Okay, Mike – here’s MY top 50!

EVERY year Mike Sheahan puts his gonads on the proverbial chopping block and comes out with his AFL top 50, creating a great talking point among all footy fans.
But when it was suggested that I should do the same thing for the Casey Cardinia League, I hedged.
Mike has the advantage of minute-by-minute stats, replays of every game and a team of journalists and experts for reference, many of whom have played the game.
I rely on watching as much local football as I can, together with the ‘advice’ of each club’s own experts, which provides great insight, but is rightfully biased.
I decided not to go down that path, however, it was suggested by a certain newspaper editor that my decision was akin to hanging out of the pack, failing to attack the hard ball and not being prepared to put my body on the line for the team.
In other words he called me soft and I can’t cop that – so, for what it’s worth, here’s my top 50 Casey Cardinia League players to date this season.
How and why?
WHILE this is not a definitive list by any means, I reckon it would be easy to argue the case for any one of the top 10 on 2009 form to date.
Michael Collins is considered by all opposition match-up men as almost unstoppable when he is up and going and that has been the case more often than not this year.
He would be the number-one on-baller in every side, although you won’t hear it from him.
Robbie Taylor carries Beaconsfield and has done for several years, while Russell Gabriel is the recruit of the season with Greg Tivendale not far behind.
Dan O’Loughlin is close to the complete player and among the smartest in the league, while Marc Holt and Andrew Williams are the most dominant and dominating forwards in the competition.
Keysborough’s William Gayfer is the best rebounding defender in the league, but Doveton’s Ricky Hayes is not far behind him this year and Berwick captain Andrew Tuck rounds off the top 10 after becoming one of the premier running midfielders in the competition.
A number of those listed may have been graded differently had it not been for them missing many games for various reasons.
For instance Danny Casset (40) would likely have been much higher had he played the first five games as would Collingwood-listed Lion Luke Walker (33) and Tooradin star Beau Miller (42) who has missed several games with injury.
Recruits to the league that I believe had a major impact include Berwick pair Jason Heath (11) and Grant Noonan (30), Daniel Rigg (15), Curtis Barker (31) and Tooradin pair Rory Gilliatte (24) and Chad Liddell (34).
Players who have really improved and risen to a better level this year include Ash Comer (20), Daniel Borninkhof (14), Jarrod Anderson (18), Stuart Morrish (29), Luke Nunan (43) and John Atwell (41).
Then there’s the experienced performers like Daryl Thomas (13), Luke McGuinness (35) and Daniel Charles (45) who have struck some great early season form and Tom O’Loughlin (19) who has reinvented himself as a back-pocket player for Pakenham.
Of course in a list like this, there are always some players stiff to miss selection.
Among these are Pakenham’s Anthony Young, Cranbourne defender Matt Rus, ROC pair Paul Phillips and Shaun Jones, Keysborough forwards Matthew Freeman and Tyson King and talented teenagers including Nathan Page, Ryan Jones, Nathan Brewster and Justin Marriott.
All lists like this are subjective, but I think I could select a side from this lot that my nine-year-old could coach to victory!