Sheedy at his peak would destroy worsfold. Sheedy would make move after move and worsfold would sit there stunned
People say the speed of 2019 would hurt that team. They wouldn’t even get a chance to use their speed. The 2000 would just bully them all day, they wouldn’t have a chance to get out in space
Can you imagine Hird lining up in the midfield looking over and seeing Myers and Heppell contesting the centre for the opposition . He would laugh
Barnes would beat Bellchambers all over the field.
Joe would struggle to get a kick on Dustin fletcher
Hurley on Lucas…Scotty would destroy him
Essendon of 2000 ( with 2019 fitness levels)would legit smash today’s team by minimum 100 points
Backs: M Johnson - D Fletcher - S Wellman D Hardwick - C Hooker - A Saad
M Hurley (interchange)
Mids:
Z Merrett - J Misiti - A Ramanauskas J Blumfield - J Johnson
D Shiel (interchange)
Ruck: J Barnes
J Daniher (interchange)
Forwards: J Hird - S Lucas - M Mercuri
J Stringer - M Lloyd - O Fantasia B Caracella (interchange)
Definitely think there’s some players from 2000 who get rated waaaaaaaay higher than they were because of the side they played in + the whole nostalgia thing people have for bygone eras.
Yeah actually good point saad would get a gig his consistent and tough as nails. Every time he seems injured my comment to the old man ‘its saad he’ll be alright’ 5 minutes later his back to full capacity. I’d have saad over johnson though, hardwick was the better player out of those 2 small defenders imo so couldn’t drop him from the 2000 side.
I’d have 2000 Johnno over Hardwick as well.
Think both were significantly better that year than Solly (and imo we never saw the best of him after Sheeds made him bulk up and then he did his knee).
Fanta would be the first out of the side I selected. From memory Long was well past his best by 2000 and Moorcroft was never more than a bits player outside of a few highlights.
I might try to find a spot for Stringer given he’s a proven finals player …but realistically there is no one should be dropped from that team. They were hard uncompromising players. Each one of them would run straight through any one of today’s team.
Really depends though. How much does “playing your role in the team” count. Someone like Heffernan, who had a negative role most weeks, and didn’t get a heap of the ball, but who when he used it was reliable. Head to head you’d say there were plenty of players who would be better options. But none of them would actually bring the same skillset as Heffernan to the side. Of course Merrett or Shiel are better players, but does a side need the Heffernan role player more than another offensive weapon?
That’s presuming a Blumfield, Johnson or Shiel couldn’t perform a containing role.
Heff definitely wasn’t one of the players I was alluding to as being overrated either.
The 2000 team,
Hard: forged in the disappointment of '99,
Uncompromising: coached by Sheeds,
Inspired: led by James Hird.
Brilliant: Mercuri, Long. Say no more.