Top 50 feedback: Rennie Gilchrist, Chris Deluca stiff to miss the cut
There has been plenty of discussion about our list of the top 50 local footballers. But no one has disputed Noble Park champion Kyle Martin’s selection at No 1.
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“If Rennie Gilchrist isn’t in the top 50 players in local footy my name’s Elvis Presley.’’
No sooner had our list gone live than the feedback started.
It dealt with not only players who missed the cut, but the rankings of those who did.
Gilchrist was a champion at Balwyn, figuring in four premierships, captaining the club, winning a best and fairest and being regarded as one of the best leaders in the Eastern league.
His omission from the top 50 lifted a few eyebrows.
The Elvis Presley line came from a former teammate, who said of Gilchrist: “Super player. Can’t remember him playing a shit game in a big game either.’’
“Massive loss for Balwyn,’’ he added in reference to Gilchrist crossing to Caulfield Grammarians in the off-season.
Only two players from the Southern league made the cut, Port Melbourne Colts’ Western Region signing Kwame McHarg (No 9) and East Malvern ruckman Chris Carey (No 16).
Colts president Steven Duvnjak was staggered his club’s former WAFL star Chris Deluca missed out.
He said Deluca belonged not only in the top 50, but the top 10.
Dingley dasher Lucas Walmsley, a Division 1 best and fairest in Southern who went on to play in the VFL, was also seen as unlucky. Cheltenham’s Dylan Weickhardt, the former Sandringham VFL defender, also received a mention as being stiff.
Other feedback:
* Collegians small forward Lachie Ferguson was lucky to make the top 50. But an official from another VAFA Premier club said the ex-VFL Magpie should have been closer to No 20 than No 30 on the list.
* Doncaster’s Chris Annakis (No 43) “runs rings around half the blokes in front of him’’.
* Where was Tom Paule, such a decorated player for Old Melburnians in the VAFA?
* Where was ex-Magpie Brent Macaffer, now turning out for Eltham?
* Only four players from the Essendon District league? There should have been more, including Addam Maric, Fort Caruso and Luke Blackwell (who wasn’t considered after announcing his retirement at the end of last season).
* Leigh Williams (Norwood, now at Seville) deserved better than the No 22 slot.
* Chris Stewart (No 39) and Dean Galea (No 35) should have been lower.
* Old Xaverians’ former AFL player Rohan Bewick (No 14) had to be in the top five.
But there was no disputing Noble Park champion Kyle Martin’s selection at No 1.
“Glad to see they got it right with the GOAT at number 1,’’ tweeted his former teammate Georgie Angelopoulos.
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