Team of the century

[swan_song]

Has anyone yet started to compile their Swannies team of the Century? It may be one of the minority of afl teams of the century not to include any current players. Does anyone think that anyone on the current list could or should make it? Last season there would have been 2 current players on my list.

Who would u have at FF....Pratt or Plugger? Cazaly even?
Where would you play Ron Clegg...CHF or CHB?
Bedford in the centre or Kelly? or Williams?
Fred Goldsmith at FB or maybe Dunks?
Rover: Herbie Matthews, or Skilts?
Where Healy, Greg Williams (if not in the centre), Barry Round, Ricky Quade, Bernie Evans, Ken Boyd, Laurie Nash...
Lots of names, many Ive only read about...

Any suggestions?

[bricon]

Re: Team of the century

Originally posted by swan_song
Does anyone think that anyone on the current list could or should make it?

Does Cygnatious count?

[robbieando]

I don't think anyone on the current list will make it, but if I had to pick someone it would be Cressa for the bench. I don't think we'll see players picked in their best positions, such as Pratt WILL be Full Forward and Lockett will be FP. I think they will pick our best 22 and make a side from that. Otherwise we will have players make it who don't desever it ahead of someone else who does but missed out because someone else their position.

[Charlie]

Can anyone tell me the actual date of the TOTC??? I'm writing a series of articles for it.... hopefully I'll be able to do it over the Easter holidays, but is that going to be to late???

[Charlie]

Sorry... just found it on the Swans site... 8th August...

[gloveski]

Are they planning any murchandise with the team of the century?

[Craig]

I reckon that Cresswell and Mick O may make the team, probably on the bench. Yes I know Mick's form hasn't been great of late, but that shouldn't stop his first 5 or 6 years meaning something.
Of the recently departed, Plugger, Kel and Dunks should get spots

[NMWBloods]

This was the team of the century I (and my dad) put together last year:

B: B. Kelly A. Dunkley J. Cleary
HB: P. Roos F. Goldsmith J. Rantall
C: H. Matthews G. Williams L. Nash
HF: P. Bedford R. Clegg V. Castles
F: P. Kelly(c) T. Lockett B. Pratt
R: G. Teasdale G. Healey B. Skilton(vc)

Int: B. Round W. Williams T. Whitfield R. Cazaly



Others I considered, but left out:
M. O'Loughlin D. Murphy H. Clarke R. Quade R.Carter T. Morwood D. Carroll D. Rhys Jones D. Ackerley I. Roberts M. Bayes D. Cresswell W. Schwass S. Wright B. Toohey M. Neagle M. Browning J. Graham B. Evans B. Mitchell

[bricon]

<b>NMWBloods:</b> Who would you name as coach?

[NMWBloods]

Jeez, coach is a tough one.

Hafey was a fine coach, but not so successful with us.

Ian Stewart and Ron Barrassi were rather good for short periods, as was Hammond.

I think Eade was a fine coach, and the longest serving to boot, but I'm not sure whether I'd pick him.

Maybe Jack Bisset, who coached our last premiership team.

I'd need to give it some more thought.

[swan_song]

Yes, I too think that they will choose the best 22 (or 25 or whatever) players for the TOC, rather than a "team" with placings. It would be good though if they did the latter, if just to give some perspective to the exercise. Coach would indeed be tricky and I have only experience of Hafey, Bucky, Kinnear, Barassi, Rocket and Roosie...well u can forget Bucky and Kinnear (they could coach the swans worst team of the century...in fact they did I think)...Barass perhaps for his past, but then it wouldn't be a Swannie honour...Jack Bissett I guess who captain coached the 1933 premiership side and took us to the GF in 34, 35 and 36....geee that seems SO long ago...
Maybe one day!!!!

[robbieando]

Here is my team

F. Lockett Pratt Cazaly
HF. Matthews Nash T.Morwood
C. G.Williams Bedford Healy
HB. Carroll Glegg Rantall
B. Duckley Carter Goldsmith
Fol. Round Kelly(vc) Skiltion(c)
Int. Quade Teasdale Bayes Belcher
Emg. Browning Cleary Robertson

Coach - Bissett

Quite an even side with great depth. Skilton HAS to be captain with Kelly his Vice and Bissett as coach. Lockett in a pocket was a fair call because Pratt kicked more goals for the club than Lockett and if I remember correctly played less games than Lockett. With Fullback any 3 of the back line could of got the Fullback spot

[Nico]

NMW, I think to have Laurie Nash on a wing is great injustice.
My father who followed us for 88 years said that without a doubt he was "the best" swans player of all time.

He said Ron Clegg was a top player (I recall seeing him I was very young) but was not in Nash's class. I recall Jack Dyer saying Nash was the best of their time. Dad said he was just never beaten.

Also, Kelly being the great player he was, stiil could not possibly get the nod for captain ahead of Skilton.

One of South's great problems was that they always had a few great players at any one time, but could never get a team together good enough to make the finals between 1945 and 1970. So the best choice for coach has to be Norm Smith who got them to 4th in 1970 and if they played anyone but StKilda in the 1st semi may have won the flag. The Saints just seemed to have the wood on us then.

As for blokes like Barry Round and Quade etc, they were serviceable but no stars, even though Barry won a Brownlow. Ricky Quade was an average footballer who because of knee injuries early in his career was a slow conveyance, hence his inability to get the contests. He was a more of a "gimmee" on baller for this reason. He actually came to the club as a full forward.

Bedford was simply brilliant and deserves a spot. Skilton by the way said that a bloke called Max Papley, who I had the privilege of seeing, was the most gifted player he has ever seen (Centre).
Problem was he wasn't too partial to training.

Because we had a star in every era and not a glut of them, the task will probably be easy.

[Charlie]

Lockett: 98 games, 462 goals. Ave 4.73
Pratt: 158 games, 681 goals. Ave 4.31

Interestingly, both had failed comebacks. Pratt returned to the club after a 6 year stint in the VFA in 1946, but broke down in his first game. We all know the Lockett story.

While Lockett played most of his matches for the Swans in his 30s, Pratt reached his peak at 21 and was well past his best at 25.

Lockett was a body-on-body player, Pratt a high marker. Lockett at 191cm and 110kg was 11cm taller and 26.5kg heavier than Pratt. Seems to suggest that Lockett is the better fit for FF, while Pratt would be a FP in the same side as Plugger.

[Nico]

Interesting to see that the stars of pre and immmediate post war were much smaller that the modern era.

The rucks were 6 ft 2in and the rovers were 5ft7in, whereas today the rucks are 6ft7in and rovers/onballers somewhere between 5'7" to 6'1", with a preference by clubs at the upper end of the scale.

So it would be hard to match up Plugger and Pratt as Plugger was feed on the fast lead, whereas in Pratt's era it was a one out with the FB of flying over a pack with high kicks coming into the forward line, so he must have been vey adept at the high mark to kick as many as he did.