In essence, it is not that difficult: pick roughly two players (give or take) from each of the 11 teams and compile them in some sort of order from best to worst.

It should be simple really. Well, if only it was.

This year’s Ballarat Football League top 20 list was one of the more difficult ones to compile of years gone by.

A number of factors came into play when choosing exactly who to put in the list for 2015.

The biggest factor: uncertainty over exactly who would be playing in the league this year.

Although the start of the BFL is just two weeks away, line-ups are not perfectly clear for a number of teams.

The most obvious is that of Redan’s Nathan Horbury, who remains a contracted North Ballarat Roosters’ player and could be destined to be forced to sit out the season.

There is no doubt Horbury would have made the top 20 players, he might have even snuck his way into the top five. But given he looms unlikely to play this year, he simply couldn’t be listed among the best BFL players.

There is also the position of a number of players on VFL lists who might not be playing much Ballarat football.

Without a crystal ball to gaze into the future, it is impossible to predict these players’ impact on the BFL.

In this list, for example, we have Sebastopol’s Michael Powell and Ballarat’s Lachlan Cassidy, both of whom are on the Roosters’ list. The rationale for selecting them was that they were almost exclusively BFL players last year, rather than VFL players who returned for an occasional match in the lower level.

And to think, these were just some of the factors that were involved in the painstaking selection process.

HERE'S THE COUNTDOWN

20. SHANE HUTCHINSON

BALLARAT

YOU cannot have a top 20 without the reigning league best and fairest winner.

The veteran Swan was a surprise runaway winner of the Henderson Medal last year, despite polling in just seven games.

That showed us there is still life left in Hutchinson and he will be called upon even moreso this year with an

inexperienced list underneath him.

19. BEN HAYES

LAKE WENDOUREE

MAYBE somewhat of a left-field selection in the eyes of some.

But the natural ability of Hayes is set to flourish this year.

A graceful winger/half-forward with a spectacular leap, his natural ability will flourish on the new Wendouree Reserve surface.

Add the fact the playing list is even stronger and it all weighs up to a massive year for the Lakers’ number six.

18. CALLUM CURRIE

REDAN

IT’S hard to single out a Redan player to place in the top 20 as they are just so even across the board.

Any number of names could have filled this position, but we’ve gone with Currie based on his past experience.

The fact he won the Lions best and fairest last year also works in his favour.

His consistency cannot be questioned, justifying Currie’s selection among the top.

17. LACHLAN CASSIDY

BALLARAT

ONE of the most exciting prospects to come out of Alfredton Oval.

The dashing midfielder exudes class and is a true footballer in every sense.

Has made the Roosters’ senior list this year, a case that has added another dimension to this year’s top 20 list.

Was among Ballarat’s best four players 12 times last year, showing just how highly he is rated by the Swans.

16. TYSON SHEA

BACCHUS MARSH

YEAR after year, Shea stands up as the heart and soul of the Marsh.

He doesn’t tear games apart, rather he gets in and under, wins the hard ball and dishes it out to his teammates.

Also seems to shine positively in the eyes of the umpires, finishing equal fifth in the Henderson Medal last year.

15. BRAD MURPHY

MELTON

MURPHY virtually battled through last year on one leg.

The Bloods coach and former Western Bulldog is finally fit and, should he remain that way, will be crucial for Melton.

His football nouse and experience means that even if he is not 100 per cent, Murphy will still have an impact on the game.

A stronger list around him means he won’t have to win his own ball every time this year as well.

14. SIMON McCARTIN

NORTH BALLARAT CITY

BIG call but here it is; the most underrated player in the Ballarat Football League.

McCartin’s work on the wing for North City doesn’t necessarily catch the eye, but rest easy, he is one of their most valued assets.

He is far from flashy, but his work rate and all-round skills as a footballer make him the class act he is.

More than deserves a top 20 selection.

13. NATHAN LYONS

DARLEY

NO, THE Australian off-spinner has not made his way down to Darley Park.

Don’t let the name fool you, all reports are Lyons will star in the BFL this year.

Coming off an Essendon District Football League premiership with Strathmore, Lyons has also torn midfields apart before in the SANFL.

Don’t be surprised if he does it again this year.

12. MICHAEL POWELL

SEBASTOPOL

SEBASTOPOL kicked 92 goals last year and Powell kicked 45 of them.

Arguably the highest flyer in the league, the slender forward has a knack of raking in the big hangers and leaving opponents below him in awe.

Like Lyle and Cassidy, his BFL influence could somewhat be curtailed by North Ballarat Roosters duties.

However, given he only played three games last year, we will still claim him in the BFL.

11. RYAN HOBBS

NORTH BALLARAT CITY

FULL BACKS are far too often overlooked when the conversation turns to best players.

But make no mistake, this towering defender has earned his spot.

Without doubt the best full back in the league, shutting down spearheads is Hobbs’ bread and butter.

Will be interesting to see if he is tested in the ruck in 2015.

10. CHRIS GIAMPAOLO

REDAN

THERE are no standout Redan players that spring to mind as the best in the league, which is a testament to the

balance of the side.

Giampaolo got an entree of BFL footy last year and is now hungry for the main course.

After five years with the North Ballarat Roosters in the VFL, the younger Giampaolo brother has decided to play full time at Redan this year. Set to wreak havoc through the midfield, he will be a key member of the maroon and gold’s premiership push.

9. DAVID KOVACEVIC

SUNBURY

CAN almost lay claim to being the number one ruckman in the league nowadays.

Finished equal second in the Henderson Medal last year and with the departure of Tristan Cartledge, stands up as the dominant big man.

In a year where the BFL is lacking many genuine ruckmen among the top teams, Kovacevic has a perfect opportunity to make his mark on the competition.

Safe to say he is the Lions’ most important player this year.

8. PAUL KODORENKO

EAST POINT

THE man mountain is probably East Point’s most important player and as a ruckman in the league this year, is a rare

commodity.

His best on ground performance in the BFL’s interleague squad last year highlighted just how much influence he can have on a game.

One of the more tireless workers in the competition, the Big Russian has more than justified his position again this year.

7. JAKE EDWARDS

DARLEY

A FALL from last year’s number one position, but still eases into the top 10.

Edwards’ impact was nowhere near as big as his 2013 Henderson Medal year, but that does not mean he isn’t a relevant danger.

Has the genuine ability to win the game off his own boot for the Devils, and just watch out if he is back near his best.

6. SHAUN LYLE

NORTH BALLARAT CITY

BY my own admission, an overlooked omission from last year’s top 20.

Lyle’s influence from the goal square is unquestionable and his ability to split the big sticks is almost unrivalled.

Was never held goalless last year and contributed with 81 majors for the season to claim the Tony Lockett Medal. There are big wraps on his VFL prospects with North Ballarat Roosters this year, but given he is yet to play at a level beyond the BFL, why not have him among the league’s best?

5. JACK SHEAHAN

SUNBURY

JUST who is Jack Sheahan you may ask? Well, he just might have the best set of hands in the league.

Sheahan comes into the BFL on a full-time basis this year from Bendigo Gold and, based on what we have seen so far,

could set Clarke Oval alight.

His 10 goals and countless marks against eventual premiers North Ballarat City was arguably the best individual match of the season.

The only downside is he is coming off a hip operation.

4. JASON McNAMARA

NORTH BALLARAT CITY

YEP, McNamara is in the top five again. The perennial place-getter in our BFL top 20, Jason ‘‘Base’’ McNamara is the lead member of the near unstoppable North City midfield juggernaut.

Probably the most consistent midfielder in the league during the past five years, McNamara is not showing any signs of slowing down, even on the wrong side of 30.

With two premierships under his belt as captain, he now has the silverware to justify what has been a remarkable career in the BFL.

3. STEVE KENNEDY

DARLEY

DARLEY made no bones about pumping up its star recruit last year. And boy, did he deliver.

The slick ball magnet that cuts swathes through opposition midfields, Kennedy instantly asserted himself as one of the star onballers of the competition.

Booting 27 goals from the midfield was nothing short of stunning and is a testament to his versatility.

2. CAM RICHARDSON

BACCHUS MARSH

WORD around the traps at Bacchus Marsh is that its coach is finally fit and firing.

And that spells danger for all.

Richardson’s influence in his first year out of the AFL in 2014 was more than solid and although he never let on,

was very much plagued by injury.

Now more comfortable in the coaching role and with a fresh body, expect Richardson to rise to the next level this year.

1. STEVE CLIFTON

LAKE WENDOUREE

THE dangers of declaring somebody to be the league’s best player, sight unseen. Well, almost sight unseen anyway.

Apart from a one-off game for Lake Wendouree last year and his junior days at the club more than a decade ago, Clifton is a virtual newcomer to the BFL.

Still, his record speaks for itself. An AFL career cruelly cut short by a wrist injury, two JJ Liston Trophies as the VFL’s best and fairest and three premierships with North Ballarat Roosters, his honours list is without doubt the greatest of any in the league.

With plenty still left in the tank at age 27, expect big things out of the Lakers’ favourite son.