A DECADE ago today, Victoria took on the Dream Team – a side assembled with the best talent from outside Victoria – in the Hall of Fame Tribute Match.
In a high scoring affair, Victoria (21.11.137) prevailed over a Dream Team (18.12.120) which featured current Melbourne senior coach Simon Goodwin.
Simon Goodwin with Neale Daniher, who was an assistant coach for the Dream Team
Ten years on, AFL Media have assembled fantasy line-ups for the match if it were played today in 2018.
See below the four Demons who made the cut.
Victoria 2018
B: Tom Stewart, Robbie Tarrant, Michael Hibberd
HB: James Sicily, Michael Hurley, Kade Simpson
C: Jackson Macrae, Trent Cotchin, Andrew Gaff
HF: Steele Sidebottom, Jeremy Cameron, Shaun Higgins
F: Charlie Curnow, Patrick Dangerfield, Robbie Gray
Foll: Max Gawn, Dustin Martin, Clayton Oliver
I/C: Adam Treloar, Joel Selwood, Ollie Wines, Marcus Bontempelli
Comments from the selection committee
As selectors we didn't have too many key forwards to choose from – of the leading 10 goalkickers in the competition, only one (Jeremy Cameron) qualifies for the Victorian line-up. Injury and form hasn't helped the forward set-up with Eddie Betts and Joe Daniher struggling and Gold Coast's Tom Lynch out with a knee injury.
So we went a little left-field with our front six, plonking Brownlow medallist Patrick Dangerfield at full-forward and having Carlton youngster Charlie Curnow there as another marking option with Cameron.
The backline was a little more steady, and strong enough to keep Daniel Talia out of the selected side, while we are confident this Victorian midfield would get the job done against the Dream Team.
Dustin Martin combining with Ollie Wines, Clayton Oliver, Jackson Macrae, Steele Sidebottom and Andrew Gaff, under the tap work of Max Gawn, would be something to behold.
- Callum Twomey (chairman), Mitch Cleary, Ben Guthrie
Dream Team 2018
B: Rory Laird, Alex Rance, Elliot Yeo
HB: Shannon Hurn, Alex Pearce, Jeremy Howe
C: Bryce Gibbs, Tom Mitchell, Isaac Smith
HF: Charlie Cameron, Lance Franklin, Luke Breust
F: Jack Darling, Ben Brown, Mark LeCras
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Nat Fyfe, Stephen Coniglio
I/C: Lachie Neale, Patrick Cripps, Jesse Hogan, Jared Polec
The selection committee says:
There were some difficult and contentious decisions to make when putting together this 22.
Fremantle defender Alex Pearce has been outstanding in his return from a long-term leg injury and gets in ahead of Jeremy McGovern. Lance Franklin has missed the past two games for Sydney, but he's a chance of taking on his old side Hawthorn on Friday night, so we've got him in.
Jack Riewoldt is on standby if Buddy is a late scratching. Dockers star Michael Walters was pencilled in, but since he's sidelined, West Coast goalsneak Mark LeCras comes in after a cracking start to the season.
The form of Brodie Grundy couldn't be ignored, getting the nod ahead of Aaron Sandilands, Jarrod Witts and Sam Jacobs. Last year's All Australian, Paddy Ryder, wasn't considered having played just two games due to an Achilles injury. Ben Brown can give Grundy a chop-out in the ruck.
The midfield is stacked with talent – Tom Mitchell, Nat Fyfe, Stephen Coniglio, Bryce Gibbs, Patrick Cripps and Lachie Neale. But there was no room for Brisbane's three-time best and fairest Dayne Zorko, who apart from last Sunday's massive game against Collingwood, has been quiet to start the season.
Underrated Eagles backman Brad Sheppard is extremely stiff and Tim Kelly's sensational debut season at Geelong almost earned the mature-age recruit a spot on the bench.
- Lee Gaskin (chairman), Adam Curley, Travis King, Michael Whiting.
