Footy: Linga a worthy leader of my All-Ranga team

By Adam Bulman

Cameron Ling, the new Geelong captain, is famous for being one of the ugliest and most popular players in the AFL, due to his red hair, burnt, creased face and his skill and tenacity on field as well as his friendly and down-to-earth nature off it. The man known as the Paddle Pop Lion has given me an idea for a new team.

I felt it necessary to acknowledge the contribution rangas have made to the AFL. Behold … the AFL All-Ranga team!

Coach: Michael Voss

B: H. Shaw (Coll) D. Merrett (Bris) K. Moore (Rich)

HB: X. Ellis (Haw) D. Fletcher (Ess) B. Goddard (StK)

C: B. Dalziell (WC) A. Cooney (WB) C. Morton (Melb)

HF: M. Bate (Melb) J. Riewoldt (Rich) G. Rohan (Syd)
F: J. Akermanis (WB) J. Roughead (Haw) D. Connors (Rich)

R: B. Hudson (WB) D. Jackson (Rich) C. Ling (Geel)

INT: S. Blease (Melb) S. Jacobs (Carl) K. Cheney (Melb) A. Hansen (WC)

Unlucky to miss out: Ranga Ediwickrama (Geelong rookie, unique among the AFL as Ranga is actually his name!)

Most represented teams: Melbourne (4), Richmond (4)

Unrepresented teams: Adelaide, Freo, North, Port

Despite having Ashley Hansen in it, I think this team would hold up quite well in a match, although there is a lot of inexperienced players. I’d like to see a match between this team and the Indigenous All-Stars, but I think the Rangas would narrowly lose as they have a smaller selection pool.

If you’ve thought of someone I’ve forgotten, feel free to tell me, if not feel free to give feedback anyway.

Comments

  1. Richard Naco says

    Their uniform in that proposed All-Star game would have to be the ugliest shade of fluuro orange you could get, right?

    And preferably in a shag carpet finish.

  2. H. Shaw, A. Hansen, B. Dalziell, C. Morton and B. Hudson, i don’t see them as ranga’s.

    Porplyzia could be regarded as a ranga if the above are included, but that’s an alright team and good work.

    By the way, best ranga in VFL/AFL history is surely Josh Thurgood, former Hawks player.

  3. Haha I remember him! He looked like a cross between Sideshow Bob and a skeleton!

  4. And I can see why you don’t think Shaw, Morton and Dalziell qualify as rangas, but Hansen and Hudson definitely do in my book.

  5. Steve Healy says

    Hello everyone!

  6. nahh Heath is a Ranga.
    Nice work btw.
    hey u guys did anyone get an email from the windows live team about not shutting down ur account or something cos i want to reply but i dunno cos its asking for my password and stuff…..

    Well look who it is! 8)

  7. Steve Healy says

    Yep its 100% Steve.

    But im not 100% of the way home, im in Gundagai NSW staying at a motel with wireless internet for the night.

    Welcome to the almanac Adam

  8. ohh lol okay
    i jst got back from Chadstone i didnt exactly shop till i dropped cos i had to leave early but i bought a few designer t-shirts from Guess. :)

  9. Damian Watson says

    hahaha good effort Adam.

    Rod Butterss can be the President with Darren Bewick the Assistant Coach.

  10. hey guys, heard there is going to be a richo biography by martin flanagan, cant wait

  11. Damian Watson says

    Yeah I heard about that book too, have you seen the Richo DVD?

  12. Steve Healy says

    cool, great to see your venturing into my local shopping place.

    its really hot here, its high 30s, but it was really cold earlier today when we were driving here.

    Danni, I went to a Collingwood beach a few days ago

  13. yeh, its just all his highlights and stuff

  14. Steve Healy says

    Richo DVD, that sounds good

  15. Steve Healy says

    well guys im off now for a walk through the streets of gundagai, ill be back later tonight.

  16. Well if C. Morton qualifies, M. Morton does as well.

  17. josh read comment 6 cos i know u recently changed ur email aswell.

  18. Nope, no email Danni, its most likely spam. I’m always getting emails saying i have too many MSN accounts and MSN will be shutting down if their are too many accounts blah blah blah

  19. Yeah I have the Richo DVD. Great viewing, will keep it forever.

    Gday Steve and Damian, nice to meet yas.

  20. okay this is what i will do..theres a few grammar errors in it too i think, can i forward it 2 you so u can have a look cos u prob know more than me and i think its fishy they want my password..

  21. Sure, i’ll get to it later im off to have tea and watch tv

  22. those msn emails are fake, there just spam, ive got them before

  23. Hey Danni, did you see Collingwood – Adelaide replayed on ONE the other night? Your Superman kicked the winning goal!

  24. Steve Healy says

    Thanks Adam.

    If you don’t know about me already, Im 15 years old, going in year 10 this year, I live in Ashburton and I go for the Dees

  25. mmm yeah Dom im bit lost cos parts of it look real and then im like Why would they want my password?

    yeah dont worry Adam i downloaded the last 5 mins of that game so i can watch it whenever i want.
    impressive, you caught onto my nickname for him already.

  26. Steve Healy says

    Jack Grimes added me on FB! yay!

  27. Cool Steve, Dustin Martin accepted me the other day. By the way, I’m 17, going into year 12 and I live in Eltham. You may or may not know where that is…

    Lol Danni, it’s lucky he got that goal, he did bugger all for the rest of the game.

  28. Steve Healy says

    nice meetin ya Adam, but I cant believe we have another Richmond supporter! no offence. Ive got Martin too, anyway guys im off to have dinner now cya

  29. I think i have the most AFL players on Facebook, i’ve even got the incredible Majak Daw

  30. I think the person with the most AFL players on Facebook would be an AFL player :P

  31. True, but i meant out of this small group of people.

    I’ve got Sam Wright’s mobile number too haha.

    Steve, have you considered making the change from Dreamteam to Supercoach?

  32. Josh what email do i forward it too?

    Adam he was not Lucky, i mean its not his fault the other players couldnt deliver to his needs and hes bloody accurate nothing to do with luck. lol

  33. Most female Collingwood fans I know are in love with Daisy Thomas and Pendlebury, not Anthony, whose head looks like a bullet with a face painted on it :)

  34. mmm okay weird i have tried to send it twice now and it keeps failing….

  35. Adam i mean this with the most polite intentions

    SHUTUP!

    lol

  36. That’s what it looks like! I can finally put my finger on it lol.

    Dont worry Danni, its just spam, just delete it

  37. hmm i think you are all jealous of his amazing goal kicking ability!
    so there!

    status- drinking ice tea- envy me josh lol

  38. I will shut up, Danni, but only because Dad’s back with the pizza. However, I will resume my taunting later tonight. Cya :)

  39. Im drinking the exact opposite, hawt chocolate

  40. lol
    im laughing so bad at the fam photos that we took at Sovereign Hill, im so dissapointed cos that really HAWT guy that i took a pic with doesnt look HAWT in the photo! :(

  41. Rocket Rod Gillett says

    GREATEST RANGA TEAM OF ALL TIME

    B: Brad Hardie* (Foots), Dustin Fletcher (Ess), Tim McGrath (Geel)
    HB: Ian Shelton (Ess), Ian Synman (St K), Gordon Collis* (Car)
    C: Keith Greig (NM)*, Michael Voss (Bris)*, Frank Adams (Melb)
    HF: Cameron Ling (Geel) , Dermot Brereton (Haw), Keith Truscott (Melb)
    F: Jason Akermanis* (Bris/WB), Norm Smith (Melb), Alan Davis (St K)
    R: Ian Hampshire (Geel/Foots), Adam Cooney (WB)*, Bill Hutchinson* (Ess)
    19th: Scratcher Neal (Geel)
    20th: Brendon Goddard (St K)
    * Brownlow medalist

  42. Lance Whitnall??

  43. Good work Rod, I’m assuming you’re old enough to remember a lot of those players, as I’ve got no idea what some of them look like. Dermie – a ranga?

  44. Rocket Rod Gillett says

    Nup, not good enough.

  45. Rocket Rod Gillett says

    Hi Adam,

    The one thing they all have in common is that they are true red-heads. Even if a few like Dermie & Aker belie their true colour.

    Have a look at some footage of Dermie in his debut in the ’78 finals – flame-coloured orange hair!

    My personal favourite is Keith “Bluey” Truscott (DFC & Bar) – a WWII ace fighter pilot who played in Melbourne’s 1939 & 1940 premiership teams. He was idolised by the crowds during the war years. Melbourne’s B & F award is named after him – that’s how highly regarded he was by the MFC.

  46. Steve Healy says

    Rocket, I love the additions of Smith and Bluey in your team. I heard about how he died in WW2, really shows his courage to go in the war after having such a great career

  47. Damian Watson says

    Great effort Rod, Norm Smith would definitely be the coach as well as his full forward position.

    I agree Lance Whitnall isn’t good enough.

    I thought Dermie’s debut was in the 1982 finals, when he wore that famous no.47 guernsey.

  48. Rocket Rod Gillett says

    Hi Damian,

    You’re right – it was 1982 when as you say he wore #47.

    But he was a red head when he started!

    Agree with you – Norm Smith would be captain, coach & full forward.

    Hi Steve,

    Yep, the Truscott story is an amazing one.
    He was a Melbourne High boy where he played footy and cricket with another great sportsman and WWII fighter pilot Keith Miller. Pretty sure Bluey was captain of both school sports teams.

  49. Wow, that is impressive.

    When you consider that not only was Miller a top allrounder for Aus, but he played a few games for St Kilda too…

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