Five years ago – when I started writing about the AFL (Some milestone right?), during the first year I wrote who I believed would make the Victorian team if the AFL were to bring back State of Origin Football, which has been a huge part of discussion for so long now. Yes, we’re still wondering if it will come back at all.
Generally, I usually reserve one post per season about State of Origin footy - often who would make which team. But to avoid being stale and boring by doing the same subject, I’m going for something different this year. I love a good comparison, so I thought why not compare the first Victorian team I wrote and published online in 2014 to the side I would pick today.
The Common Ground
This little section is about the players who made both the 2014 Victorian team and this year’s side. Probably to strengthen the argument of how far we’ve come in the span of five years, there are only six players who made the 2014 team that are still in this year. Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett, Jeremy Cameron, Jack Gunston, Todd Goldstein and Travis Boak were all pretty much in career-best form in 2014 and here we are five years later and they are still good enough to make the team.
Dangerfield has gone on to win a Brownlow at Geelong and is widely regarded as a top three player in the competition. His team mate Ablett has been playing some cracking football up forward, averaging two goals per game as well as averaging 20 disposals – the only man so far this year who is able to achieve this feat.
Jeremy Cameron was an All-Australian in 2013 and since then, he’s been a reliable forward, sans for a few Finals games. He is currently on track to win the Coleman Medal this year, with 38 goals from 11 matches. Jack Gunston, who was named in the forward pocket opposite to Cameron in the 2014, has been consistent with his football and since 2014, has been a very reliable asset nearly everywhere on the ground.
Travis Boak and Todd Goldstein were named on the bench in the 2014 Victorian team. Five years later they both find themselves in the same spot. Goldstein was one of the premier ruckmen in 2014, but even though his impact in games has diminished slightly, he’s still good for quite a few games. Boak had his best year in 2014 and whilst he has been solid as Port’s captain through the years, his first year since relinquishing the captaincy has seen him rack up career-high numbers across the board.
Explaining The 2014 Victorian Team
B: Josh Gibson, Scott Thompson, Luke Hodge HB: Robert Murphy, Tom Lonergan, Sam Mitchell C: Patrick Dangerfield, Callan Ward, Scott Pendlebury HF: Steve Johnson, Travis Cloke, Brent Harvey F: Jeremy Cameron, Jarryd Roughead, Jack Gunston FOL: Shane Mumford, Gary Ablett, Josh Kennedy INT: Todd Goldstein, Tom Liberatore, Tom Rockliff, Trent Cotchin, Brendon Goddard, Nathan Jones, Jimmy Bartel, Travis Boak
There are a lot of names that could put their hands up for a spot in the team of the 21st century whenever we get to that. Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell, Josh Gibson and Jarryd Roughead were all massive parts of the Hawthorn three-peat between 2013-15. Scott Thompson was in career-best touch in full back and likewise Tom Lonergan at centre-half back – both men were more than able to shut down the best key forwards in that time. Robert Murphy was at his creative best off half-back at this stage of his career and a year later after this team, he was announced as the All-Australian captain.
In the middle, I love Callan Ward’s toughness and his ability to win the ball was underrated in 2014. If he hadn’t injured his ACL, he would’ve been strongly considered for the 2019 team. Scott Pendlebury is still as good now as he was back five years ago. Shane Mumford was named as the starting ruck as he was capable of winning so many hitouts and then follow up with tackling his opposition in a way very few rucks could, whilst naming Sydney’s Josh Kennedy in the middle as well as pretty apt considering he was entering into his prime years at the Swans.
There are some great names in the forward line from yesteryear. Steve Johnson is a triple premiership player and a bloody good forward too. Brent Harvey is the league’s games record holder and at 36 years of age at the time of the 2014 team, he was still producing good footy and whilst Travis Cloke has had more than his fair share of doubters, he was quite an important part to Collingwood’s premiership team in 2010.
On the bench alongside Goldstein and Boak, I have named a bench that was predominantly midfielders. Tom Liberatore, Tom Rockliff, Nathan Jones and Trent Cotchin are all bonafide mids, but that can allow players such as Ablett, Dangerfield and Pendlebury to play different positions. Brendon Goddard can play mid, but I have him in this team as a half-back flanker, whilst naming Jimmy Bartel, who does play his best footy as a midfielder, can play other roles on the ground as well.
Explaining The 2019 Victorian Team
B: Tom Stewart (GEEL), Mark Blicavs (GEEL), Dylan Grimes (RICH) HB: Jake Lloyd (SYD), Darcy Moore (COLL), James Sicily (HAW) C: Andrew Gaff (WCE), Clayton Oliver (MELB), Steele Sidebottom (COLL) HF: Marcus Bontempelli (WB), Tom Lynch (RICH), Jordan De Goey (COLL) F: Gary Ablett (GEEL), Jeremy Cameron (GWS), Jack Gunston (HAW) FOL: Max Gawn (MELB), Patrick Dangerfield (GEEL), Dustin Martin (RICH) INT: Travis Boak (PORT), Shaun Higgins (NM), Jack Macrae (WB), Josh Kelly (GWS), Todd Goldstein (NM), Michael Hurley (ESS), Robbie Gray (PORT), Tom Lynch (ADEL)
Now it’s time to explain this year’s Victorian team.
I’ll roll through the backs, which I think are self-explanatory. Tom Stewart, Jake Lloyd and James Sicily are all amongst the game’s best rebounding defenders right now. Stewart was an All-Australian last year – Sicily and Lloyd are All-Australians in waiting – if not this year, then within the next three years. The key defenders I’ve named are all playing some scintillating football this year. Mark Blicavs has hardly been beaten this year, Darcy Moore is also hardly beaten in one-on-ones, but he can also provide dash off half-back, whilst Dylan Grimes is still regarded as one of the most underrated players in the league right now.
There are several midfielders in this team I couldn’t leave out. On the wings, there are probably none better than Andrew Gaff. Although he’s spending more time in the middle these days, he is still an elite ball-winner. On the other wing there’s Steele Sidebottom – who has shown his ability to use the ball so well time and time again. Starting in the middle I have named Dangerfield alongside Dustin Martin and Clayton Oliver – all three are amongst the game’s best mids right now. Max Gawn as starting ruck was a no-brainer, being one of the premier ruckmen in the league right now.
Joining both Cameron and Gunston as the talls in the forward line, I’ve added in Richmond’s Tom Lynch, who has been in good form since joining the Tigers at the end of last year. Ablett is named in the pocket but can play as a midfielder as well. Likewise Marcus Bontempelli and Jordan De Goey, who I have named as the half-forward flanks – both are more than capable of kicking goals, but can also thrive in the middle when need be. Robbie Gray coming off the bench is another that can play either forward or in the middle, whilst having Adelaide’s Tom Lynch coming off the bench can give Victoria another tall option and push Gunston into defence.
Whilst we're on the bench, here is who I have coming off it. I have named Goldstein as the back-up to Gawn. Travis Boak is in career-best form for Port Adelaide right now, Shaun Higgins is flying as a midfielder right now for North Melbourne, whilst Jack Macrae and Josh Kelly are just a sample of the midfielders that are expected to take over in five years time – both have been in fine touch for their respective teams across the past couple of years. Whilst naming Michael Hurley as a defensive rotation brings a player who can provide run off half-back and can win one-on-ones when required.