After the retirement of champion West Coast ruckman Dean Cox yesterday, I thought I would take a look at the best rookie-list selections of all-time.
1 Dean Cox
Cox will go down as one of the greatest ruckmen of all time after revolutionising the position over the past decade. The Eagles legend has enjoyed a decorated career since debuting in 2001.
His career has included being named in the All-Australian side on six occasions, winning a West Coast best and fairest and playing in the 2006 premiership. Cox had the luxury of tapping the ball down to a superb midfield unit, which accentuated his ability in the tap outs.
But Cox was most damaging when linking up across the ground. His skill and general football nous for a man of his stature was remarkable and it often gave opposition coaches plenty to think about when deciding which players to shut down.
2 Stephen Milne
Coming in second on the list is the man you either love or hate, or perhaps love to hate, the mercurial Stephen Milne. The St Kilda small-forward had an incredible knack of knowing exactly where the goals are.
His 574 career goals put him among an illustrious group of footballers and he particularly excelled at Docklands Stadium, where he still holds the total goals record. Milne won St Kilda’s leading goal kicker award on four occasions and has twice been selected in the All-Australian side.
At the peak of his powers he was an extremely reliable shot for goal and he once booted 11 goals without a miss against the Brisbane Lions in 2005.
3 Aaron Sandilands
The biggest man to ever play the game comes in at third place on this list. Despite an injury prone last couple of seasons, Sandilands has the ability to dominate games purely due to his size and brute strength.
His ability to accumulate the hit outs is a given, due to his 211cm and 120kg frame, but what sets him apart from other giant ruckman is his ability to make an impact around the ground.
The deceptively athletic Sandilands has been selected in the All-Australian team on three occasions and has won a Fremantle best and fairest.
4 Mal Michael
The big-bodied defender from Papua New Guinea has claimed the scalps of many gun forwards in his 238-game career across three clubs. He is most notable for being the lynchpin in defence during Brisbane’s premiership winning years in the early 2000s.
Michael started his career at Collingwood before moving to the Lions where he was one of the best “one-percent” players in the competition.
5 Keiren Jack
The son of rugby league legend Gary, Kieren Jack has been an integral member of a star-studded Sydney midfield for many years. Jack’s tackling and running ability has placed him in the top echelon of midfielders in the game. At only 27 years of age, it is highly likely that Jack will add to his list of accolades before he calls it time on his career.
6 Matthew Boyd
When watching Boyd, it is easy to see why he was passed on in the draft by 16 AFL clubs. The typical blue-collar, workmanlike footballer, Boyd lacks the polish with his skills of many star midfielders. Boyd is an absolute ball-magnet and brings other players into the game with his work rate and ability to extract the ball from stoppages.
7 Brett Kirk
Kirk is another that has gotten the most out of his limited natural talent. Often regarded as the spiritual leader of Sydney, Kirk captained his beloved Swans for four years and led the way with his on-field actions in the form of ferocious tackling.
Kirk won Sydney’s best and fairest award in their drought-breaking premiership year of 2005 and again in 2007.
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Things heating up in Canberra!
Diplomatically answered, Darcy!
For all the pomp and circumstance that surrounds the now-traditional Anzac Day clash at the MCG, there has been one thing conspicuously lacking over…
Old mate summing it up better than anyone possibly could!
