Carlton is selecting its five best players as part of 150th-year celebrations, Mark Robinson picks his best
CARLTON is selecting its five best players as part of its 150th-year celebrations.
CARLTON is selecting its five best players as part of its 150th-year celebrations.
Four are locks. Five are in contention for the fifth spot.
The locks, in no particular order, are John Nicholls, Stephen Kernahan, Alex Jesaulenko and Bruce Doull.
The fifth spot is a matter of conjecture, although if you believe Team of the Century full-back Stephen Silvagni is an automatic, then conjecture is over.
But if you want controversy, as one-long-time Blues said recently, leave Silvagni out of the top five.
WHO DO YOU THINK BELONGS IN THE TOP FIVE? HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW
It wasn’t an offering to create debate or question’s Silvagni’s standing at Carlton, rather a reminder to not too easily dismiss the merit of others.
Is it the best five players, or the best five contributors to Carlton, taking in performance, legacy and the spirit of each individual?
If it’s the latter, then Big Nick, Jezza, Sticks Kernahan and Doull, who was christened The Flying Doormat, are without peer, for they are the pillars of everything Carlton.
Silvagni is a different beast.
He was a stunning footballer who played defence and attack. As said, he was named in the AFL Team of the Century, he played 312 games and kicked 202 goals.
He grappled with Lockett, Dunstall, Carey, Ablett, Salmon, Richardson and Modra at full-back and, at the same time, he was the 1990s version of the swingman, going forward and kicking goals.
In 1993, he kicked 10.6 against Fitzroy. In 1992, he kicked eight goals against both Hawthorn and West Coast.
He retired from Carlton after the 2001 season and shortly afterwards he and Craig Bradley admitted to having received under-the-table payments outside of the salary cap.
It was a horrible situation for Silvagni, Bradley and their families, and for Carlton, which was fined and suspended from consecutive drafts.
If Silvagni is the fifth immortal, as he should be, then the Champions of Carlton dinner in June looms as a glorious night to honour Silvagni without judgment.
He hasn’t been at the club for a long time.
Perhap it’s because of his various coaching roles at other clubs, perhaps it’s because the wounds ran deeper that anyone knew, but how perfect a night to officially welcome him home.
Indeed, if some powerbrokers had their way he’d already back in a working capacity, as club list manager, a role he has at Greater Western Sydney.
That his oldest boy, Jack, 15, is approaching draft age, and with him being father-son a consideration, perhaps Silvagni is keeping his distance.
Of course, Silvagni shouldn’t be considered the automatic fifth immortal.
He is up against Greg Williams, Bradley, Wayne Johnston and Chris Judd.
There are others of note, such as Ken Hands who played in the 1945 and ’47 flags and Brownlow medallists Bert Deacon and John James, and one of the most courageous players to play the game, Ken Hunter.
But in all honesty, there’s only five.
Williams won a Brownlow Medal in ’94, should’ve won another in ‘93, and won the Norm Smith Medal ’95. He played 109 games at Carlton, 107 at Sydney and 34 at Geelong was named on the bench of the AFL Team of the Century.
If he misses it will because the selectors believed he didn’t play enough football. If he is named, they’ll argue the guy was a freak.
There’s Bradley’s 375 games of consistency and Johnston’s four flags and reputation of being a huge finals performer. “The Dominator’’ was loved by all at Carlton and four flags are not forgotten.
And then there’s Judd.
He played six seasons at West Coast and this is his seventh at Carlton. He’s an highest great, but I think he misses here.
Silvagni’s got him. He’s got them all. His is the fifth immortal.