Just like that, in a blink of an eye, the AFL 2021 season is nearly over.
For many supporters not witnessing their side play finals, it can be a strong feeling of melancholy, as many patiently wait till the first ball of the 2020/21 Cricket Season is bowled on September 11th.
As the Cricket/Australian Rules combination has been a bubbling passion for many weekend battlers over the last 100 years, I have decided to look at both sports together, with a desire to celebrate the talented, year-round champions of the past in a dream XII.
Due to a wide range of talented sportsmen, I have made sure all these cricketers played 30 or more games of Australian Rules. This team on paper could give any current international team a run for their money.
Included we have a five-time premiership coach, a triple Brownlow medalist who captain-coached four flags, two further Brownlow Medal winners, a goalkicking legend who won the VFL/AFL goalkicking award (John Coleman Medal) and five more players who have won a Premiership; and that’s just their footy!
I am prepared to state that this team could hold their own against any international side currently in 2021. They could also win you a premiership or two.
Opening the batting for this side is the Godfather of Coaching as we know it, Jack Worrall.
Across the span of his life, Worrall had time to play 90-games for Fitzroy, coached 279-VFL games - including five Premierships - played 11-tests for Australia, as well as 142-first class matches.
He must have had the most understanding wife in sporting history.
Worrall invented the art of coaching in Australian Rules Football, with his predecessors seen as managers and regarded as less than valuable. During his tenure at two clubs, Worrall turned the game away from amateur hour. He formulated tactics, advised his charges and established dedicated training during the week - an act previously unheard of.
In 1896, Worrall scored 417 not out for Carlton (this at the time was the fourth highest score ever recorded in cricket) as the Princes Park XI powered their way to the then-highest ever recorded score of 922 which was made in 228.4 overs.
As he was able to carry his bat for 228-overs across this then record stint, Worrall will open the batting for this side.
90-games, 132-goals for Fitzroy (1884-1887 & 1889-1893)
144-games coached for Carlton (1902-1909), 3x Premierships (1906-1908), 100-wins
135-games coached for Essendon (1911-1920), 2x Premierships (1911-1912), 65-wins
| Tests | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 11 | 478 | 25.16 | 76 | - | 5 | 1 | 127.00 | 1/97 | - | - |
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 143 | 4660 | 20.99 | 128 | 7 | 16 | 105 | 23.10 | 5/20 | 4 | - |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 91 | 5249 | 46.86 | 417* | 14 | 23 | 159 | 16.94 | 8/20 | 7 | 2 |
Opening the batting with Worrall is a 165cm rover who, if it wasn’t for his footballing commitments, would have fitted into the powerful Australian middle order during the 1930s.
Beames was named the captain of Victorian Cricket in 1945, but had to decline the captaincy to focus on Footy. Beames was a superstar rover who kicked 323-goals in 213-games and won a hat-trick of premierships between 1939-1941.
Beames was also named best on ground in all three grand final wins, the original ‘Dusty’ without the tattoos. He sits in the forward pocket of the Melbourne Team of the Century and scored a plethora of runs for the Melbourne District side as well as 1186 first-class runs in only 18-matches.
213-games, 323-goals for Melbourne (1931-1944)
3x Premiership player (1939-1941)
Melbourne captain (1942-1944)
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 18 | 1186 | 51.56 | 226* | 3 | 3 | 7 | 22.42 | 5/52 | 1 | - |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 189 | 7850 | 46.44 | 219* | 20 | 36 | 29 | 26.58 | 4/20 | - | - |
Slotting in at number three is a man who was regarded as a God. Possibly Australia’s greatest athlete, as a fighter pilot during World War II, this man scoffed at questions about pressure playing for Australia, with Keith Miller instead describing pressure as "having a Messerschmitt up your arse".
Miller was one of Australia’s greatest all-rounders, and many have stated that his Laissez-faire attitude may well have prevented him from breathing the rarefied air of Bradman and Trumper.
As a player who played well when things got difficult and became disinterested when it was too easy, Miller made 2958-runs in 55-tests at 36.97 and took 170-wickets at 22.97. He was a hero for many during the 1950s with his movie star looks, perfect hair, super quick deliveries, ability to hit huge sixes, and during World War II, flew planes over Germany bombing Nazi Bases.
Before World War II, Miller had played 50-games for St Kilda in the VFL, represented Victoria in state footy and had played 14 first-class matches, rarely bowling. During World War II, Miller was scouted by the RAAF Cricket Team in England, and whilst training with the squad, his Air Force Comrades were bombed in a German Air Strike.
Miller started bowling more and more for the RAAF, and when the Victory Tests came around (Test matches between the armed services of Australia and England) Miller was opening the bowling and scored a series high 517-runs in five tests, cementing his position as an Australian test cricketer for the next eight-years.
50 games, 42 goals for St Kilda (1940-42 & 1945)
| Tests | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 55 | 2958 | 36.97 | 147 | 7 | 13 | 170 | 22.97 | 7/60 | 7 | 1 |
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 226 | 14183 | 48.90 | 281* | 41 | 63 | 497 | 22.30 | 7/12 | 16 | 1 |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 71 | 1880 | 32.98 | 153* | 2 | 11 | 13 | 31.52 | 3/26 | - | - |
Taking the number four spot as a batsman who kept part-time and was a dangerous forward who played out of the goal-square at only 165cm and 56kgs is Roy Park.
Park played 44 games for University from 1912-1914, with not one of those games seeing the Students win. Proving how good Park was, he kicked 111 goals for University. Now, I know what you’re thinking, some players have kicked more than 111 in one season, but let me tell you, Park kicked 111 out of University’s 278 goals between 1912 to 1914.
He won the VFL leading goalkicker in 1913, even though the Student’s finished 0-18. Park only played 39 first-class matches due to his busy schedule as a doctor, yet accumulated 2514-runs at 39 including nine-centuries.
Despite enjoying a decorated career in almost every field he turned his hand to, Park will always be infamously remembered for being dismissed for a first-ball duck in his only test appearance.
As the legend goes, his loving wife missed his test career by nervously dropping her knitting in the stands before he faced his first ball.
44-games, 111-goals for University (1912-1914)
13-games, 35-goals for Melbourne (1915)
1x VFL leading goal-kicker (1913)
| Tests | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 1 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 36 | 2517 | 39.28 | 228 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 46.33 | 1/15 | - | - |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 159 | 5878 | 36.66 | 209 | 13 | 33 | 45 | 24.88 | 5/27 | 1 | - |
At number five is one of Australia’s greatest child prodigies. A stocky rover who played at 178cm and 88kg, he had two Collingwood Best and Fairests by the age of 18 and a Brownlow by 20, kicking 337-goals in only 111-games.
At only 18-years-of-age, Fothergill, in the 1938 Semi Final against Footscray, had 28-kicks and kicked six goals. What a talent!
As well as being a champion footballer he was an accomplished cricketer, playing 27 first-class matches across ten-years for Victoria scoring 1404-runs at 39. He spent many seasons at Northcote and when his VFL career was ended by a cruel leg injury, he moved to the powerful Lancashire Cricket League in England playing 50-matches, scoring 2058-runs at 51 and took 112-wickets at 15.27. A true jack of all trades.
111-games, 337-goals for Collingwood (1937-1940 & 1945-1947)
1x Brownlow Medal (1940)
3x Collingwood B&F (1937-1938 & 1940)
3x Collingwood leading goal-kicker
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 27 | 1404 | 39.00 | 102 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 50.00 | 1/12 | - | - |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 149 | 5871 | 41.05 | 153 | 15 | 33 | 122 | 27.35 | 5/34 | 3 | - |
When asked about his sporting career, Sam Loxton always resigned to forever being in the shadow of the great Keith Miller. I believe Loxton was selling himself short, as in any other era he would still be regarded as one of the greats.
Together Loxton and Miller played VFL football for St Kilda and both played key roles in the 1948 Invincibles tour of England. Now Miller may have Loxton on cricketing feats, but Sam was a greater footballer, kicking 114-goals in only 41-games for the Saints.
Loxton kicked 52-goals in 1944 and 40 in only 12-games in 1946, this included a bag of eight against Geelong and half-a-dozen against Collingwood and Footscray.
After serving in the Australian army tank division in World War II, Loxton smoked a double century on his first-class debut for Victoria, and two-seasons later, he made his test debut for Australia against India scoring 80.
On the famous Invincibles tour, Loxton smacked 93, including five-sixes at Headingley during the Fourth Test. Loxton altogether scored 6249 first-class runs at 36.97 and took 232-wickets at 25.73, so he rightfully deserves his place in this side.
41-games, 114-goals for St Kilda (1942-1946)
1x St Kilda Leading goal-kicker
| Tests | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 12 | 554 | 36.93 | 101 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 43.62 | 3/55 | - | - |
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 140 | 6249 | 36.97 | 232* | 13 | 32 | 232 | 25.73 | 6/49 | 3 | - |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 195 | 6038 | 32.28 | 135* | 6 | 34 | 351 | 18.40 | 7/16 | 18 | - |
Repeating the feat Fothergill achieved in 1940, Peter Bedford became the second, and last, V/AFL footballer to win a Brownlow Medal and play first-class cricket. Bedford was also one of the last players to successfully juggle the two sports.
Starting off at Port Melbourne Football Club in the VFA, Bedford transitioned to the VFL for opportunities to play against the best and became one of the competition's elite footballers in only a couple of seasons.
Bedford was a champion for South Melbourne and played 178-games and kicked 325-goals across nine-seasons. He also won the Bloods' best and fairest five-times and captained the team for four-seasons.
Bedford was that accomplished at cricket that before joining South Melbourne, the great Sir Don Bradman tried to convince him to accept a lucrative contract playing in the SANFL and cricket for South Australia, believing he had what it took to play international cricket.
Bedford played 39 first-class matches scoring 1602-runs at 28.10 and took 45-wickets bowling leg-spin.
178-games, 325-goals for South Melbourne (1968-1976)
8-games, 4-goals for Carlton (1977-1978)
1x Brownlow Medal (1970)
5x South Melbourne B&F (1969-1971, 1973 & 1975)
3x South Melbourne leading goal-kicker
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 39 | 1602 | 28.10 | 134* | 1 | 10 | 45 | 33.40 | 5/40 | 1 | - |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 88 | 2294 | 26.06 | 116* | 2 | 10 | 125 | 22.04 | 7/67 | 8 | - |
Coming in at number eight, is a man that kicked 18-goals in a state game for Victoria, and personally believed he could have ended the 'body-line' Ashes Series in a few overs.
Laurie Nash was a magician with the Sherrin in his hands, and deadlier than a venomous viper bowling with a cricket ball.
Famously asked who the greatest footballer ever was, the Tasmanian replied “I see him in the mirror every morning when I shave”. Nash’s confidence in his own ability was not foolhardy, he was a genuine superstar.
Although undersized (179cm) as a centre half-forward and centre half-back, Nash’s aerobic flight was only matched by his teammate Bob Pratt. No better compliment was paid to Nash that that offered by Gordon Coventry, who kicked 1299-goals for Collingwood over a long career, when he stated if Nash had played as a predominant forward, he would have kicked more than anyone.
This statement by Coventry was backed up when Nash was shifted to full-forward in a state game and kicked 14-goals in the second half. Nash played only 99-games for the Bloods, kicking 245-goals and won a premiership in 1933, he was also best on ground.
Nash was also, at his peak, regarded by everyone who faced him as the fastest bowler in the world. On test debut he took four for 18 off 12-overs in 1931-32 series against South Africa. Famously overlooked for the infamous 1932-33 body-line Ashes Series because he was too ‘dangerous’, Nash only played 22 first-class matches averaging 28 with the bat and took 69wickets at 28 too.
99-games, 245-goals for South Melbourne (1933-1937 & 1945)
1x Premiership (1933)
2x South Melbourne leading goalkicker
| Tests | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 2 | 30 | 15.00 | 30 | - | - | 10 | 12.60 | 4/18 | - | - |
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 22 | 953 | 28.02 | 110 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 28.33 | 7/50 | 3 | - |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 63 | 1366 | 27.32 | 103* | 1 | 8 | 174 | 14.95 | 10/36 | 9 | 1 |
Taking the number one spinning duty is a cricketer who achieved the remarkable feat of 1,000-runs and 100-wickets in an English season, not once, but on three occasions.
Before World War II, George Tribe played 66-games for the Bulldogs and kicked 80-goals. Between 1945/46-1946-47 he took 86-wickets for Victoria, forcing his way into the test side, but only ending up with three-caps.
Believing he wasn’t getting recognised for his prodigious talent, Tribe moved to Lancashire at the age of 26 and in five-seasons across two cricket leagues, took a ridiculous 653-wickets at an average of under 10.
Already on the radar for English counties, Tribe toured with the Commonwealth Cricket XI to the sub-continent across two summers taking 175-wickets at an average of 19.56. On his way back to England, Tribe joined the Northamptonshire Cricket Club at a tick under 30- years-of-age and enjoyed a successful career taking 1021-wickets at 20.25 - these efforts were enough to see him named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1955.
Tribe still holds the record for best figures in a match for Northamptonshire, taking 15/31 in 1958 against Yorkshire - some really do excel after their 30th birthday.
66-games, 80-goals for Footscray (1940-1946)
| Tests | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 3 | 35 | 17.50 | 25* | - | - | 2 | 165.00 | 2/48 | - | - |
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 308 | 10177 | 27.35 | 136* | 7 | 48 | 1378 | 20.55 | 9/43 | 93 | 23 |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 108 | 1382 | 18.67 | 104* | 1 | 3 | 329 | 15.38 | 8/49 | 30 | 3 |
Before he was ‘hypnotising chooks’ and ‘kissing crocodiles,’ opening the bowling for this mighty team was the former Australian Bowler who complimented Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson throughout the 1970s.
Famous author Max Walker, who was nicknamed ‘tangles’ due to his wrong-footed action at the popping crease, was an exceptional bowler to watch in full flight. When Lillee was injured in the first test for the 1972-73 tour of the West Indies, Walker opened the bowling and took 26-wickets in five tests at 20.73, toiling through 271-overs in the Caribbean heat.
In 1974-75 during the Aussies 4-1 Ashes victory, Walker shouldered the bowling attack in the last test, taking eight for 143 off 42-overs, a remarkable feat from a paceman considering the overs were then eight-balls long.
Walker was a larger-than-life character and played 85-games for Melbourne as a ruckman/defender, rucking against two footballing legends Polly Farmer and John Nicholls in his first five-games. He retired after his successful tour of the West Indies.
85-games, 23-goals for Melbourne (1967-1972)
| Tests | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 34 | 586 | 19.53 | 78* | - | 1 | 138 | 27.74 | 8/143 | 6 | - |
| ODI | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 4-W | 5-W |
| 17 | 79 | 9.87 | 20 | - | - | 20 | 27.30 | 4/19 | 1 | - |
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 135 | 2014 | 15.49 | 78* | - | 3 | 499 | 26.47 | 8/143 | 21 | - |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 85 | 647 | 14.06 | 45 | - | - | 249 | 15.91 | 8/34 | 21 | 2 |
Before there was Lillee and Thompson, there was Gregory and McDonald. Ted McDonald enjoyed instant success in the 1921 Ashes Series in England, taking 27-wickets at 24.74 across five tests in Australia’s 3-0 win.
Six winters previously, McDonald was a part of the most remarkable Grand Final victory, when Fitzroy came from stone cold last to win the flag in 1916 - the only team in history to win the wooden spoon and premiership in the same year.
With only four-sides competing due to World War I, the 'Roys won two-games for the season, yet still competed in the finals because they sat fourth on the ladder.
They then won three-finals on the trot and knocked Carlton off by 29-points in front of 21,130 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Like Tribe, McDonald moved to England in 1922 playing in the Lancashire League taking 297-wickets at 8.50 in three seasons. Joining Lancashire Cricket Club during their most successful period, 'Big Ted' took 205-wickets in his first season and finished with 1053-wickets at 20.96 across five successful seasons.
2-games, 0-goals for Essendon (1912)
46-games, 2-goals for Fitzroy (1913 & 1915-1919)
1x Premiership player (1916)
| Tests | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 11 | 116 | 16.57 | 36 | - | - | 43 | 33.27 | 5/32 | 2 | - |
| FC | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 281 | 2661 | 10.43 | 100* | 1 | 2 | 1395 | 20.76 | 8/41 | 119 | 31 |
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 95 | 1407 | 14.86 | 101 | 1 | 3 | 373 | 15.68 | 9/47 | 30 | 3 |
The last spot in this side is a surprising one. Known as one of the greatest footballers of all time, this man, unbeknownst to many people, was a handy opening bowler, and took 197-wickets at 22.85 across his 14-seasons for the Essendon Cricket Club.
Everyone who knows footy knows who Dick Reynolds is, as his resume is amongst the greatest ever as a three-time Brownlow medalist, four-time premiership captain-coach, seven-time Essendon best and fairest winner, Australian Hall of Fame legend and finds himself on the half-forward flank of the VFL/AFL Team of the Century.
I am not surprised the man was a talented cricketer too.
320-games, 442-goals for Essendon (1933-1951)
3x Brownlow Medallist (1934, 1937 & 1939)
4x Premiership Captain-Coach (1942, 1946 & 1949-1950)
7x Essendon B&F (1934, 1936-1939 & 1942-1943)
| Vic Prem | Runs | Ave | HS | 100s | 50s | Wkts | Ave | B/B | 5-W | 10-W |
| 103 | 500 | 12.5 | 29 | - | - | 197 | 22.85 | 6/27 | 6 | - |