SCOTCH ’ S BEST VFL / AFL TEAM OF THE PAST 50 YEARS : A JOURNALIST ’ S VIEW
FOURTEEN PREMIERSHIP MEDALLIONS AMONG SEVEN TEAM MEMBERS
During the 2021 football season , the Melbourne Herald Sun has included a series of articles focusing on the VFL / AFL players produced by many of the APS schools , and nominating each school ’ s ‘ best team of the past 50 years ’.
In the paper ’ s 30 June issue it was Scotch ’ s turn , with journalist Chris Cavanagh describing Scotch as ‘ a genuine footy factory ’, and pointing out that Scotch has produced a ‘ staggering ’ 176 VFL / AFL players since the VFL ’ s inception in 1897 . ( Since 30 June that number has increased to 178 , with two members of the Class of 2020 debuting : Jamarra Ugle-Hagan for the Western Bulldogs against the Sydney Swans on 11 July , and Maurice Rioli Junior for Richmond against North Melbourne on 7 August .)
Cavanagh said : ‘ The crop of graduates who have played at the top level over the past 50 years makes for impressive reading … Scotch College ’ s best team of the past 50 years boasts 14 premiership medals , four of which are held by former Hawthorn forward Cyril Rioli ( pictured ). Rioli – who spent his last three years of school at Scotch from 2005-2007 * – played 189 games across 11 seasons for the Hawks and won premierships in 2008 , 2013 , 2014 and 2015 .’
Rioli , Cavanagh said , is just one of six Hawthorn premiership players to have come from Scotch over the past five decades . The others are John Hendrie (‘ 71 ) – premierships in 1976 and 1978 ; David Polkinghorne (’ 73 ) – premierships in 1976 and 1978 ), Richard Loveridge (’ 80 ) – premierships in 1983 and 1986 ; Scott Maginness (’ 84 ) – premierships in 1988 and 1989 ; and Campbell Brown (’ 01 ) who played in the Hawks ’ 2008 premiership team with Cyril Rioli .
A seventh Old Scotch Collegian AFL premiership player of the past halfcentury is Nick Smith (’ 06 ) – a member of the Swans ’ 2012 premiership team . Nick played 271 games for the Swans – the most VFL / AFL games played by an Old Scotch Collegian .
Selecting his best Scotch Collegeproduced team of the past 50 years ,
Chris Cavanagh used these criteria : any player who played at VFL / AFL level from 1971 onwards was considered eligible for selection . Selection was based on achievements only at VFL / AFL level and not achievements at school level or in other competitions .
Full-back : Robert Elliott ( St Kilda / Melbourne ), Liam Jones ( Western Bulldogs / Carlton ), Nick Smith ( Sydney )
Half-back : David Polkinghorne ( Hawthorn ), Jake Kelly ( Adelaide ), Darcy Byrne-Jones ( Port Adelaide )
Centre : Scott Maginness ( Hawthorn ), Glenn Elliott ( St Kilda / Melbourne ), Jy Simpkin ( North Melbourne )
Half-forward : Jack Billings ( St Kilda ), John Hendrie ( Hawthorn ), Campbell Brown ( Hawthorn / Gold Coast )
Full-forward : Cyril Rioli ( Hawthorn ), James Stewart ( Greater
Western Sydney / Essendon ), Jack Sinclair ( St Kilda ) Rucks : David Honybun ( Carlton / Richmond ), Richard Loveridge ( Hawthorn ), Jamie Macmillan ( North Melbourne )
Interchange : Peter Brown ( Fitzroy ), Andy Preston ( Geelong / Richmond / Footscray ), Ed Barlow ( Sydney / Western Bulldogs ), Ben Sinclair ( Collingwood )
Chris Cavanagh concluded his article with a list of six current AFL players who attended Scotch – Carlton ’ s Liam Jones (’ 09 ), Adelaide ’ s Jake Kelly (’ 13 ), Port Adelaide ’ s Darcy Byrne-Jones (’ 13 ), North Melbourne ’ s Jy Simpkin (’ 16 ) and St Kilda pair Jack Billings (’ 13 ) and Jack Sinclair (’ 13 ). Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (’ 20 ) and Maurice Rioli Junior (' 20 ) can now be added to the list , along with five other Old Scotch Collegians who are current AFL-listed players and which Cavanagh ’ s list omitted : James Stewart (’ 12 ) – Greater Western Sydney / Essendon ; Will Brodie (’ 16 ) – Gold Coast Suns ; Joel Garner (’ 17 ) – Port Adelaide ; Will Kelly (’ 18 ) – Collingwood ; and Finn Maginness (’ 19 ) – Hawthorn . ( This excludes Old Scotch Collegians on AFL lists who have not yet debuted as senior players .)
Although Chris Cavanagh did not note it , Scotch has produced more VFL / AFL players than any other school .
[ Footnote ] * Cyril Rioli ’ s Scotch years were actually 2004-2007 .
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