Almanac Teams: Houston, we may have a problem; Best of 43 (1980- )

 

This is a team of best players to wear the Number 43 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:      Roger Hayden (VC) (Freo)                        Gary Pert (Fitz)                                  Lewis Melican (Syd)

 

CHB:  Dan Houston (PA)                                       Ryan Gardner (WB)                          Adam Oxley (Coll)

 

C:        Sam Gibson (NM)                                        Guy Rigoni (Melb)                            Cooper Hamilton (GWS)

 

CHF:  Brett Moyle (St.K)                                        David McKay (DVC) (Carl)             Mark Summers (Rich)

 

FF:      Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (Ess)    Reilly O’Brien (Adel)                        Dean Rioli (Ess)

 

Ruck:  Beau McDonald (Bris)                                Anthony Koutoufides (C) (Carl)    Ashton Hams (WCE)

 

Interchange: Luke Godden (Coll), Aaron Hall (NM), Matthew Hogg (Foots), Simon White (Carl)

 

Emergencies: Michael Frederick (Freo) Greg Hutchinson (Melb), Michael Kennedy (Carl), Jack Redpath (WB)

 

Coach: Damian Drum

 

There are no players from Geelong or Gold Coast and two from Carlton and Essendon in the starting side.

 

 

Games in Number 43 (Years Played)

Roger Hayden 128 (2002-2011)

Gary Pert 10 (1982)

Lewis Melican 52 (2017- )

Dan Houston 60 (2017-2019)

Ryan Gardner 40 (2019- )

Adam Oxley 34 (2013-2018)

Sam Gibson 130 (2012-2017)

Guy Rigoni 107 (1998-2005)

Cooper Hamilton 4 (2022)

Brett Moyle 48 (2000-2004)

David McKay 263 (1969-1981)

Mark Summers 15 (1988-1989)

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti 126 (2016-2021)

Reilly O’Brien 77 (2016- )

Dean Rioli 100 (2009-2016)

Beau McDonald 91 (1998-2007)

Anthony Koutoufides 278 (1992-2007)

Ashton Hams 39 (2010-2013)

Luke Godden 36 (1997-1999)

Aaron Hall 52 (2019- )

Matthew Hogg 59 (1988-1991)

Simon White 87 (2010-2017)

 

 

 

The Number 43 side is poor (as is probably to be expected) with some questions on how to retain integrity of the criteria and pick a balance side at the same time. Carlton and Essendon had two outstanding Number 43s so I picked both. But in trying to keep as many represented sides as possible I have selected some teams with under 20 games; even a GWS player with four games. I could have merged this with another number but my goal is to do all numbers up to 50 and Numbers 44 and 45 look reasonably okay at this stage. In saying this, the side does contain Kouta and if he plays like the 1999 Preliminary Final Kouta then you never know how this team might go…

 

 

Clubs with multiple options are Carlton with David McKay, Michael Kennedy, Anthony Koutoufides and Simon White, Collingwood with Luke Godden and Adam Oxley, Essendon with Dean Rioli and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, North Melbourne with Sam Gibson and Aaron Hall and the Bulldogs with Rod MacPherson, Matthew Hogg, Jack Redpath and Ryan Gardner.

 

 

Gary Pert is the full back and he was one of the greats of the 1980s over 233 games. Before he made the switch to Number 3 in 1983 Pert wore Number 43 in 1982 and showed a heap of promise as a defender/forward – he played 10 games for 6.9 and collected over 15 disposals four times. Ryan Gardner takes CHB, a position he has held successfully since being drafted 2019 mid-season. Lewis Melican at 195cm is the third tall defender who can play intercept marking or in key post. Melican showed promise in his first year with a Rising Star nomination but apart from 2019 his career has been injury interrupted. Roger Hayden was a very good small defender in a Fremantle side that played finals in 2003 and 2005; he was good enough to make the All Australian squad in 2007 and finished fourth in the Best & Fairest. One the half back flanks is Dan Houston who wore Number 43 as a defender in his first three years and was able to get big possessions with a best of 29. Houston now wears Number 5 and can play in the midfield. Adam Oxley is the HBF and was a player I thought showed a bit with his run and carry especially on Queen’s Birthday 2015 when he had 33 disposals but sadly has had numerous injuries from 2016-2018. Other players than can play in defence are Anthony Koutoufides and Simon White as tall intercept defenders, Aaron Hall and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti as running defenders and Matthew Hogg, Luke Godden, Cooper Hamilton and Brett Moyle as small defenders.

 

 

Beau McDonald is first ruck which is a promotion of his role from 2001-2002 premierships when he had combined one disposal but 18 hit outs. McDonald was a very good tap ruck who had a lot of shoulder injuries. He will be supported well by 2020 Adelaide Best & Fairest Reilly O’Brien. Anthony Koutoufides is ruck-rover and at 191cm he was freak athlete and footballer and like Adam Goodes in Number 37 he could play anywhere on the ground; just wished we had three more of him here. On-ball/wing was where Kouta was at his best especially in the 1999-2000 seasons when he was the best player in the game. Ashton Hams is picked as rover and played mainly as a small forward and sometime rover though mainly in the WAFL. Hams played 39 games for 41 goals with a best of 22 disposals. Guy Rigoni in the centre was a mature aged recruit for Melbourne aged 23 and had immediate impact over 70 games in his first three seasons with two top ten finishes in the Best & Fairest; he averaged 21 disposals in 2000, a Grand Final year for the Dees. Sam Gibson is one wing, a remarkable player who made his debut at 26 and never missed a game at North Melbourne from his debut. Gibson averaged 23 disposals a game a came third in the 2016 Best & Fairest. Cooper Hamilton is a speculative player, as I wanted majority of clubs represented and Gold Coast had no number 43. Hamilton has played four games and averages 14 disposals. Other midfield options are Reilly O’Brien in ruck, Luke Godden, Matthew Hogg, Brett Moyle and Dan Houston on ball and Aaron Hall on a wing.

 

 

Reilly O’Brien is at FF but is best known as a ruck and has only eight goals from 77 games, he just needs to stay in the square and mark over the top of his opponents. David McKay is at CHF and is a Carlton legend in four premierships and played 263 games for 277 goals. McKay’s best is 42 goals in a year with personal best of eight in a match, his last match was a premiership in 1981 where he kicked two goals and while his peak was in the 1970s he did play 33 games for 57 goals in 1980-1981. Mark Summers at 193cm looked like a tall exciting forward for us Richmond supporters with twelve games in 1989 and though he kicked just four goals, he was very good mark before being struck with a knee injury. Brett Moyle is on the other forward flank and was a player who could play either end or midfield and had a best game of 32 disposals. In the forward pocket are the two Essendon excitement players in Dean Rioli and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti. Rioli was known for his silk after coming from the rookie draft and played 100 games for 91 goals; his debut season of 29 goals and five goals in a match was his best. McDonald-Tipungwuti started as a defender before a shift forward and was known for his hardness, run and tackling. Walla kicked 153 goals with a best of 34 goals in a season (twice) and seven goals in a match. Other forward options are Gary Pert based on his debut season, Anthony Koutoufides and Ashton Hams.

 

 

On the bench is probably the best four players available though Michael Frederick maybe considered unlucky, I have omitted him as his form this year has been while wearing the Number 32. Simon White is a spare defender which may allow Pert to play forward and the second ruck on the bench. White often played as third defender behind Jones, Weitering and Michael Jamison and was a good contested mark. Aaron Hall is a noted kick accumulator with plenty of pace/run and carry from half back and wing that the side may otherwise lack. Luke Godden was recognised as a very good junior leader and played 36 out of 42 games in his last two years in 1998-1999 as a hardnosed midfielder that was similar to his coach Tony Shaw. Like Shaw, Godden was not a great kick but that aside was perhaps a surprise delisting at end of 1999 under new coach Mick Malthouse. Matthew Hogg was a promising back pocket onballer at Footscray under Mick Malthouse but was in and out of the side in 1990-1991 and was delisted at end of 1991 were he joined Carlton as premiership player in 1995, he also played grand finals in 1993 and 1999.

 

 

Anthony Koutoufides is the only club captain in the side and is the logical choice as skipper. I have made Roger Hayden vice captain and David McKay deputy.

 

 

The unlucky players were Rod MacPherson (Footscray).

 

 

 

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