Vic Country coach Peter Knights selects his best players

VIDEO: VIC Country coach Peter Knights’ “best-of” team from those who played during his 2009-16 tenure is the cream of the country football crop. VIEW OFF THE BENCH TV SEGMENT NOW.

WHO is the best of the best?

The Weekly Times asked the immediate past Vic Country coach, Hawthorn’s bona fide Legend Peter Knights, to pick a “best-of” team from those who played during his 2009-16 tenure.

The finished product is the cream of the country football crop — but there are also some well-known names that did not make the cut.

“As much as it was an interesting exercise to go through the teams and squads every year, it was really difficult to make the final selections,” Knights said.

“I selected this in the way in which we selected our teams every year — you put players in positions … some instances there were two or three who could’ve — and were very close — to being selected in that same position.”

Among the players to miss out was Isaac Smith, who after playing for Vic Country in 2010 went on to be drafted, ironically to Knights’ former club, Hawthorn.

As impressive as Smith’s career has been, based on that carnival alone Knights says he couldn’t fit him in the team.

Multiple and consistently outstanding performances for Vic Country was a criteria for Knights, but he did make some exceptions after best-on-ground performances from Tom Stewart in 2014 and Dean Polo in 2015.

Geelong has held the title of the No. 1 league since 2013, but only two players from the competition made the cut.

Knights said in most cases Geelong players did not make the “multiple appearances” criteria.

One of the biggest country football names to be missing from the list is Bendigo, Goulburn Valley and Ovens and Murray best-and-fairest winner Kristan Height.

“In selecting such a team like this you leave yourself wide open because there's hard luck stories all along the line, and (Kristan’s) one of them,” Knights said.

“There have been some wonderful players that have played for Vic Country over my time and they wouldn’t have played for Vic Country unless they were pretty good players to begin with, but so many of them rose to another level when they put on that guernsey and they played so very, very well.”

PETER KNIGHTS SELECTS HIS BEST VIC COUNTRY PLAYERS

Peter Knights. Picture Yuri Kouzminn

XAVIER MOLONEY

Swan Hill, Central Murray

The no-fuss, consistent and versatile small forward or midfielder. “Probably the most versatile medium-small player in the team. I could put him in a back-pocket, wing, in the forward pocket … made the pilgrimage down from Swan Hill year in and year out. A wonderful respected player.”

DAN LESLIE

North Albury, Ovens & Murray (VC)

Leslie “made players around him walk tall”, which is why he is one of the vice-captains. ”Dan Leslie at centre half-forward was one of the first players I would select in my side, at centre half-forward, and could play as a small forward.”

JUSTIN BERRY

Cranbourne, Casey Cardinia

“The X-factor. A genuine match-winner off his own boot with that X-factor. He’s the one who could turn a game or win a game off his own boot. An amazing player but, even given that, a wonderful team player as well.”

PAUL KIRBY

Tatura, Goulburn Valley

Kirby was “admired by everyone in the Goulburn Valley”, and was the ideal first ruckman to give them first use. “So good in those stoppage situations and giving us first use of the ball because of his amazing competitive nature.”

SAM CHAPMAN

Camperdown, Hampden

“He was a consistent, high-level performer for Vic Country, he was just so reliable. Consistently performed at the highest level and was always in our best six.”

SIMON O’KEEFE

Koroit, Hampden

O’Keefe’s courageous style, in “uncompromising-type games”, “won the admiration of us all”. “The best runner in that side. Amazing fitness, pace, but had the skills to match that pace. If we needed run, Simon O’Keefe would give that to you.”

JOE MCLAREN

Koroit, Hampden (C)

“He is the captain of the team, such is his respect from everyone when it comes to Vic Country for all sorts of reasons.”

GUY CAMPBELL

Rochester, Goulburn Valley/Echuca United, Murray (VC)

“The best versatile, big man that I have seen in my time with Vic Country, to the extent I would say he’s the best player that I have seen.”

TIM LOOBY

Shepparton United, Goulburn Valley

“Swingman, and his passion for Vic Country he just loved it ... he could hold down a half-back flank, he could hold down half-forward flank, he could go forward and kick a goal ... on top of that a great leader.”

TYSON HARTWIG

Wangaratta Rovers, Ovens & Murray

Hartwig had the “toughest specialist position”. “He showed in the carnival in Wagga, in particular, how good he could be at playing dour, uncompromising ... to an attacking, offensive, creative fullback.”

JACK GEARY

Golden Square, Bendigo

Geary was one of the youngest Vic Country captains when he took the role last year. “Such is the respect he is held in the footy world. Jack is a marvellous, courageous player and a great leader at such a young age, so respected.”

TOM STEWART

South Barwon, Geelong

Stewart, now in the AFL, “controlled the backline” and was “unstoppable” against Vic Metro. “Tom Stewart probably played, of all my time, one of the best games when he was best-on-ground in that 2014 game.”

JARROD EDWARDS

Redan, Ballarat

“The toughest inside midfield player. Just fearless and sometimes I’d shy away at his fearless approach and attack on the footy, just unbelievable, and to hold down the centre position which is the indication of the high esteem I have for Jarrod Edwards, and one of the captains of Vic Country in my time.”

LUKE WALKER

Pakenham, Casey Cardinia

Walker was an outside midfielder who could break the lines, long kicking, long, hard running. “He would’ve played a lot of Vic Country representative games, but a consistent performer on the wing as an outside midfielder.”

DEAN POLO

Albury, Ovens & Murray

Polo made a huge impression against VAFA in Bendigo. “(He) had a wonderful game as a midfielder, best-on-ground clearly in trying conditions, but he just showed every bit of his AFL experience.”

TRAVIS BAIRD

Donald, North Central/Golden Square, Bendigo

Baird has “probably the best pair of hands”. “I know Grant Weeks’ hands were strong ... (Baird has the) ability to run and present and be that lead up, third forward with wonderful marking attributes.”

BOB MCCALLUM

Drouin, Gippsland

McCallum was the “modern age mobile ruck/forward player”. “He has been great for Vic Country over the last couple of years as our No. 1 ruckman, but could quite capably be used at full-forward, in a forward pocket.”

GRANT WEEKS

Golden Square, Bendigo/Colbinabbin, Heathcote District

“Without doubt the best full-forward outside AFL I have seen. I can put my hand on my heart and say outside AFL at his peak, and I had him at his peak, the best full-forward in the country without any doubt in my mind at all.”

MATT PENDERGAST

Lavington, Ovens & Murray

Another “great leader” among this group. “A tough, hard midfielder, inside mid who led by example.”

ROB CONDY

Newtown & Chilwell, Geelong

Condy was simply “the most coachable of all”. “He wanted to learn, wanted to listen, take on responsibility … a wonderful player to coach, and he backed it up with his performances for Vic Country as a versatile midfielder.”

SCOTT MEYER

Wodonga Raiders, Ovens & Murray/Beaconsfield, South East

Ruckman Meyer is “probably the most athletic of all the team” who could also rotate through the back or forward lines. “An amazing spring, vertical leap and as an athletic, modern style ruckman could jump over anyone, give us first use of the ball, could run, could mark it, could play up forward.”

BRAYDEN O’HARA

Albury, Ovens & Murray

Ex-SANFL player O’Hara’s “professionalism” stands out. “His total commitment, he sacrificed so much to play for Vic Country and his professional attitude and the way in which he prepared was example to everyone. That goes along with his wonderful skills.”

EMERGENCY

NICK SCANLON

Narre Warren, Casey Cardinia

LEIGH BURKE

Melton South, Ballarat

BRENDON HOLLOW

Tatura, Goulburn Valley