With the star of the competition, Dustin Martin, turning 30 years of age on Saturday, I’ve compiled my best team of current over-30-year-olds in the AFL.
My criteria were pretty vague, but generally I based my selections on what the players could currently bring to the team at their best. The CVs of some of the greats of our game also helped their case, however.
Here’s the team, with plenty of seriously good players missing out. So please let me know all the clear and obvious mistakes I made.
FB: Shannon Hurn (WC), Mark Blicavs (GEEL), Bachar Houli (RICH)
HB: Daniel Rich (BL), Dane Rampe (SYD), Brad Sheppard (WC)
C: Mitch Duncan (GEEL), Dustin Martin (c) (RICH), Dayne Zorko (BL)
HF: Michael Walters (FREM), Lance Franklin (SYD), Taylor Walker (ADEL)
FF: Luke Breust (HAW), Tom Hawkins (GEEL), Robbie Gray (PA)
FOL: Nic Naitanui (WC), Patrick Dangerfield (vc) (GEEL), Travis Boak (PA)
I/C: Scott Pendlebury (COLL), David Mundy (FREM), Joel Selwood (GEEL), Jack Riewoldt (RICH)
SUB: Eddie Betts (CARL)
Let’s take a look at the defenders first.
Shannon Hurn and Brad Sheppard are both integral to the Eagles’ defence. Hurn is still racking up big disposal numbers while Sheppard won All Australian honours last season.
Sydney skipper Dane Rampe is a lock at centre half back, three-time premiership star Bachar Houli sits in the back pocket while Daniel Rich is having a superb 2021 season for the Lions off half back.
Mark Blicavs edged out Tom Jonas and Phil Davis for a key position spot. Others unlucky were Zach Tuohy and Jeremy Howe.
(Photo by Brett Hemmings/Getty Images)
Next up is the midfield. This area of the ground is stacked with talent. Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield walk straight into the side without question, and are my captain and vice-captain respectively.
Mitch Duncan is a seriously underrated player of the competition, while in-form Lion Dane Zorko takes up the other wing spot.
Travis Boak is seemingly getting better with age and has taken his game to another level ever since relinquishing the Port Adelaide captaincy, while Nic Naitanui, similar to Martin and Dangerfield, picks himself.
Honourable mentions include Trent Cotchin, Steele Sidebottom, Luke Shuey, Shane Edwards, Rory Sloane, Josh Kennedy from the Swans and Todd Goldstein in the ruck. Any of these guys could easily have been picked.
The forward line was probably the most difficult to select. The key forwards listed on the field were Tom Hawkins (31 goals this season), Lance Franklin (29 goals) and Taylor Walker (40 goals), who all sit inside the top ten in the Coleman Medal race. Franklin’s 973 career goals also slightly help his case.
It means that Charlie Dixon and Josh Kennedy from the Eagles missed out. Both could have justifiably been selected.
The small forward trio of Michael Walters, Robbie Gray and Luke Breust would pose lots of danger for opposition defenders. Breust has 24 goals for the season, Gray was still playing some good footy before his injury and while Walters is out of form, his best is very damaging and he has that X-factor every side needs.
I wish the interchange bench held 20 players, but only four remaining spots were available.
When Scott Pendlebury gets the ball, time stops. He’s such a special player and is still averaging 24 touches a game this year.
David Mundy is another player who just gets better with age. Season 2021 has almost been a career best.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Three-time premiership star Joel Selwood just makes the cut, and Jack Riewoldt takes the final spot on the bench. Another three-time premiership player, Riewoldt sits fourth in the Coleman Medal this year and is as important as ever to a struggling Richmond side missing Tom Lynch.
For the injury sub I’ve gone with Eddie Betts, just to provide that added spark when one of these other champion players goes down. His three goals against the Crows on the weekend shows he can still play good footy. That and his 630-odd career goals gives Betts the last spot in the side.
So that’s the undeniable justification for the selection of the best team of over-30-year-olds in the current AFL competition. I whittled down 101 veterans into 23 players who would stack up well against any side in the competition.
All up, these 23 players have 5914 games between them, 6077 goals, 60 All Australian honours, 32 club best and fairests and 22 premierships.
It’s all in good fun, but who was the most unlucky to miss out? Who would you take out of the side? Or did I get it perfectly spot on? Somehow I doubt that’s the case.
Tarquin Oakley
Roar Rookie
Fair enough, Gawn isn’t 30 yet though.
Scott
Guest
I’ve had so many pub banter conversations about Aussie sports and our obsession with the age 30. It’s fair enough considering footy is such a tax on the body, but stars are still stars as long as their body lets them be. So many of the best key forwards and rucks peak above 30. I think big people in general are better in their 30s when their muscle mass is strongest. If you look at the NBA, most the best players are over 30. This team shows that it’s true as well for AFL. Their are so many over 30 stars missing from this team as well. I still think Buddy and Josh Kennedy are the 2 best key forwards in the game. Hawkins had a cracking year last year but I’d prefer those 2. Throw in Charlie Dixon, Jack Riewoldt, Tex etc. and the over 30s are still making up a lot of the top tier. If I was in charge of a team in contention, I would be picking up the best veteran that had been delisted each year as a rookie. Still reckon a 39 year old Brent Harvey could’ve pushed a contender into a premiership in 2017.
Bangkokpussey
Roar Rookie
Gawn ahead of Nat any day. Isaac smith in. Eddie doesn't make the cut. There is a few I wouldnt have on current form. Definitely Danger for Captain.
Clear as mud
Guest
Houli out. Put Isaac Smith in that role
Tarquin Oakley
Roar Rookie
All good points. If I was picking the side to play a match then your advice would definitely be used. I agree you’d need another defensive player on the bench, you could possibly swing a Pendlebury to half back but he’d be out of position. Smith would be the best running option, and maybe a key defender like Jeremy Howe on the bench so Blicavs has cover when he is the second ruck. That or, as you said, pick another ruckman like Ryder or Goldstein.
Kick to Kick
Roar Rookie
Very good team. Can’t really say any player here doesn’t deserve selection. If this team were to play a real match ( a match v under 30s would be interesting) you might find a few practical issues. Natanui can’t ruck a whole game. Biclavs might pitch in but I’d be inclined to substitute some-one like Paddy Ryder as a ruck/swing man on the bench for Selwood. The midfield also looks a bit one paced. Is there room for a running playmaker like Isaac Smith? And I note the bench and sub have no provision for rotating a defender or for an injured defender. Plenty of midfielders and forwards but in a match you’d need a utility for rotations.
Tarquin Oakley
Roar Rookie
Yeah that happens to most of us! Thought you’d be more critical of Steele Sidebottom and Jeremy Howe’s omissions for a Pies fan to be honest. I was extremely close to including both those players.
FabPhil
Roar Rookie
Yea but to be fair, it's a toss of a coin even in my own mind but I need to admit my coin has a habit of falling heads-up most of the time. A bit of club bias.
Tarquin Oakley
Roar Rookie
Thanks mate. You mean he should be on-field? If so, yeah could easily make the first 18. It was a toss of the coin really.
FabPhil
Roar Rookie
Pendlebury on the bench, not so sure. But these lists are a pain, so good effort.
Tarquin Oakley
Roar Rookie
That’s fair enough
Tarquin Oakley
Roar Rookie
I’m a Hawthorn supporter but yes as you said there were some tough decisions I could have got wrong in a lot of people’s opinions. Obviously I think Kennedy’s career has been better than Walker’s but at the moment Tex is second in the Coleman so it was hard not to pick him. Just went for the best player as skipper, didn’t give it too much thought. Thanks for joining the conversation, it’s all just a bit of fun in the end!
Woof
Roar Rookie
Danger over Dusty for captain. Way more consistent.
Willie
Roar Rookie
What a great generation of playing talent.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Yep. Dusty is playing as a forward pocket/flanker for the past 3 seasons and he gets the centre ahead of Dave Mundy, the best performing plus 30 of them all.
Blitz
Guest
Tex Walker and Dixon aren’t in the conversation when it comes to key forwards, can’t believe that you chose Tex over Josh Kennedy from WC - he’s ahead of Hawkins also, and Riewoldt is in but JK misses? I had no idea it was Dusty’s 30th this weekend but you did - I have a sneaky suspicion that your Tiger bias may be in plain sight? Which team do you support? Martin as captain, smh - he’s never been a captain - how about Hurn, a premiership captain? I’d take a Norm Smith winning Shuey over Betts any day! It’s a tough team to pick for sure but you’ve made a few mistakes here, which you acknowledged was possible in your preface. Interesting article though, well done!