Elite Players

[GVGjr]

Bulldogs players aside how many players would be regarded as 'elite' in the 2016 and 2017 seasons only based on their form?

It's a term I hear mentioned a lot but I wonder how many players have performed at the elite level over the last year and a half?

[ratsmac]

Adelaide - Betts, Sloane, Walker, Talia
Brisbane - D Beams, Zorko, Rockliff
Carlton - Murphy, Gibbs, Docherty
Collingwood - Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Trelor, Grundy
Essendon - Daniher, Hurley, Z Merrett, Heppell
Fremantle - Fyfe, Neale, Sandilands, Mundy, S Hill, Walters
Geelong - Dangerfield, J Selwood, Duncan, Hawkins
Suns - Lynch, Ablett, May
GWS - Haynes, Kelly, Cameron, Ward, Shiel, Shaw, Mumford, Coniglio, Green, Williams
Hawthorn - Rioli, Mitchell, Roughead, Hodge, Burgoyne
Melbourne - Gawn, Oliver, Jones, Viney, Watts
North Melbourne - Cunnington, Tarrant, Brown, Ziebell, Goldstein, Higgins
Port Adelaide - R Gray, Wingard, Ebert, Polec, Ryder, Wines, Boak
Richmond - Rance, Martin, Riewoldt, Cotchin
ST Kilda - Riewoldt, Steven, Carlisle, Geary, Ross
Sydney - Kennedy, Parker, Franklin, Rampe, Hannebery, Jones
West Coast - Kennedy, Mcgoven, Gaff, Yeo, Shuey, Priddis, Mitchell, Hurn
Western Bulldogs - Morris, Wood, Stringer, Macrae, Johannisen, Picken, Dahlaus, Bontempelli, Murphy, Wallis, Liberatore, Hunter and so on

I've listed all the players I consider to be the best at their respective clubs (I'd say I've missed a coulple others would put in this group). Probably most you would consider to be 'A' grade players. As for 'elite' I would say that they would have to be standouts amongst all of this group.

My top 10 would be right now

1. Dangerfield
2. Martin
3. Pendlebury
4. Bontempelli
4. Sloane
5. J Kennedy (Syd)
6. Franklin
7. Kelly
8. Betts
9. Rance
10. Green

[Twodogs]

For a Collingwood player I reckon Pendlebury flies under the radar a bit. Usually a Collingwood player only has to remember to kick the ball the right way and the toothless legions start calling them champions but Pendlebury is a little underrated.

[comrade]

Adelaide - Betts, Sloane, Walker, Talia
Brisbane - D Beams, Zorko, Rockliff
Carlton - Murphy, Gibbs, Docherty
Collingwood - Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Trelor, Grundy
Essendon - Daniher, Hurley, Z Merrett, Heppell
Fremantle - Fyfe, Neale, Sandilands, Mundy, S Hill, Walters
Geelong - Dangerfield, J Selwood, Duncan, Hawkins
Suns - Lynch, Ablett, May
GWS - Haynes, Kelly, Cameron, Ward, Shiel, Shaw, Mumford, Coniglio, Green, Williams
Hawthorn - Rioli, Mitchell, Roughead, Hodge, Burgoyne
Melbourne - Gawn, Oliver, Jones, Viney, Watts
North Melbourne - Cunnington, Tarrant, Brown, Ziebell, Goldstein, Higgins
Port Adelaide - R Gray, Wingard, Ebert, Polec, Ryder, Wines, Boak
Richmond - Rance, Martin, Riewoldt, Cotchin
ST Kilda - Riewoldt, Steven, Carlisle, Geary, Ross
Sydney - Kennedy, Parker, Franklin, Rampe, Hannebery, Jones
West Coast - Kennedy, Mcgoven, Gaff, Yeo, Shuey, Priddis, Mitchell, Hurn
Western Bulldogs - Morris, Wood, Stringer, Macrae, Johannisen, Picken, Dahlaus, Bontempelli, Murphy, Wallis, Liberatore, Hunter and so on

I've listed all the players I consider to be the best at their respective clubs (I'd say I've missed a coulple others would put in this group). Probably most you would consider to be 'A' grade players. As for 'elite' I would say that they would have to be standouts amongst all of this group.

My top 10 would be right now

1. Dangerfield
2. Martin
3. Pendlebury
4. Bontempelli
4. Sloane
5. J Kennedy (Syd)
6. Franklin
7. Kelly
8. Betts
9. Rance
10. Green

Good effort, but some names jump out as misplaced: Duncan, Ben Brown, Goldstein (been v poor this year), Oliver, Watts, Polec, Geary, Jones, Hurn. Don't get me wrong, they're all good to very good players, even excellent at their very best. But declaring a player as elite means they are in the upper echelon of quality and these don't quite reach it (though I expect Oliver and Jones to).

[Rocco Jones]

Elite, very good... it's all very subjective.

i would only have say 25 players in what I would elite category. I would base that on position/value too, basically elite to me is would they make my best 22 or close enough to.

Bont and maybe JJ are the elite Bulldogs IMHO. We have a load of guys in the next category. Why we are so strong.

[GVGjr]

Adelaide - Betts, Sloane, Walker, Talia
Brisbane - D Beams, Zorko, Rockliff
Carlton - Murphy, Gibbs, Docherty
Collingwood - Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Trelor, Grundy
Essendon - Daniher, Hurley, Z Merrett, Heppell
Fremantle - Fyfe, Neale, Sandilands, Mundy, S Hill, Walters
Geelong - Dangerfield, J Selwood, Duncan, Hawkins
Suns - Lynch, Ablett, May
GWS - Haynes, Kelly, Cameron, Ward, Shiel, Shaw, Mumford, Coniglio, Green, Williams
Hawthorn - Rioli, Mitchell, Roughead, Hodge, Burgoyne
Melbourne - Gawn, Oliver, Jones, Viney, Watts
North Melbourne - Cunnington, Tarrant, Brown, Ziebell, Goldstein, Higgins
Port Adelaide - R Gray, Wingard, Ebert, Polec, Ryder, Wines, Boak
Richmond - Rance, Martin, Riewoldt, Cotchin
ST Kilda - Riewoldt, Steven, Carlisle, Geary, Ross
Sydney - Kennedy, Parker, Franklin, Rampe, Hannebery, Jones
West Coast - Kennedy, Mcgoven, Gaff, Yeo, Shuey, Priddis, Mitchell, Hurn
Western Bulldogs - Morris, Wood, Stringer, Macrae, Johannisen, Picken, Dahlaus, Bontempelli, Murphy, Wallis, Liberatore, Hunter and so on

I've listed all the players I consider to be the best at their respective clubs (I'd say I've missed a coulple others would put in this group). Probably most you would consider to be 'A' grade players. As for 'elite' I would say that they would have to be standouts amongst all of this group.

My top 10 would be right now

1. Dangerfield
2. Martin
3. Pendlebury
4. Bontempelli
4. Sloane
5. J Kennedy (Syd)
6. Franklin
7. Kelly
8. Betts
9. Rance
10. Green

If you use the criteria of 2016 and 2017 as the primary assessment to judge elite players you list is way to high. I'd say a lot less than half of the players mentioned are elite standard players.

[GVGjr]

Elite, very good... it's all very subjective.

i would only have say 25 players in what I would elite category. I would base that on position/value too, basically elite to me is would they make my best 22 or close enough to.

Bont and maybe JJ are the elite Bulldogs IMHO. We have a load of guys in the next category. Why we are so strong.

I had a talk to someone at work today and we came up with less than 20 players we regarded as elite. There is a big difference between A grade players and elite in the way I would assess them

[ratsmac]

Good effort, but some names jump out as misplaced: Duncan, Ben Brown, Goldstein (been v poor this year), Oliver, Watts, Polec, Geary, Jones, Hurn. Don't get me wrong, they're all good to very good players, even excellent at their very best. But declaring a player as elite means they are in the upper echelon of quality and these don't quite reach it (though I expect Oliver and Jones to).


If you use the criteria of 2016 and 2017 as the primary assessment to judge elite players you list is way to high. I'd say a lot less than half of the players mentioned are elite standard players.
I must not have been very clear in my post. I listed all players I think are best at their clubs and would probably be an A grade player. An Elite player in my mind is even better than A grade. Hence my top 10 of Elite players of all players I listed.

Probably the long way of going through it but it helped me pick the best of the best I suppose.

Did I make sense this time.

[GVGjr]

I must not have been very clear in my post. I listed all players I think are best at their clubs and would probably be an A grade player. An Elite player in my mind is even better than A grade. Hence my top 10 of Elite players of all players I listed.

Probably the long way of going through it but it helped me pick the best of the best I suppose.

Did I make sense this time.

Yep, got it

[boydogs]

Terms like elite and A grader are unhelpful, better to focus on top 10, AA side, AA squad or top 50

[bornadog]

I must not have been very clear in my post. I listed all players I think are best at their clubs and would probably be an A grade player. An Elite player in my mind is even better than A grade. Hence my top 10 of Elite players of all players I listed.

Probably the long way of going through it but it helped me pick the best of the best I suppose.

Did I make sense this time.

I like your list, however, I would not include Betts and Green. They are great at kicking goals, but personally I wouldn't have them in the Elite category.

I still think Ablett is right up there, and this season, (I hate to say it), Selwood is playing Elite footy.

[ratsmac]

I like your list, however, I would not include Betts and Green. They are great at kicking goals, but personally I wouldn't have them in the Elite category.

I still think Ablett is right up there, and this season, (I hate to say it), Selwood is playing Elite footy.
Yeah I know selwood deserves a spot but I couldn't bring myself to give him one.

I think Betts is every bit elite in the position he plays. Probably the hardest position to stay consistent.

I slipped Green in because he's becoming a match winner kicking clutch goals. I rate him highly because if he weren't at the Giants he'd probably be in the midfield in another team and be a great midfielder. I still think he's a prick though. I may have gone early with him but he's very good.

[soupman]

I'd just pick a best 18/22 and everyone that clearly makes that side is elite. That way you have a good spread of positions and abilities and it's still very exclusive.

It also solves things like Bornadogs question of whether Betts and Greene are elite. Betts as a small forward is elite, why does he have to be compared against a midfielder when the two positions require completely different skillsets.

[Twodogs]

I'd just pick a best 18/22 and everyone that clearly makes that side is elite. That way you have a good spread of positions and abilities and it's still very exclusive.

It also solves things like Bornadogs question of whether Betts and Greene are elite. Betts as a small forward is elite, why does he have to be compared against a midfielder when the two positions require completely different skillsets.


Eddie is just about the most elite small forward I've seen. Obviously it's Lally Bamblett then daylight but Eddie is getting into a clear second position.

[Go_Dogs]

Elite:-
Dangerfield
Martin
Pendlebury
Sloane
Bont
Kennedy x 2
Franklin
Rance
Betts
Selwood
Greene
Laird
Docherty

Kelly soon, it's not the be all but he wasn't in the AA 40 man squad last year.

[Topdog]

Kelly wasn't elite last year, he is this year. Over 2 years combined you have to not include him at the moment with only 11 games played this year.

[Twodogs]

Elite:-
Dangerfield
Martin
Pendlebury
Sloane
Bont
Kennedy x 2
Franklin
Rance
Betts
Selwood
Greene
Laird
Docherty

Kelly soon, it's not the be all but he wasn't in the AA 40 man squad last year.


No Bont? If he isn't better or more elite than half, three quarters or actually all of them I will go he.

*edit* oops, sorry didn't read the OP. Carry on everybody.

[Go_Dogs]

No Bont? If he isn't better or more elite than half, three quarters or actually all of them I will go he.

*edit* oops, sorry didn't read the OP. Carry on everybody.

I'm also guilty of not reading the OP properly - I did have Bont in there!

[1eyedog]

Yeah I know selwood deserves a spot but I couldn't bring myself to give him one.

I think Betts is every bit elite in the position he plays. Probably the hardest position to stay consistent.

I slipped Green in because he's becoming a match winner kicking clutch goals. I rate him highly because if he weren't at the Giants he'd probably be in the midfield in another team and be a great midfielder. I still think he's a prick though. I may have gone early with him but he's very good.

Agree re. Betts. I think he's the greatest small forward the game has seen remembering Matthews played mostly midfield.