Media Release 11 September 2006
The pick of 2006
CARLTON has had a year on the field that it would prefer to scotch from the record books, and a week off it that might well have taken the Blues to even lower depths.
A second consecutive wooden spoon, a maelstrom of bitter infighting and attempted coups — it doesn't get a lot worse.
But there are two men who can hold their heads high, a pair who not all that long ago, before bigger troubles hit home, were favourite whipping boys for the Blues' faithful.
Lance Whitnall and Brendan Fevola quinellaed Carlton's best and fairest last Friday night, a fitting reward for careers transformed. And tonight could bring even higher honours should both be named in the All-Australian team.
It's been three seasons since the wooden spooner could manage to crack even a single representative in the AFL's team of the year, Rohan Smith earning All-Australian honours when the Western Bulldogs ran last in 2003. That was on a half-back flank.
But for a club that could muster only three-and-a-half wins this season, to earn two nominations along the all-important spine of the AFL's best team would be some feat indeed.
Fevola's spot as All-Australian full-forward is one of tonight's few givens. The Coleman medallist has been superb, booting 84 goals from opportunities far more limited than his goalkicking peers at better-performed clubs.
Whitnall's selection at centre half-back would be more contentious, with the likes of Port Adelaide's Chad Cornes, Sydney's Craig Bolton and Richmond's Joel Bowden with their own claims.
But none had to weather the storms with which "Big Red" had to cope this season, and with little support. He did so with strength and his usual superb judgement, which made him, according to Prowess statistics, the league's No. 1-ranked player for both repelling opposition inside-50s, and for intercepting marks.
Whitnall deserves a spot. He could well miss out. But unlucky omissions are always the case in this yearly ritual, more so in an age where even key positions are sometimes indistinguishable from each other.
This year's team could feature some names you would have taken healthy odds against earning such an honour back in March.
Potential ruck duo Brendon Lade and Troy Simmonds spring to mind. Simmonds was hardly even a Tiger favourite before 2006. But he's been superb, kicking more goals and winning more clearances than other recognised, higher-profile ruckmen.
Lade always has been capable. But he rose to another level this season, showing leadership in a team that struggled early, the quality of his palming a feature and always a threat when lurking up forward.
Teammate Shaun Burgoyne is another great story, regardless of whether he lands an All-Australian gong, too. The exquisitely-skilled Power player got better the longer 2006 lasted, his ability to not only win clearances but use them with damaging precision making him a potent midfield force.
Last year's All-Australian team featured a full-back in Ben Rutten who'd seemingly come from nowhere. West Coast's full-back Darren Glass has been around the mark for a couple of years now, but he deserves the key defensive post for 2006, his stopping ability as good as any, his ability to do the often unnoticed "one-percenters" even better.
James McDonald has spent 10 seasons and close to 200 games going unnoticed anywhere other than by his own Melbourne peers. That could change this evening.
He's not nearly as flashy as other leading midfielders, but McDonald is every bit as effective, averaging 23 disposals a game and leading the league in tackles. He deserves a gong.
So does teammate Aaron Davey, arguably the flashiest player going around. But there's been no shortage of brilliant small forwards in 2006, the bigger-bodied Bulldog Brad Johnson and Collingwood's Alan Didak two obvious standouts, the whippet-like Jeff Farmer probably Davey's competitor for a spot.
Davey wins slightly more of the ball and lays marginally more tackles per game than "the Wiz". But Farmer has kicked 52 goals to Davey's 35. That's enough to give him my nod. Just.
Davey would be stiff to miss out. But so will be a dozen others. At least the likes of Peter Bell, Ryan O'Keefe, Tyson Edwards, Craig Bolton and Barry Hall have a finals campaign with which to console themselves.
Fevola and Whitnall don't. And while both will be proud men tonight if they're called to the stage to accept their dues for great individual seasons, you don't have to think too hard to work out whose shoes they'd rather be in at the moment.
Rohan Connolly's All-Australian team:
B: Johncock, Glass, Clement
HB: Gilbee, Whitnall, J.Bowden
C: Goodes, West, Dal Santo
HF: Cousins, Pavlich, Goodwin
F: Riewoldt, Fevola, Brad Johnson
Foll: Lade, Judd, S.Burgoyne
Inter: Didak, Farmer, Simmonds, McDonald
Rohan Connolly
The Age
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