Almanac Teams: Mummy’s Cook(ed) a Mullett; Best of Number 41 (1980- )

 

 

This is a team of best players to wear the Number 41 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:       Paul Duffield (Freo)                                        Jordan Butts (Adel)        Steve Hocking (Geel)

 

CHB:   Matthew Kennedy (Bris)                                Brent Staker (WCE)        Peter Rohde (DVC) (Carl/Melb)

 

C:         Tim Pekin (St.K)                                              Troy Cook (Syd)               Phillip Walsh (Coll)

 

CHF:   Jason Davenport (PA)                                    Brody Mihocek (Coll)      Andrew Lovett (Ess)

 

FF:       Adrian McAdam (NM)                                   Levi Casboult (Carl)        Lee Murnane (Fitz)

 

Ruck:   Shane Mumford (VC) (Geel/Syd/GWS)    Dion Prestia (GCS)          Nathan Foley (C) (Rich)

 

Interchange: Nathan Carroll (Melb), Aaron Mullett (NM), Tom Papley (Syd), Scott Turner (Rich)

 

Emergencies: Bailey Banfield (Freo), Mabior Chol (Rich), Mitch Colby (Bris), Mitch McGovern (Adel)

 

Coach: Peter Rohde

 

There are no players from Hawthorn or the Western Bulldogs and two from Collingwood.

 

 

Games in Number 41 (Years Played)

Paul Duffield – 171 2006-2015

Jordan Butts – 40 2020-

Steve Hocking – 54 1985-87

Michael Kennedy – 188 1990-2001

Brent Staker – 110 2003-2009

Peter Rohde – 46 1985-87 (Carl), 117 1988-1995 (Melb)

Tim Pekin – 112 1990-95

Troy Cook – 43 1997-99

Phillip Walsh – 22 1983

Jason Davenport – 28 2009-2011

Brody Mihocek – 87 2018-

Andrew Lovett 20 2005-

Adrian McAdam – 36 1993-95

Levi Casboult – 154 2012-2021

Lee Murnane – 51 1981-84

Shane Mumford – 21 2008-09 (Geel) 79 2010-13 (Syd), 116 2014-2021 (GWS)

Dion Prestia 31 2011-12

Nathan Foley – 154 2005-2014

Nathan Carroll – 71 2003-2008

Aaron Mullett – 85 2011-2017

Tom Papley – 40 2016-2017

Scott Turner – 144 1991-1999

 

 

 

The Number 41 side has no stars but is evenly balanced in all areas with enough depth of players to play midfield, forward or defence and overall balance as talls or smalls. The Number 41 team is highlighted by players that showed a lot of promise in their first year but never kicked on for various reasons like Phillip Walsh, Adrian McAdam, Lee Murnane and Andrew Lovett.

 

 

Clubs with multiple options are Mitch McGovern and Jordan Butts (Adel), Matthew Kennedy and Mitch Colby (Bris), Peter Rohde and Levi Casboult (Carl), Phillip Walsh and Brody Mihocek (Coll), Peter Rohde and Nathan Carroll (Melb), Adrian McAdam and Aaron Mullett (NM), Scott Turner and Nathan Foley (Rich), Troy Cook, Shane Mumford and Tom Papley (Syd).

 

 

The defence starts with Jordan Butts who is only into his third year of playing in the AFL but has become a reliable full back for Adelaide after he took over from Daniel Talia. He played every game in 2021 and has only missed three games so far this year. Brent Staker could play either end of the ground; he kicked 119 goals from 160 games but is best remembered for playing on Barry Hall in defence and getting his lights knocked out. Paul Duffield at 187cm is the third tall who was very reliable for several years as an intercept defender or could play key position, in his best year (2009) he finished fourth in the Best & Fairest. Matthew Kennedy at 191cm can also be third tall or even CHB, but he is very mobile and can provide a lot of run off half back. Peter Rohde is another who could run off half back and could play a tight defensive role – he played as a previous undersized tall defender at times as well. Steve Hocking started his career in Number 41 before he moved to Number 1 and played on opposition small forwards with success… he even broke Leigh Matthews’ nose in the infamous brawl of 1985. Other defensive options are Nathan Carroll and Scott Turner as tall defenders and Aaron Mullett and Tim Pekin as running half backs.

 

 

Shane Mumford was an easy choice as first ruck having worn Number 41 for three clubs and 216 games and a premiership. Mumford was probably unlucky to make the All-Australian Squad while at the Giants. Prestia was a player of early promise at Gold Coast in their first two seasons –  he played 31 games at an average of 18 disposals a game. Nathan Foley is first rover and after being originally rookie listed in 2005, emerged as a great rover. Foley made the All-Australian squad in 2007 and was almost best on ground for the Big V in 2008 before injuries slowed him down from 2009. Troy Cook works in well with this midfield as a very good contested ball winner and tackler. Tim Pekin on one wing is a great runner who can also play ruck rover or half back and can play a tagging role on a running midfielder. The other wing is Phillip Walsh who was the recruit of the year for Collingwood; he averaged 21 disposals in his first year and looked like a star of the next decade before he was induced to Richmond on big money and his career dipped in form at Punt Road. Matthew Kennedy and/or Levi Casboult could be the back up ruck while other midfield options are Peter Rohde, Aaron Mullett and Jason Davenport on the wing and Andrew Lovett.

 

 

Levi Casboult is the full forward in the side, while not the most reliable of kicks, he did kick 156 goals for Carlton with a best of 34 (he has also beaten this total at the Suns in 2022, though in jumper Number 30). Brody Mihocek at CHF is currently one of the most underrated players in the league and is plays a lonehand as the sole tall at Collingwood most of the time. Mihocek has kicked over 25 goals in his five year AFL career and last two years has only failed three times not to kick a goal in a game. Adrian McAdam in one forward pocket looked like being anything with 68 goals in his first year with 23 of them in his first three games in 1993. Sadly, McAdam only played 19 games in next two years for 24 goals. Lee Murnane in the other forward pocket was a livewire cult figure when he first started – he kicked 25 goals in his first year with three bags of three goals. Andrew Lovett on one HFF was an exciting talent in his first year of 2005, he won an Anzac Day medal in his third ever game with 20 disposals and a score of 2.1, then three weeks later he kicked five goals; he finished the year with 20 games and 25 goals. Jason Davenport was a mature aged recruit at 23 when he joined Port Adelaide and kicked 18 goals including a career high four in 14 games in 2010 but struggled for games in his third year. Other options up forward are Brent Staker as a tall forward and Scott Turner who was a matchwinner in a final against Essendon in 2005 at CHF and Tom Papley as a small forward.

 

 

On the bench is Nathan Carroll who was Melbourne’s FB for a couple of years when they made the finals and while solely in the team as a key defender, he could allow Brent Staker to play forward. Aaron Mullett is midfielder who can also play wing or on a flank. Tom Papley was a rookie listed player who wore 41 in his first two seasons for 40 games and 59 goals. Scott Turner made his name at FB but did play CHF one year, he kicked five goals in a game and then two goals in the second half of a semi-final in 1995.

 

 

There were no club captains in the side, so I went Nathan Foley who was vice captain at Richmond as skipper, Shane Mumford as vice and Peter Rohde as DVC.

 

 

The unlucky players were Ryan O’Connor (Ess) and Con Gorozidos (St.K).

 

 

 

To return to our Footy Almanac home page click HERE.

 

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?

And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help things keep ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

 

 

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE.

One-off financial contribution – CLICK HERE.

Regular financial contribution (monthly EFT) – CLICK HERE.