Competitions Collingwood All Time Draft

Remove this Banner Ad

Thanks again Michael and look forward to seeing your team! Well done to all on everyone's respective teams and to the overall winner South of the Yarra, very well deserved and a cracking team. Great job magpies42 also in being up there. As Michael said it was a flip of the coin so could have been a number of teams there at the end so feel fortunate to have got a mention.

In the end the great part of this was delving into the clubs' and players' history, its taught me a lot more about our great club but I also enjoyed the banter and discussions with all involved. As if it wadn't great already we were then fortunate to have Michael involved also and get his view on the teams but also hearing more on the players too. That was such an experience also so thanks again Michael.

As SOTY said, it was a great respectful thread and credit to all. Selfishly if there's ever a sequel or variation, I'd put my hand up again, but conscious there's others who'd want to be part of the fun also.

Such a great experience and so much thanks again to half_back_flank for putting this together. Well done everyone!!

Go Pies!
Hear, hear!
 
OK, so now we get to the crunch time – who is going to win this friendly competition?

I’ve been asked to come up with not just a winner but also a ‘grand finalist’ that could take it up to the eventual winner.

In making these judgements, please note that I have based them on the teams purely as selected. This has made things a little harder, because several teams could have been significantly improved just by changing a few players around, which I could have done if I was Chairman of Selectors. Instead I’ve just run with the teams as selected.

And that has made things very tight indeed. Because, while every team was very, very good, no team was perfect. Every team – even the eventual winner – has flaws. So it’s been an exercise in deciding which flaws could be worked around, or mattered less, and which were coach-killers.

With that in mind, the first Grand Finalist is … (insert drum roll) … South of the Yarra. A team full of quality players, and mostly well balanced. The only real issue I had with it was the presence of three big blokes on the forward line (Curtis, BT and Mick Twomey). But I feel like maybe we could live with that at least in part because Frank Murphy was not your traditional centre half-forward. He was mobile and far-roaming – much more of a lead-up option – and I could easily see Harry Curtis, who was a very good centre half-forward, dropping into the hole when Frank ventured further afield.

As for SOTY’s rival? Well, that’s where it gets hard. Half_Back_Flank had the next best squad (maybe even the equal best squad), in my view. So the drafting team had done their bit. But the selectors? Not so much. Sticking champion centreman Bill Strickland in a back pocket and ruckman/follower George Angus where a rover should be undercut so much of HBF’s otherwise outstanding work. If I could have moved Angus to the back pocket, Strickland to the centre, Bobby Rose to rover and swap Mick Bone with Teddy Rowell, then this team would be taking on SOTY in the GF.

Along similar lines, I loved so much about the way Jelly Bean’s team was coming together over the course of the Draft, especially with the presence of many of my favourite 1890s guns. But I couldn’t work out how to deal with the Bri Davey question, and in the end felt I had to mark the team down for that, relative to its rivals. I’m still not convinced that was right, but it was the way I ended up going. (Plus Krak didn’t play enough footy for us, in my view)

After HBF and JB, it felt like I could just about throw a blanket across three or four other teams who all had good cases for a spot in the GF. They all had similar-but-different issues: Trickster, Magpies42 and Gouki all had unconvincing forward halves, while iGNITER had a cracking forward line – but an undeserved selection in Daniel Wells. In the end I decided that Wells’ selection was a more egregious error than having better players in a less balanced line-up. The remaining three all had solid defences but flawed forward lines, and in the end I took the cheat’s way out and decided on … (insert second drum roll) … a tie between Magpies42 and Trickster! Trickster had the better players in defence, and a better trio of key on-ballers (including Bucks, arguably our best-ever). Both teams had one slightly dodgy winger. But Magpies42 had the better balanced attack with more dangerous ground level types in Harris and Doherty and a mid-small in Elliott, as well as triple leading goalkicker Checkers. But he also had Twiggy in the unfamiliar FF role, whereas Trickster had Craig Davis and Didak, but otherwise lacking at ground level. By the end I was going around in circles so I decided to call it a tie!

Sure, technically, that means we have three teams in a Grand Final. But I think South of the Yarra wins it anyway. In the end it’s hard to beat having more good players than the opposition, especially when it’s packaged in a team with only one real selection issue – and I reckon they’re good enough to get around it.

So that’s it! Flame away :) Congratulations to all competitors – it really has been great to see so many brilliant teams being produced. I’m going to have a crack at one myself shortly – obviously with the benefit of hindsight, but why the hell not? And thanks again for all the kind words you have said about me and my work over the past couple of weeks - I've been genuinely chuffed by all of that.

Thanks all!

Thanks Michael. An absolute honour. I feel privileged with so many incredible teams and posters. And being a Pies supporter for so long, thank God I didn't finish second. I don't think I could have handled that again.
 

Log in to remove this ad.

Thanks Michael. An absolute honour. I feel privileged with so many incredible teams and posters. And being a Pies supporter for so long, thank God I didn't finish second. I don't think I could have handled that again.

Hold your horses. I read that you had made the grand final and were the favourite to win ... sounds worryingly familiar.
 
Thanks Michael. An absolute honour. I feel privileged with so many incredible teams and posters. And being a Pies supporter for so long, thank God I didn't finish second. I don't think I could have handled that again.
Congrats SOTY! Excellent team.

Everyone had an excellent team, really. Maybe I'm a bit biased towards Collingwood champions though...

This was a heap of fun, hope to do something similar again sometime :)
 
OK, just for a bit of fun I've had a quick go at putting a team together. Unfortunately I haven't been able to spend much time on it, because i'm putting together a display about Murray Weideman for the Past Players annual lunch on Thursday. But while this won't be hugely enlightening, it might give you some clue about how I might assemble such a team.

I decided to start it from the middle of the first round (aligned with Magpies42's selections) so that I was in an 'average' spot. But of course it's easier in my position because I know what happens and that gives me advantages none of you had (eg, knowing Ernie Wilson doesn't go until the 180s gives me a level of comfort about the HBF spot that I might not have had in real life).

Notwithstanding that huge advantage, I reckon I would try to have filled early selections with the spots where I felt quality was limited - FF, CHF, ruck to a lesser extent, but always wanting to stock up with good midfielders (luckily we've had a few of those). Less worried about full-back - we're well stocked there. And would have been hoping to use my knowledge of old guys to sneak in a few good ones! (although you all did such great research that that strategy might have been exposed) I'd be trying for a largely conventional team (one bigger back pocket, one smaller one etc) and trying to get as many bods as possible in their best positions. Plus looking for flexible selections, especially early, because I can only imagine that the team changes shape significantly as you go along, depending on who is and isn't available. So the ability to shift a player to another spot would be valuable.

Anyway, with those little riders, here goes:
Pick 6. I would have been VERY tempted to take Bob Rose here. Arguably our greatest ever player. But I also wanted to get FF locked away early, so probably would have taken Dick Lee. Largely on the basis that he's slightly more flexible than Peter McKenna, and could have played on a HFF or FP if needed. If I'd taken Rose I would have hoped for Ron Todd to be available at the next pick but he wouldn't have been, so would probably have taken Sav or BT instead.

Pick 17. Des Fothergill. If not for Williamstown and WW2 I think he would have been our best player ever. We used to have a volunteer at the Archives who had seen Fothergill play (he loved him so much he called his cat Father) and said he was the best player he'd seen. Said the only one who came close was Daicos. That's good enough for me. Centre locked down, or could be the all-time best HFF.

Pick 28. This is where my first big test of approach would have come. I would have set myself to take a CHF here, because there aren't many great ones outside of Weed and Phonse. But Wayne Richardson is still here - which is amazing. I think in real time I might have found that too tempting. But in this world I'm going to stick with the plan and take either Trav or Anthony Rocca.

Pick 39. Having overlooked Wayne R, and with the two key forward posts sorted, I need some more great midfielders. Dick Condon would have been my choice here. Rover, centre, wing. The guy was a genius and should have been in our TOTC but for the fact he played so long ago, and was a bit of a troublemaker :)

Pick 50. Still want to build the midfield class, so maybe would have taken someone like McGuane or Burns here? Notionally for the ruck-rover spot.

Pick 61. Now I'd take Charlie Pannam Snr. Ideally as a winger, but he also won the VFL goalkicking when he played a a permanent small forward later in his career, so once again I get a couple of options with him.

Pick 72. Would have been tempted to take Bill Proudfoot here (in the process overlooking my initial thinking about full-backs) but instead I might have taken someone like Paul Williams. Want some speed and again versatility - could play wing, half-back, half-forward.

Pick 83. Gotta deal with the ruck now, and I would have been hoping Les Hughes would slip to this sort of range. An absolute gun big man of his time, and from all reports a ripping bloke too.

Pick 94. This is where I would have pulled a slight switch, and gone for a bit of a personal favourite in Bill Strickland. A star centreman even before he joined CFC, and he then got better. Was considered the best player in the competition (VFA) for at least one of the years he was with us, and our best player in at least two. I've always loved his story and how he helped turn the club around. Plus I have actually held the watch he was given after the 1896 flag so I feel an affinity with him :) This would enable me to shift Fother to the HFF, which seems almost unfair on the defenders he would terrorise.

Pick 105 With Dick Lee at FF I reckon I would need a slightly taller option for the forward pocket to play alongside him. And these were in fairly short supply (unlike HFFs and wingmen), so I might have opted for either Twiggy Dunne or a Mick Twomey (although Mick was more of a ruckman than Twig)

Pick 116 I now look at the other specialist forward spot and I'd take either someone like Mike Richardson, the classic half-forward flanker, (thinking I'd take Mick Bone or Davey Norman as my second rover) or Percy Wilson as the second rover for a forward pocket (hoping to play Willo at HFF and maybe bring in another wingman).

Pick 127 Time for defence. Len Fitzgerald for CHB for me. He was an extraordinary player in his time here, and then got even better when he went to SA (three Magareys). People likened him to Albert Collier as a CHB, but he could also play as a ruck-rover, at CHF or on a HBF. So could come in very handy.

Pick 138 Still got plenty of choices at full-back, including Peter McCormack, Jack Finck, Harry Sullivan etc. I'd take one here so my spine was complete.

Pick 149 I'd always thought i'd take one of the follower types to play in a back pocket, and by now it would have hit me that Dan Minogue was still around, which is just crazy. I'd take him and stick him in a back pocket. He'd be awesome there.

Pick 160 In the other back pocket I'd take the human cannonball Charlie Utting. Love him coz he absolutely bled black and white. Was great charging out of defence, but was good enough to win a Copeland in the centre too.

Pick 171 Ernie Wilson was like an even rougher version of Utting. Fast and fearless and loved getting under the skin of opposing players and fans. I would likely have taken him earlier in real life.

Pick 182 I'd always thought I might be able to sneak in a late pick for a quality winger in Percy Gibb. He really should have been in ACOTB and I think he would have been a great get here. But I also would have noticed that Charlie Pannam Jnr was still available here, so I may have taken him instead. Was a seriously good player in either a wing or in the centre. And I would have then had a father-son in the one team, which appeals hugely! And if I move Willo to half-forward they would even be on the same line!

Pick 193 I would have filled the last remaining slot on a half-back flank with one of two seriously underrated options, either the great left-footer Laurie Hill, or Andrew Ireland from a decade or so later. Both played more than 100 games, were quietly efficient but also offensive weapons off half-back.

That would make my final team look something like:
B: Dan Minogue, Peter McCormack/Jack Finck, Charlie Utting
HB: Laurie Hill, Len Fitzgerald, Ernie Wilson
C: Charlie Pannam Jnr, Bill Strickland (C), Charlie Pannam Snr
HF: Des Fothergill, Anthony Rocca/Travis Cloke, Paul Williams
F: Ross Dunne, Dick Lee, Percy Wilson
R: Les Hughes, Mick McGuane, Dick Condon

Of course, as I said, my task was so much easier by knowing what came later. But i think the approach would have been the same. Or else I might just have succumbed to temptation and tried to fill the team with my favourite players! I can't imagine how hard it must have been to do this in real time, having preferred options taken out from under your nose just before your pick. Would have driven me bonkers.

Thanks again guys - so glad you all enjoyed the thread so much. Congrats and thanks to the organisers!!
 
OK, just for a bit of fun I've had a quick go at putting a team together. Unfortunately I haven't been able to spend much time on it, because i'm putting together a display about Murray Weideman for the Past Players annual lunch on Thursday. But while this won't be hugely enlightening, it might give you some clue about how I might assemble such a team.

I decided to start it from the middle of the first round (aligned with Magpies42's selections) so that I was in an 'average' spot. But of course it's easier in my position because I know what happens and that gives me advantages none of you had (eg, knowing Ernie Wilson doesn't go until the 180s gives me a level of comfort about the HBF spot that I might not have had in real life).

Notwithstanding that huge advantage, I reckon I would try to have filled early selections with the spots where I felt quality was limited - FF, CHF, ruck to a lesser extent, but always wanting to stock up with good midfielders (luckily we've had a few of those). Less worried about full-back - we're well stocked there. And would have been hoping to use my knowledge of old guys to sneak in a few good ones! (although you all did such great research that that strategy might have been exposed) I'd be trying for a largely conventional team (one bigger back pocket, one smaller one etc) and trying to get as many bods as possible in their best positions. Plus looking for flexible selections, especially early, because I can only imagine that the team changes shape significantly as you go along, depending on who is and isn't available. So the ability to shift a player to another spot would be valuable.

Anyway, with those little riders, here goes:
Pick 6. I would have been VERY tempted to take Bob Rose here. Arguably our greatest ever player. But I also wanted to get FF locked away early, so probably would have taken Dick Lee. Largely on the basis that he's slightly more flexible than Peter McKenna, and could have played on a HFF or FP if needed. If I'd taken Rose I would have hoped for Ron Todd to be available at the next pick but he wouldn't have been, so would probably have taken Sav or BT instead.

Pick 17. Des Fothergill. If not for Williamstown and WW2 I think he would have been our best player ever. We used to have a volunteer at the Archives who had seen Fothergill play (he loved him so much he called his cat Father) and said he was the best player he'd seen. Said the only one who came close was Daicos. That's good enough for me. Centre locked down, or could be the all-time best HFF.

Pick 28. This is where my first big test of approach would have come. I would have set myself to take a CHF here, because there aren't many great ones outside of Weed and Phonse. But Wayne Richardson is still here - which is amazing. I think in real time I might have found that too tempting. But in this world I'm going to stick with the plan and take either Trav or Anthony Rocca.

Pick 39. Having overlooked Wayne R, and with the two key forward posts sorted, I need some more great midfielders. Dick Condon would have been my choice here. Rover, centre, wing. The guy was a genius and should have been in our TOTC but for the fact he played so long ago, and was a bit of a troublemaker :)

Pick 50. Still want to build the midfield class, so maybe would have taken someone like McGuane or Burns here? Notionally for the ruck-rover spot.

Pick 61. Now I'd take Charlie Pannam Snr. Ideally as a winger, but he also won the VFL goalkicking when he played a a permanent small forward later in his career, so once again I get a couple of options with him.

Pick 72. Would have been tempted to take Bill Proudfoot here (in the process overlooking my initial thinking about full-backs) but instead I might have taken someone like Paul Williams. Want some speed and again versatility - could play wing, half-back, half-forward.

Pick 83. Gotta deal with the ruck now, and I would have been hoping Les Hughes would slip to this sort of range. An absolute gun big man of his time, and from all reports a ripping bloke too.

Pick 94. This is where I would have pulled a slight switch, and gone for a bit of a personal favourite in Bill Strickland. A star centreman even before he joined CFC, and he then got better. Was considered the best player in the competition (VFA) for at least one of the years he was with us, and our best player in at least two. I've always loved his story and how he helped turn the club around. Plus I have actually held the watch he was given after the 1896 flag so I feel an affinity with him :) This would enable me to shift Fother to the HFF, which seems almost unfair on the defenders he would terrorise.

Pick 105 With Dick Lee at FF I reckon I would need a slightly taller option for the forward pocket to play alongside him. And these were in fairly short supply (unlike HFFs and wingmen), so I might have opted for either Twiggy Dunne or a Mick Twomey (although Mick was more of a ruckman than Twig)

Pick 116 I now look at the other specialist forward spot and I'd take either someone like Mike Richardson, the classic half-forward flanker, (thinking I'd take Mick Bone or Davey Norman as my second rover) or Percy Wilson as the second rover for a forward pocket (hoping to play Willo at HFF and maybe bring in another wingman).

Pick 127 Time for defence. Len Fitzgerald for CHB for me. He was an extraordinary player in his time here, and then got even better when he went to SA (three Magareys). People likened him to Albert Collier as a CHB, but he could also play as a ruck-rover, at CHF or on a HBF. So could come in very handy.

Pick 138 Still got plenty of choices at full-back, including Peter McCormack, Jack Finck, Harry Sullivan etc. I'd take one here so my spine was complete.

Pick 149 I'd always thought i'd take one of the follower types to play in a back pocket, and by now it would have hit me that Dan Minogue was still around, which is just crazy. I'd take him and stick him in a back pocket. He'd be awesome there.

Pick 160 In the other back pocket I'd take the human cannonball Charlie Utting. Love him coz he absolutely bled black and white. Was great charging out of defence, but was good enough to win a Copeland in the centre too.

Pick 171 Ernie Wilson was like an even rougher version of Utting. Fast and fearless and loved getting under the skin of opposing players and fans. I would likely have taken him earlier in real life.

Pick 182 I'd always thought I might be able to sneak in a late pick for a quality winger in Percy Gibb. He really should have been in ACOTB and I think he would have been a great get here. But I also would have noticed that Charlie Pannam Jnr was still available here, so I may have taken him instead. Was a seriously good player in either a wing or in the centre. And I would have then had a father-son in the one team, which appeals hugely! And if I move Willo to half-forward they would even be on the same line!

Pick 193 I would have filled the last remaining slot on a half-back flank with one of two seriously underrated options, either the great left-footer Laurie Hill, or Andrew Ireland from a decade or so later. Both played more than 100 games, were quietly efficient but also offensive weapons off half-back.

That would make my final team look something like:
B: Dan Minogue, Peter McCormack/Jack Finck, Charlie Utting
HB: Laurie Hill, Len Fitzgerald, Ernie Wilson
C: Charlie Pannam Jnr, Bill Strickland (C), Charlie Pannam Snr
HF: Des Fothergill, Anthony Rocca/Travis Cloke, Paul Williams
F: Ross Dunne, Dick Lee, Percy Wilson
R: Les Hughes, Mick McGuane, Dick Condon

Of course, as I said, my task was so much easier by knowing what came later. But i think the approach would have been the same. Or else I might just have succumbed to temptation and tried to fill the team with my favourite players! I can't imagine how hard it must have been to do this in real time, having preferred options taken out from under your nose just before your pick. Would have driven me bonkers.

Thanks again guys - so glad you all enjoyed the thread so much. Congrats and thanks to the organisers!!
Amazing stuff! Much better than mine, but yes the biggest challenge was having players poached. We were fairly well synched in that regard!!
 
Loved following this.
Well done to half_back_flank & all the wise participants & a special mention to Lardieslads for the assessments & general informative contributions & opinions.
I learned more about Collingwood’s great history & in particular about our past players.
Absolutely first class.
There were no winners or losers…we were all winners from the experience.
 
Thank you!
Four roles:
- Poor bounce you’d take the tap;
- If they got the tap to the rover/centreman he would have to go through you as he headed to goal;
- Use of strength to win contested ball; and
- Pre 1980 you’d change in the BP and mind their resting ruckman.

The ruckman would mix it up - tapping to the rover and centre, and thumping it forward, to make it difficult to shark. A bad bounce for him would really be one back over his head, as it would wrong foot him. So you’d stand on the defensive side of the circle, which would also put you in the path of their rover and centreman so you could line them up, if their ruckman directed the tap.
 
Last edited:

Remove this Banner Ad

Back
Top