Almanac Teams: A 44-gallon drum of talent; Best of 44 (1980- )

 

 

This is a team of best players to wear the Number 44 jumper since 1980.

 

• Starting 18 will be one player from each club. I have tweaked it after the Number 3 team. Brisbane Bears and Brisbane Lions will be one club, with Fitzroy, Gold Coast and GWS competing for the last two spots in the starting 18.
• Teams will try to be as balanced as possible but if a number has several rucks as its best player an alternative will be picked. I will explain my selections below the team.
• Players may appear under multiple numbers, for example Eddie Betts numbers 18 and 19.

 

 

Stats are based on their time in that number.

 

 

I also have two teams per number, one is a best of and the other is based on players picked for different obscure/unusual reasons like cameos, unknown brothers, fathers, known for other reasons.

 

 

FB:      Corey Enright (Geel)                Jack Buckley (GWS)                                            Shane Kerrison (Coll)

 

CHB:  Rohan Bail (Melb)                     Nathan Bock (Adel/GCS)                                   Tom Logan (PA)

 

C:        Nigel Lappin (C) (Bris)             David Wirrpanda (WCE)                                    Darcy MacPherson (GCS)

 

CHF:  Sydney Stack (Rich)                  Daniel Bandy (Freo)                                             Cameron Zurhaar (NM)

 

FF:      Tim English (WB)                     Richard Osborne (VC) (Fitz/Syd/WB/Coll)    Stephen Milne (St.K)

 

Ruck:  Justin Madden (Ess/Carl)      Jake Lloyd (Syd)                                                    John Platten (DVC) (Haw)

 

Interchange: Andrew Carazzo (Carl), Peter Caven (Adel), Gary O’Donnell (Ess), Tom Stewart (Geel)

 

Emergencies: Matt Crouch (Adel), Jai Newcombe (Haw), Willie/Junior Rioli (WCE), Maverick Weller (St.K)

 

Coach: Mick Malthouse

 

There are no players from Essendon in the starting 18, but one on the bench.

 

 

Games in Number 44 (Years Played)

Corey Enright 332 (2001-2016)

Jack Buckley 17 (2020- )

Shane Kerrison 141 (1986-1995)

Rohan Bail 70 (2010-2015)

Nathan Bock 113 at Adelaide (2004-2010) 27 at Gold Coast (2011-2013)

Tom Logan 114 (2006-2014)

Nigel Lappin 279 (1994-2008)

David Wirrpanda 227 (1996-2009)

Darcy MacPherson 72 (2016- )

Sydney Stack 35 (2019- )

Daniel Bandy 105 (1995-2001)

Cameron Zurhaar 83 (2017- )

Tim English 85 (2017- )

Richard Osborne 187 at Fitzroy (1982-1992) 16 at Sydney (1993) 51 at Footscray (1994-1996) 29 at Collingwood (1997-1998)

Stephen Milne 275 (2001-2013)

Justin Madden 45 at Essendon (1980-1982) 287 at Carlton (1983-2006)

Jake Lloyd 199 (2014- )

John Platten 258 (1986-1997)

Andrew Carazzo 194 (2004-2015)

Peter Caven 82 (1996-2000)

Gary O’Donnell 46 (1987-1989)

Tom Stewart 125 (2017- )

 

 

The Number 44 side was a side I was looking forward to doing, knowing that for a high number it had produced players the likes of John Platten, Nigel Lappin, Corey Enright, Richard Osborne, David Wirrpanda, Justin Madden, Steven Milne, Jake Lloyd and Tom Stewart. I was interested to see how it went with all clubs and it does stack up well with only GWS, Richmond and Essendon providing a player with under 50 games and of those, the Giant and Tiger are current players. Mick Malthouse finally gets a coaching gig after having worn several numbers in his career. At St Kilda he played five seasons for four numbers: 44, 37, 32 and 22. At Richmond he wore 22, 28 and finally settled on number 7 for his last six seasons.

 

 

Clubs with multiple options are Adelaide are Peter Caven, Nathan Bock and Matthew Crouch, Carlton with Justin Madden and Andrew Carazzo, Essendon with Gary O’Donnell, Tom Bellchambers and Shaun McKernan, Geelong with Corey Enright and Tom Stewart, North Melbourne with Shannon Motlop and Cameron Zurhaar, St Kilda with Steven Milne and Maverick Weller and West Coast with David Wirrpanda and Willie/Junior Rioli.

 

 

The defence has Jack Buckley at FB who despite just 17 games, looked a very promising prospect for the Giants in 2021 before he did his knee and missed all of 2022. Nathan Bock is at CHB and wore the jumper both at Adelaide and Gold Coast. Bock was an All Australian and Best & Fairest in 2008. While there is no third tall or intercept marker in defence, Tom Stewart is on the bench; he missed out in the starting 18 to Corey Enright. Tom Logan was a good mark for his size and strong tackler. The other half back is Rohan Bail was a running half back/wing for seven seasons at Melbourne. Corey Enright was a star for Geelong who won two Best & Fairests and six All Australian selections and if needed can be swapped in the midfield with Wirrpanda or Lloyd. Shane Kerrison is in the other back pocket who was good enough to make the Victorian side and could play on the opposition small forward or opposition rover as a tagger. Other options in defence are Peter Caven who was a premiership CHB, Tom Stewart as a intercept marking half back, Richard Osborne, Jake Lloyd, Sydney Stack, David Wirrpanda as half backs and Gary O’Donnell and Andrew Carazzo as back pockets.

 

 

The midfield is highlighted by an elite tap ruck and first rover. Justin Madden was a two time Best & Fairest winner and All Australian who came second in the 1985 Brownlow and was All Australian ten years later. Curiously his record for most hit outs was 55 in 1981 while at Essendon. John Platten is first rover and was the premier rover in the VFL/AFL for a decade; he won a Brownlow, two Best & Fairests, made the VFL team of the year 1986-1989 and All Australian in 1992 while Hawthorn were the best team in the league. Jake Lloyd is best known as a running half back who is a great user of the football, for the purpose of this team I am backing him to adapt as a midfielder. He has won two Best & Fairests and made the All Australian squad. David Wirrpanda is another All Australian that did not spend much time in the midfield; he played mainly as a defender or small forward, once again I will back his skills to play in the midfield and have an influence. Nigel Lappin is one of Brisbane’s ‘Fab Four’ and was the best wing of the early 2000s when Brisbane won three premierships; he made All Australian in each of Brisbane’s grand final seasons. Darcy Macpherson is the son of Steve and has played as a forward/midfielder pressure player and would be used for a defensive role in this side, he is also a very good tackler. Other midfield options are Tim English and Daniel Bandy as rucks, Andrew Carazzo, Gary O’Donnell, Shane Kerrison as defensive midfielders, Rohan Bail as a wing and I would imagine Corey Enright if needed would have the ability to play there too.

 

 

Richard Osborne is at FF, he kicked 574 goals in his career with a best of 68 goals in a year and 11 in a match (he twice kicked ten goals or more). Osborne started and finished his career at half back and while only 182cm he would be a lead out forward with his pace which could allow English or Bandy to stay deep. Daniel Bandy at 200cm was a very athletic forward/ruck who played 150 games in total for 126 goals with a best of 30 goals. Tim English is a centimetre taller than Justin Madden at 207cm but is more agile and spends a lot of his time deep for the Bulldogs, he has 47 goals with a best of three goals. Steven Milne is the dangerous forward pocket who could also play one out at FF. Milne kicked 574 goals with a best of 61 goals and 11 in a match. Milne was a two time All Australian. Cameron Zurhaar is an underrated half forward who has kicked six goals in a match and is known for his forward tackling pressure. Sydney Stack on the other HFF, who while best known as a defender he has kicked four goals in a match and is capable of causing damage offensively and defensively in the forward line. Other options up forward are Peter Caven, who started his career at Fitzroy as a forward, Nathan Bock who played forward in 2007 for 29 goals. David Wirrpanda and Darcy MacPherson can also play up forward.

 

 

On the bench I have Tom Stewart who is a star of the game who has being All Australian four out of last five years and only missed the first 18 because Corey Enright was a star as well. Peter Caven is a two time premiership CHB and was one of Adelaide best in both premierships. Caven missed out to Nathan Bock in starting 18 however both can play up forward if needed and Caven can play the shutdown role like he did on Wayne Carey in the 1998 Grand Final. Essendon missed out on a player in the starting 18 but had Gary O’Donnell and Tom Bellchambers both start in 44 before they moved to a lower number. O’Donnell gets in as he could play in the midfield or as a back pocket which he mainly did when he wore 44. Andrew Carazzo is also unlucky not to be in starting side; he could play a tagging role if needed on a small forward or mid.

 

 

There are two club captains in the side in Nigel Lappin and Richard Osborne, Lappin got skipper, Osborne vice-captain and I chose John Platten as deputy.

 

 

The unlucky players were Tom Bellchambers and Shaun McKernan (Ess) Touk Miller (GCS) Shannon Motlop (NM) and Nick Daffy (Rich).

 

 

 

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