John Worsfold
Worsfold was the captain of West Coast during their premiership era and a fierce defender. The Eagles' backline during that time was formidable and over my 20 years as an umpire it was always a pleasure to watch these players play close up.
Stephen Silvagni
Selected in 1996 as the full-back in the Team of the Century. A great defender at Carlton for 17 seasons, and one of the greats to have played the game.
Paul Roos
Paul was a player I had a rapport with who played down back at the Sydney Swans but also played a number of positions when he played for Fitzroy. A versatile player who I always had a good on-field relationship with on game days.
HALF-BACKS
Guy McKenna
I guess the West Coast backline with McKenna, Worsfold and Jakovich was one that I remember quite vividly. McKenna was the first Eagle to play 200 games for the club; a great achievement for a terrific defender.
Glen Jakovich
Again Jakovich was part of that West Coast premiership era. He was probably the most dominant centre half-back of that time. He played in two premierships and was the Eagles' best and fairest on three occasions.
Terry Daniher
Terry was a great leader of the Bombers. He captained them to the 1984 and 1985 premierships. A tough, hard footballer and a true Essendon champion.
CENTRES
Robert Flower
Flower was a champion wingman for Melbourne. A spectacular player for the Demons, he captained the side from 1981-87.
Greg Williams
The Brownlow Medallist who always gathered a heap of possessions. Greg was an in and under player who got plenty of the ball and fed it out all the time to his teammates.
Peter Matera
What a great player Peter Matera was. He is another player in my best 22 that was part of the era when the Eagles were a real dominant force.
HALF-FORWARDS
Bernie Quinlan
Bernie was just a great footballer with a great kick at both Footscray and Fitzroy. The Brownlow Medallist had superb skills and I really just enjoyed umpiring him.
Wayne Carey
One of the great players. Carey was a fantastic centre half-forward for North Melbourne and kicked 727 goals over his career. Premiership captain at North in 1996 and 1999, he is one of the game’s all-time greats.
Dermott Brereton
I guess people tend to focus on the negatives with Dermott but he was just a great player to come in at centre half-forward for Hawthorn. I guess I have a half-forward line of centre half-forwards. A tough hard player who always had a quip out on the field and someone I had a bit of banter with. I enjoyed umpiring him, and still enjoying having a chat with him when I see him around now.
FORWARDS
Kevin Bartlett
My best 22 sports an amazing forward line, and I’ve left out many exceptional players. In fact, I could make another team with the players I have left out. Barlett though was a great crumbing forward who kicked 778 goals for Richmond and won the Norm Smith Medal in the Tigers’ 1980 premiership side.
Tony Lockett
Lockett is an absolute legend of the game. One of the all-time greats at full-forward at both St Kilda and at the Sydney Swans. He is the goalkicking record holder with an amazing 1360 goals over his career.
Gary Ablett Snr
Gary Ablett’s record speaks for itself. He kicked over 1000 goals over his 200-plus game career at Geelong. I don’t think I could have picked a better forward line. They’re a bunch of amazing players.
FOLLOWERS
Simon Madden
The Madden brothers were both good to umpire. Justin always had a quip and Simon always had something to say as well. There were some good ruckmen going around at that time so it was tough to pick just one but Simon really led the rucks at Essendon for a really long time and made them a very dominant team.
Nathan Buckley
Just a champion player who just strived to be the best he could. I really admired the way he played his football and he was good to umpire and a real pro at what he did.
Leigh Matthews
Leigh was a gun player who was tough and hard at the footy. He was a leading figure during one of Hawthorn’s most successful eras. He was an uncompromising footballer who is an absolute legend of the game.
INTERCHANGE
Craig Bradley
One of Carlton’s gun players. The 375-game midfielder could just keep running all day long, he was fantastic.
Darren Jarman
Jarman at Hawthorn then at Adelaide was a super player who could change games. A three-time premiership player, Jarman was great to watch.
Robert DiPierdomenico
Dipper was tough and hard at the footy. He was good to have a bit of banter out on the ground with as well. I guess back when I umpired we had the opportunity to chat to the players and have a bit of banter, and I used to do that with Dipper.
Paul Kelly
Paul was a good hard player and a super player for the Sydney Swans. I could have extended my interchange bench even more! In fact I could have easily put another team together and they could have played off against each other. That’s how hard it was to do a best 22.
Jason Dunstall
A champion forward at Hawthorn. Dunstall is of the same ilk as the players in my forward line, but I just couldn’t find room for him there so he’s on the [extended] interchange bench.
Stephen Kernahan
Another fantastic centre half-forward. A superb player who won many a game for Carlton through his career.
Rowan Sawers said it was too difficult to cut his side down to 22 so he named an extended bench.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
