 -170 games and Schwass 98. Hall is the best CHF Sydney has probably ever had bar none

Barry Round was a glorious trier Jolly and Ball are the best ruckman we have had. Interested to see Dr Js comments here. See if he can overlook his namessake

[Number 43]

Unfortunately no finals were played in Sydney in the mid 8o's. If we had the right to play home finals back then I think we could have won 2 premierships under Tom Hafey.

[Pekay]

Bayes was better on a back flank, making Craig Bolton's selection a bit extreme. Roos to CHB. This from a Bombers supporter.

[RogueSwan]

...
As for Jolly v Ball, I'll stick with Ball. His tap work was far more effective than Jolly's ever has been, or ever will be...


Agreed.
Jolly may have the hit out record for a match, but Cannon (Ball) was much better at placing his hit outs IMO

[Triple B]

Unfortunately no finals were played in Sydney in the mid 8o's. If we had the right to play home finals back then I think we could have won 2 premierships under Tom Hafey.

Doubt it, the last Saturday in September was still at the MCG, home finals or no home finals.

[Vonsteinman]

I think we overestimate how good the 80s era players were. We need to remember they only came close to winning one final in all of that time

I think Kennelly and Paul Roos were far better players for Sydney than either Ackerly or Browning. As much as I loved D Murphy, I have no doubt that Paul Williams and Wayne Schwass were bother better players IIRCC D Murphy played around 168 -170 games and Schwass 98. Hall is the best CHF Sydney has probably ever had bar none

Barry Round was a glorious trier Jolly and Ball are the best ruckman we have had. Interested to see Dr Js comments here. See if he can overlook his namessake

Hmmmm.. at the risk of getting sucked in by a p!ss-take comment, I have to question parts of this. As No. 43 suggested, the 1986-7 Swans were unable to take advantage of a home final.

They dominated sides at the SCG like no other Swans team before or since. It would still have been a struggle against those Hawthorn and Carlton sides in a GF though, as BBB points out.

Bit harsh on Round I would say too, although would agree with having the other two ahead of him.

Have to agree on Hall for CHF though... Not sure that Goodes has played anywhere near enough in the position or at a level worthy of taking up that spot.

As this is a fantasy side, I would put him in the ruck before I put him at CHF - imagine him in '03 ruck form, complemented in the middle by Healy, Kelly and Williams.... And yes, Kirk would get a chance to rotate through....

[Midfield]

Agree with the above. Goodes cannot be CHF. IMO the best version of goodes is/was the midfielder goodes, thus he gets a start there. Id move Hall to CHF. I'd also give the (c) to kells and (vc) to kirk, although i'd be pleased to see duel captiancy, or even in triplicate if stuey was included.

[Blood Fever]

How about 2005 team- will do me

[Doctor J.]

I think we overestimate how good the 80s era players were. We need to remember they only came close to winning one final in all of that time

I think Kennelly and Paul Roos were far better players for Sydney than either Ackerly or Browning. As much as I loved D Murphy, I have no doubt that Paul Williams and Wayne Schwass were bother better players IIRCC D Murphy played around 168 -170 games and Schwass 98. Hall is the best CHF Sydney has probably ever had bar none

Barry Round was a glorious trier Jolly and Ball are the best ruckman we have had. Interested to see Dr Js comments here. See if he can overlook his namessake

Rhys is in the best team of that era. No question about it.

[CureTheSane]

Without giving it too much thouht, I'd omit Dunkley from the starting 22

[johnno]

For those that never got to see Mark Bayes play, unfortunatley you guys have missed out on seeing one of the premier backman of the competition. I can honestly say I never saw him EVER get beaten, when he was playing either CHB or FB.

I remember 1 game we played against the saints out at Waverly, in the 1st half Bayes was on Loewe and Nettlebeck(what a star he was....not) was on Lockett, by half time Lockett had 7 goals, Loewe 0 goals. The coach made the move at half time, Bayes onto Lockett, Nettlebeck onto Loewe. At full time, Loewe had 7 goals, Lockett was still on 7 goals.

Now the media made a fuss about how fantastic the 2 saints forwards had performed, 7 goals a piece. What they failed to mention was that 14 goals were kicked on Nettlebeck and 0 goals on Bayes.

Mark Bayes was and still is my favourite swans player of all time.

[laughingnome]

Mark Bayes was and still is my favourite swans player of all time.

Not my favourite, but his ability in marking contests and his raking left foot made him the consummate backman. He's certainly in my 22.

[snajik]

Unfortunately no finals were played in Sydney in the mid 8o's. If we had the right to play home finals back then I think we could have won 2 premierships under Tom Hafey.

Not necessarily. In 86 we were on par or slightly worse than a couple of sides, particularly Hawthorn and Carlton, maybe even Fitzroy. We were better in 87 and probably were the best side for two thirds of the season. Then everything came unstuck. By the time they limped into the finals they didn't deserve their spot. The margins in the the two finals that they played in were disgraceful and playing on the SCG would have made very little difference. They were a rabble.

[Matty10]

It's always hard trying to come up with lists like this - do you rate players over their whole careers, just their time with the swans, or their best season? A lot of players would be contenders if it was the latter (but it would make for interesting arguments).

Looking at the list provided, it perhaps seems a little slow (but maybe that says more about the lists the swans have had in the past 30 years lacking in pace?).

I would probably try and find a spot for Bernard Toohey (not that he adds great speed, I just rated him highly as a player).

[Velour&Ruffles]

Barry Round was a glorious trier

And a Brownlow Medal winner.
And starting ruckman in the Swans team of the Century.
Took 18 marks one week when a mark meant a contested pack mark. None of this stats-bloating loose link man bullsh.
He's a walk up start in the '80 - '10 team.
A few more "glorious triers" of his quality right now would be handy.


Bayes was better on a back flank, making Craig Bolton's selection a bit extreme. Roos to CHB. This from a Bombers supporter.

Stephen Kernahan - a popular choice for best centre half forward ever - rated Mark Bayes his toughest opponent. Sticks has said a few dumb things in his time ("just pleased to get the 4 points" after a finals win being high among them) but it still suggests to me Bayes was a pretty reasonable centre half back.

[elroy67]

For those that never got to see Mark Bayes play, unfortunatley you guys have missed out on seeing one of the premier backman of the competition. I can honestly say I never saw him EVER get beaten, when he was playing either CHB or FB.

I remember 1 game we played against the saints out at Waverly, in the 1st half Bayes was on Loewe and Nettlebeck(what a star he was....not) was on Lockett, by half time Lockett had 7 goals, Loewe 0 goals. The coach made the move at half time, Bayes onto Lockett, Nettlebeck onto Loewe. At full time, Loewe had 7 goals, Lockett was still on 7 goals.

Now the media made a fuss about how fantastic the 2 saints forwards had performed, 7 goals a piece. What they failed to mention was that 14 goals were kicked on Nettlebeck and 0 goals on Bayes.

Mark Bayes was and still is my favourite swans player of all time.

Hear, hear!!

[big bear]

Bayes and Roos must be in team. Who to omit the question?