PICTURE this. You’re charged with selecting a side featuring the best AFL footballers who honed their craft in south-west Victoria.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The first two names you’d put down are Hawthorn gun Luke Hodge in the midfield and Brisbane Lions champion Jonathan Brown at centre half-forward.
The two are among the greatest sporting exports the region has produced and heroes to hundreds of juniors hoping to one day follow in their footsteps.
But who do you pick first? Brown, the champion goalkicker from Warrnambool, or Hodge, the inspirational leader from Colac?
The debate about the comparative merits of the pair reignited shortly before 5pm on Saturday when Hodge received his second Norm Smith Medal.
He was wearing a premiership medal moments later for the third time, having led the way in the Hawks’ 63-point thrashing of Sydney at the MCG.
The accolades reinforced Hodge’s status as one of the greats to play AFL. The grand final was his 250th match, a milestone reached at age 30.
His football resume also includes two Peter Crimmins medals for the Hawks’ best and fairest and three All-Australian jumpers.
He is into his fourth season as Hawthorn captain, was a Rising Star nominee and has represented Australia in the International Rules series.
Brown’s achievements in football are hardly a laughing matter either. The 32-year-old retired this year after 256 matches and 594 goals.
He and Alastair Lynch were the dominant forwards during the Lions’ golden era which yielded three flags (2001-03) from four consecutive grand finals.
Brown has three Merrett-Murray medals to his name, awarded to the Lions’ best and fairest, as well as the 2007 Coleman Medal for his 77 goals.
He earned All-Australian selection twice, captained the Lions for seven seasons and was their leading goalkicker on five occasions.
Even the man who has followed their careers as close as anyone, Geelong Falcons boss Mick Turner, had trouble splitting Hodge and Brown.
Turner reckoned he would pick Brown ahead of Hodge, but only because “AFL recruiters would always pick a power forward”.
“You look at all the drafts, the power forwards get picked first but I think it’s an unfair comparison,” Turner said.“People always remember what happens immediately. They forget Jonathan Brown was a power forward when Brisbane had an amazing side.
“He was an absolute superstar, a captain, triple premiership player. What Luke Hodge has done now is put himself up with Jonathan Brown.”
Turner was at pains to include Cameron Ling, Jimmy Bartel and Gary Ablett into discussions about the best players to graduate from the Falcons.
“Gary Ablett is the greatest player that played the game,” he said.
“But if you drew the line, you’d put them all together — Hodge, Brown, Ling, Ablett and Bartel — they’ve all been unbelievable.”
Turner credited the region for its emphasis on producing elite-level footballers — from grassroots clubs and school programs to the Falcons.
“The thing about the region, and I’m not saying it’s all the Falcons, is it’s a very good region,” he said.
“You’ve got good schools and the football-netball clubs are set up well. The region as a whole does a fantastic job in developing these players.”
afawkes@fairfaxmedia.com.au