Almanac Teams: Up to tricks; Best of 46 (1980- )

 

 

This is a team of best players to wear the Number 46 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:        Mark Baguley (Ess)                          Caleb Graham (GCS)               Trent Carroll (WCE)

 

CHB:    Mark Kellett (Syd)                            Chris Mew (DVC) (Haw)         Jake King (Rich)

 

C:          Rory Laird (Adel)                              Anthony Stevens (NM)           Dean Terlich (Melb)

 

CHF:    Sam Gray (PA)                                   Clancee Pearce (Freo)             Lin Jong (WB)

 

FF:        Callum Brown (GWS)                      Mason Cox (Coll)                     Matthew Wright (Carl)

 

Ruck:   Oscar McInerney (VC) (Bris)          Mark Blicavs (C) (Geel)          David Ellard (Carl)

 

Interchange: Jason Castagna (Rich), Matthew Cottrell (Carl), Tom Lynch (GCS), Terry Smith (Rich)

 

Emergencies: Colm Begley (Bris), James Cousins (Haw), Wayne Schwass (NM), Troy Simmonds (Melb)

 

Coach: Norm Dare

 

There are no players from Fitzroy or St.Kilda and two from Carlton in the starting 18.

 

 

Games in Number 46 (Years Played)

Mark Baguley 28 (2012-2013)

Caleb Graham 37 (2019- )

Trent Carroll 45 (2001-2004)

Mark Kellett 37 (1988-1990)

Chris Mew 77 (1980-1983)

Jake King 41 (2007-2009)

Rory Laird 18 (2013)

Anthony Stevens 13 (1990)

Dean Terlich 35 (2013-2014)

Sam Gray 96 (2014-2019)

Clancee Pearce 100 (2009-2016)

Lin Jong 65 (2012-2021)

Callum Brown 10 (2021- )

Mason Cox 94 (2016- )

Matthew Wright 65 (2016-2018)

Oscar McInerney 101 (2018- )

Mark Blicavs 227 (2013- )

David Ellard 63 (2008-2015)

Jason Castagna 30 (2016-2017)

Matthew Cottrell 37 (2020- )

Tom Lynch 13 (2011)

Terry Smith 23 (1980)

 

 

The Number 46 is highlighted by some current AFL tall timber in Mason Cox, Oscar McInerney and All Australian and premiership winning versatile big man Mark Blicavs. There are eleven players who have played less than 50 games in Number 46 though of these Mark Baguley, Anthony Stevens, Jake King, Rory Laird, Jason Castagna and Tom Lynch went on to play over 100 games in different numbers.

 

 

Clubs with multiple options are Brisbane with Colm Begley and Oscar McInerney, Carlton with David Ellard, Matthew Wright and Matthew Cottrell, Gold Coast with Tom Lynch and Caleb Graham, and Richmond with Terry Smith, Jake King and Jason Castagna.

 

 

Defence is highlighted by a strong key position player who was named Hawthorn’s CHB of the century. Chris Mew is an underrated star and he wore Number 46 in his first four years (which included a premiership) before he moved to Number 2. Caleb Graham is at FB and made his debut in 2019; since then he has become a regular in the Gold Coast side with 15 games in 2022. Trent Carroll is the third tall defender who played mainly key position at Fremantle and West Coast. Mark Kellett played 155 games in 12 seasons with three clubs with his Sydney stint his last where he played as an agile 188cm third tall. Mark Baguley was a rookie pick who after he made his debut missed only two games out of 30 wearing Number 46. Baguley played mainly at back pocket but did average 16 disposals. Jake King played mainly as a back pocket wearing Number 46 before he moved to Number 28 and played as a small pressure forward. King provided some run when in the back pocket and gathered over 20 disposals 16 times in his three seasons in Number 46. Other defenders are Mark Blicavs as a tall or running defender, Clancee Pearce as mid-sized defender, and Rory Laird, Terry Smith, Dean Terlich and David Ellard as running defenders.

 

 

Oscar McInerney is the first ruck in the side, he has developed into a fine ruck as Brisbane have moved up the ladder. Mark Blicavs I picked as ruck rover. With this side I just picked Blicavs for the spare spot and like Goodes and Kouta before him, I wished I had more Blicavses on each line – but I feel ruck rover will be his best spot here. David Ellard is first rover in the side and made his career as a small forward and tagging midfielder and had his best game of 29 disposals. Anthony Stevens wore Number 58 in his first year for four games, before he moved to 46 in his second season and then Number 10 from year three onwards. Wayne Schwass was the other North option but he played just seven games to Stevens’ 13. Stevens averaged 15 disposals in Number 46 with three games of 22 disposals. Rory Laird wore Number 46 in 18 games mainly off half back and averaged 18 disposals with a best of 29. After several years as an elite defender, Laird moved into midfield/wing rotation with great success. Terlich had a great start to his career at Melbourne as 23 year old mature recruit. He finished third in Best & Fairest in his first year and averaged 20 disposals with best of 28. Other options for midfield are Matthew Cottrell as a wing, Terry Smith as ruck rover and Mason Cox in the ruck.

 

 

Mason Cox is FF and has 100 goals from his 94 games with 25 goals his best in a season and five in a match. Cox would be changing ruck/forward with McInerney who also played a bit up forward in his first two years and has 45 goals from 101 games. Clancee Pearce at 182cm played taller than he was and though more of a defender known for his tackling and pressure, he also kicked 36 goals from 100 games. Pearce’s best season total was 16 goals in 2012 with a best of three in a game; his main role was to keep the ball in the forward line. Callum Brown is an Irish recruit at GWS who has played ten games, eight of which were in 2022. Brown kicked four goals against Hawthorn in Round 16. Matthew Wright kicked 73 goals for Carlton in 65 games, won the goal kicking in 2016 and had a best haul of five goals. Sam Gray, like Wright, is a smart small forward; he kicked 83 goals from 96 games with 28 his best year and five goals in a match his personal best. Lin Jong was a very strong overhead mark for his size and while not a big goal kicker with 13 his best in a season he was a good link player and forward pressure tackler. Other forward options are Tom Lynch as a tall forward, Jason Castagna, Jake King and David Ellard as small forward.

 

 

On the bench are three Richmond premiership players though Lynch is named from his Gold Coast days. Matthew Cottrell has emerged as pacey wing/half back in three seasons and helps with a lack of speed in the side. Tom Lynch wore 46 in his first season and as this side needs a second tall forward, the youthful Lynch could be needed. Lynch kicked 15 goals from his 13 games with two bags of three as an 18 year old. Jason Castagna and Terry Smith both wore Number 46 in a premiership season and had very good years before each moved to a lower number. Castagna gives the side forward pressure and plenty of pace, he also kicked 26 goals from 25 games in 2017 with his best a bag of four. Smith had a great debut year with Richmond in 1980 as a ruck rover/half back – he played 23 games at an average of 16 disposals and was known for his ferocity at the ball. Smith represented Victoria in 1981.

 

Anthony Stevens and Tom Lynch are club captains in the side but as this side has them in their infancy in their careers, I chose Blicavs as skipper, McInerney as vice captain and Mew as deputy.

 

The unlucky players were Frank Raso (Coll), Gary Moorcroft (Ess), Jamie Cooper (Fitz), Wayne Campbell (Rich) and Andrew Jobling (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.