Your Favourite - Best Ever players at Central District?

Just reflecting on if I was going to put together a top five of who I considered to be the best, or my own favourite players at Central District who I would put on that list. Here is the list that I have come up with, I would be interested to see what names you would put on your own list if you would like to have a go!

1. Roger Girdham - I think he was their best ever Captain, a great player whose loyalty to the club always came first. Stuck with the club through thick and thin. Perhaps he was not as good as the likes of Platten, but someone who I really respected as a footballer anyway.

2. Wilbur Wilson - Many early memories of the great man in the early 1980's. Popular with his own and rival club fans alike, perhaps a rarity being a Left footer and an accurate goal kicker.

3, John Platten - It's pretty hard not to put someone on any list like this that has won both the Magarey Medal and the Brownlow. Love the fact that he returned to Central at the end of his career with the Hawks.

4, "The Gowans Twins". - Chris and James Gowans were both clearly some of the best ever players to play SANFL in the modern era and for the time that they were there were the engine room of the CDFC.

5, Anthony Ingerson. If memory serves me correct he was not one of the founding members of the AFC team but recruited soon afterwards. He earned his spot by his sheer tenacity with the way he went about playing for Central and his versatility to fill gaps and step up when needed.

I did not put Gilbert McAdam on my list but do acknowledge his contribution in terms of winning the Magarey and the fact that he was another player that returned to Central at the end of his career.

Greg Edwards
John platten
Wilfred Wilson
Anthony ingerson
Craig Braddy
Rudi MANDEMAKER
GOWANS boys
Daniel Healy
Gavin Chaplin
Marco bello
Rick MACGOWAN
Robert chopper Handley

Ken Eustice was pretty handy.
Platten was a star.
Gilbert McAdam was brilliant in his Magarey year.
I also had a lot of respect for Phil Haughan, John Duckworth and Michael Wright.

Sonny Morey.

not that i saw him play but wouldn't Gary Window make a 'best player list' for Central ?

Sadly Gary Window was before my time as well, but I would like to hear from those that saw him first hand, he has an interesting story with a peak and then a trough then a crack at coaching the Senior team.

bayman wrote:not that i saw him play but wouldn't Gary Window make a 'best player list' for Central ?

he sure would, but I never saw him play so not on my fav players I saw list lol, he made centrals greates ever side in its first 30 years.my best ever side picked over the years would be this. I've been a dogs man since 1979 and have missed only half a doz games since.

FF m.bello r.mandemaker w.wilson
HF c.gowans d.schell d.saywell
C n.steinberner r.macgowan mcadam
HB P.thomas b.haraida h.hopwood
FB s.lee y.sibenaler s.morey
Rucks
J.mackenzie j.gowans j.platten
Int
R.girdham(c) d.healy I.callinan a.ingerson

Ben W wrote:Sadly Gary Window was before my time as well, but I would like to hear from those that saw him first hand, he has an interesting story with a peak and then a trough then a crack at coaching the Senior team.

I think he moved away and coached in the country for a season or two before he came back to the club. Was capt of the reserves side for a few years at the end of his career I think to help with the development of young players. Was state reserves capt aswel I think.

[quote="coza"
FF m.bello r.mandemaker w.wilson
HF c.gowans d.schell d.saywell
C n.steinberner r.macgowan mcadam
HB P.thomas b.haraida h.hopwood
FB s.lee y.sibenaler s.morey
Rucks
J.mackenzie j.gowans j.platten
Int
R.girdham(c) d.healy I.callinan a.ingerson [/quote]

I like the look of your list there, I think that group may well give a current SANFL team more than just a few problems!

I think Richard Cousins might deserve a spot in that side.

Flag No.10 wrote:I think Richard Cousins might deserve a spot in that side.

he sure would mate, he was one of my fav players when I was a young teen. But Mackenzie for mine was the best ruck we have seen at centrals. Had great hands for a ruckman in close and was a quick thinker. A Peter Carey type ruckman I would say.

There were 22 great players against the eagles in 2006 and 2011

goddy11 wrote:There were 22 great players against the eagles in 2006 and 2011

yes and even greater players in 2000 2001 2004 (record 125pts) and 2005

How would Mackenzie have gone against Dean Farnham or Richard Lounder?

01.19.2016Mackenzie would match them body on body, might give away 7 or 8cm but his quick mind and footy smarts would win out in the end. Lounder never had a second or third effort like Mackenzie did, Farnham would be a great clash but mackenzies work around the ground would win it for him.
My top 5 rucks at centrals in my eyes would be Mackenzie cousins Farnham Moore and Arnold with Paul Scoullar moving in quick. Peter beythien always gave his all for a short ruckman 190cm

Buckets was a brilliant ruckman, everything you want in a big man. Underrated outside of Elizabeth imho

Scrunch wrote:Buckets was a brilliant ruckman, everything you want in a big man. Underrated outside of Elizabeth imho

I would have thought he was rated highly by the whole SANFL, whether that be the supporters or the opposition teams & coaching staff......i once told Big Phil although not quite as skilled he reminded me of the way Peter Carey played when in the ruck

I think he's rated, but nowhere near highly enough by many. Just my opinion (that's what the IMHO was for)

Most enemy suporters don't see them play every week so don't see what us doggy suporters do and the same with us with your players. I bet if you asked your clubs ruckman who played on Jason they would give you a great insight in to how good he was for us. And jack Oatey around his neck tells you something I would think.

coza wrote:Most enemy suporters don't see them play every week so don't see what us doggy suporters do and the same with us with your players. I bet if you asked your clubs ruckman who played on Jason they would give you a great insight in to how good he was for us. And jack Oatey around his neck tells you something I would think.

Completely agree with all of that, I'm a massive fan, but most people I know (including some in SANFL circles) say he was OK, when in fact I think he was much more valuable than that.

Always liked that guy in the early 80s who wore glasses.

Stephen Boehm I think?