All Australian

[swansrule100]

Anyone see talking footy?? parkin picked an all australian team for this year thus far based on coaches votes for player of the year

does anyone have a team???

three swans were in it Hall Williams and Barry

[ugg]

Hall - very likely.
Barry - good possibility, especially if he keeps up his recent form.
Williams - doubtful, especially when they is so much competition in the midfield.

We still have nearly half a season to go so a lot could change between now and then, but I believe so far these players are in with a very good shot:

Hasleby
Ricciuto
Simpson
Gehrig
Everitt (although the Hawks poor form might count against him)
Jeff White
Hayes
Nathan Brown (Richmond)
Matty Lappin
Riewoldt
McPhee
Scarlett

Just my 2c worth.

[swansrule100]

good picks..

but not one lions player???

nigel lappin has been awesome all year
tredrea is dominating as well

but all good picks

[ugg]

It wasn't an exhaustive list, just players off the top of my head who I've felt have played consistently well over the season so far. Yes, Nigel Lappin would have to be up there along with Simon Black from the Lions. Another player who came up in my mind, and is a bit of a smokey is Cam Mooney from Geelong. He's been great for them since about round 4.

[swansrule100]

yeh wasnt knocking you... just think it shows the lions are awesome yet you can make a list of best players without one... they are just so even i think it shows

i tried to pick a team cos well im on holidays babysitting and bored... its based on the afl websites dream team player rankings really...so higher scoring players are in the team..then in a position i think they could play as opposed to where they do play in some cases and i picked

B: Dal Santo (stk), Scarlett (geel), Barry (syd)

HB: Lappin (bris), Pavlich (freo), Johnson (wb)

C: Riccutio (adel), Simpson (kan), Ling (geel)

HF: Riewoldt (stk), Tredrea (port), Hird (ess)

F: Brown (rich), Gehrig (stk), Hall (syd)

Foll: Everitt (haw), Haselby (freo), Hayes (stk)

Int: (from) White (melb), West (wb), Judd (wc), akkermanis (bris), Darcy (wb), Ball (stk), K.Cornes (port), Yze (melb)

[Bleed Red Blood]

Nice list Jeff, but it seems everyone pickes Hird just cause he's "Hird".

[ugg]

True, but Hird had a great run of games till he got injured.

[Cheer Cheer]

Just a couple things : -

Hird has been brilliant this year and is as worthy a recipent of an AA guernsey as much as anyone. I would hate to think anyone believes his surname automatically includes him the team this year.

If the selectors seriously analyse all teams, Leo will get a guernsey, not probably, 100% definately.

[liz]

Originally posted by Cheer Cheer

If the selectors seriously analyse all teams, Leo will get a guernsey, not probably, 100% definately.

Would be nice to think that they do but I have my doubts. Personally I would make it a condition of being an AA selector that they watch every single game of footy played each week. That shouldn't be too hard if you earn your living commentating on footy. But somehow I doubt they do.

One of the things against Leo is that the rebounding half-back flanker is one of the most visible positions on the ground and, at its basic level, I suspect one of the easiest to play. Supporters of almost every team are convinced that they have the best flanker rebounders in the team, because it is easy to remember when these guys run and bounce up the wing.

There is a lot of hype surrounding players like Joel Smith, Aussie Jones, Rohan Smith, Nathan Lonie, Chris Johnson. Some of it is deserved (and I acknowledge thus not strictly hype), some less so. Many of these players tend to wander further up the ground than Barry, and do it more often. Most also have more fluent skills and thus look more elegant. What I think makes Leo unique is the number of times he clears the ball by running through really heavy traffic. Not many do it as regularly as he does. He is also far more versatile than most in that he can play as a KPP as well as a running defender. However, that last aspect could work against him gaining AA selection because of their occasional insistence on picking players who have played predominantly in the named position (except when they need to find a way to fit their darling Pavlich into a team and just name him anywhere they have a space).

One factor that should work in Leo's favour is that Leigh Matthews was very vocal in his surprise last year at Leo's omission. We saw from Williams' selection last year (when he didn't deserve it) that they sometimes try to make up for boo-boos from the previous year.

[Cheer Cheer]

Originally posted by lizz

There is a lot of hype surrounding players like Joel Smith, Aussie Jones, Rohan Smith, Nathan Lonie, Chris Johnson. Some of it is deserved (and I acknowledge thus not strictly hype), some less so.

Yes, don't forget Matthew Lappin either who is in career best form too.

There is fierce competition this year, but I really believe if he doesn't get an HBF possy, he should at least a BP possy.

And if worst comes to worse, don't forget he can get a spot on the bench too, which IMO will be the worse case senario.

I don't believe Nathan Lonie will be close to selection, but all the others you mentioned, plus Lappin, will be fighting for spots.

[motorace_182]

B: Dal Santo (stk), Scarlett (geel), Barry (syd)

HB: Lappin (bris), Pavlich (freo), Johnson (wb)

C: Riccutio (adel), Simpson (kan), Ling (geel)

HF: Riewoldt (stk), Tredrea (port), Hird (ess)

F: Brown (rich), Gehrig (stk), Hall (syd)

Foll: Everitt (haw), Haselby (freo), Hayes (stk)

There are a few out of position there, seems as though you have listed roughly the best 18, not the best 18 at those positions.
Lappin on HBF?? Wasnt that argument raised last season, then Matthews confirmed he had played 1 qtr of footy there all season.
N Brown has been playing in the midfield, not as a forward pocket. That position should be given to someone who has spent the majority of the season there. Same with Dal Santo, I havent seen him to much in the back pocket...

[dimelb]

All these selections and no place for Brown (Bris)?

[swansrule100]

well first off the team doesnt play so who cares where you name them in reality? :P

2nd of all why not pick the best for the year... why not pick 5 ruckman if they are the best for the year

3rd i picked players based on where i think they could play... lappin would handle half back flank for instance

last of all how many traditional position actually exist

eg. how many times are there different amounts of forwards maybe just 3 instead of 6 or maybe 7
and half backs drift around the ground etc etc... its not like half back wont leave the defensive 50 its just where i put the spare midfielder and they would rotate

but oh well i see your points... its hard to pick a team

[Cheer Cheer]

Well, I can pretty much answer your 2nd and 3rd points.

Lappin could handle HBF, sure, but there are other players who can play the position much better than Lappin, so why put him there if he is taking a spot of a player who can play HBF much, much better ?

Same for your point on the Ruckmen, if you put 5 ruckmen in the team hypothetically, they would be taking the spot of a team member who could play the position much better.

[ugg]

Alright, its easy to criticise swansrule100's team but at least he put an effort into it. So I thought I would have a go at naming a team. Comments are welcome.

B:	R.Smith(WBD)	M.Scarlett(GEE)	L.Barry(SYD)
HB:	M.Lappin(CAR)	C.Cornes(PTA)	A.McPhee(ESS)
C:	L.Hayes(STK)	P.Hasleby(FRE)	B.Cousins(WCE)
HF:	J.Hird(ESS)	W.Tredrea(PTA)	C.Judd(WCE)
F:	B.Harvey(KAN)	F.Gehrig(STK)	B.Hall(SYD)
Foll:	J.White(MEL)	M.Ricciuto(ADE)	A.Simpson(KAN)
	
Int:
B.Fevola(CAR)
N.Brown(RIC)
S.Black(BRL)
P.Everitt(HAW)

Pretty even team, with every team represented except Collingwood! Maybe I am biased after all...