Bathurst Panthers reveal their best ever side as voted by fans

It is former fullback Dan Stuart.

When Bathurst Panthers issued a Facebook challenge to select the best players to have donned the black jumper, Stuart was the man Elvy had as his custodian.

Elvy was not the only one either, with Stuart given the nod as number one in the publicly-voted side.

"I reckon Dan Stuart would have been the most dangerous player the club has had, the most exciting attacking player the club has had," Elvy said.

"I know that's a huge rap because over 20 years they've had some good players. I'd have to put Bubba up there with him, but Dan, every time he got the ball he was dangerous be it at fullback or if he went to dummy half for a run, he'd score a try from nothing.

"So I'd put him down as the most elusive, exciting player the club has had closely followed by Bubba Kennedy."

Stuart was originally from Gloucester before moving to Parkes as a teenager. While he did spend a season with the Spacemen in 2005, he made his name in Western Division for Panthers.

He was the hero when the men in black won their first premier league grand final in 2006 and was also named Group 10s player of the year for that campaign.

He left the club when he was 21, linking with Kurri Kurri.

"He was a halfback in under 18s for Panthers, I think he got called up into the Country under 18," Elvy said.

"When we first used him in first grade we put him on the wing, I think in 2004 he was on the wing when he lost the grand final to Mudgee. But then he went to fullback ... he was pretty special."

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As well Stuart, Bathurst Panthers life member Elvy made the fan voted side as five-eighth.

Elvy joined Panthers mid-way through the 2002 season and went on to lead them to back-to-back premierships in 2006-07.

"It's one of those things, even if it's a local club, when you do this sort of thing you always end up with a pretty good roster," he said.

"It is an honour, it's another good accolade. I've been involved with the Panthers brand since I was 18, be it Penrith or Bathurst, and to get some of the things I've got over the years - the life membership - it's stuff that you don't realise until you get older, how good it is and how good it feels.

"To be named in that team, selected through people involved in the club, to be picked as one of the best players of the last 20 years, it is a fair honour.

"It's a real good team and I'm sure there are going to be a few guys who are disappointed they are not in there. There are some really, really handy players in that squad."

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The man who scored Panthers' only try of the 2006 grand final win against Lithgow - one which came in extra time - also made the team. It was lock Clint Giddings.

Having lost the 2004 grand final to Mudgee (17-10) and the 2005 decider against Lithgow (19-4), it was a moment Elvy will always remember.

"Lithgow were really strong, they had a really good team and had beat us the year before and we'd lost two grand finals in a row, so the pressure was building," Elvy said.

"We needed a win, so to get that win and do it in extra-time, again after losing two in a row, it was such a big relief.

"I remember really clearly when the hooter went, the weight of the world was off my shoulders ... it will definitely go down as one of the highlights of my career.

"Giddo was a bit of a different style lock to what they are now, they are more like a bit of a front rower now. But Giddo was a very creative player and on top of that, a very good bloke and very well respected throughout the club.

"I think he played a bit for the Group ... He came across from Dubbo and just fitted in really well, he was a really good player."

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One of the hardest positions, in Elvy's opinion, to pick in the challenge was the centre pairing.

In the end it was William 'Bubba' Kennedy - who played in the 2006-07 premierships - and current centre Blake Lawson who got the nod.

Lawson is also a dual premiership winner with Panthers, having taken part in the 2018 and 2019 deciders. Elvy feels he should be proud of his selection.

"Blake Lawson, he's doing really well at the club and still has many more years to come. He was originally a back rower coming through and moved to the centres because of other people coming to the club and he's made a great home there," Elvy said.

"There have been a lot of good centres at the club, so for a young fellow like Lawso to get picked there is a pretty big achievement.

"You look at the blokes who have missed out. Andrew Hinson was there for a couple of years ... he played 100 NRL games and won a grand final with us.

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"Jason Thorne in the early days, Jeremy Gordon he was there in 2007 and is pretty handy, Christian Luyks who I thought was outstanding - he was real big and outstanding defensively.

"Christian, I think he played Group 10, but he was very under-rated and never really got the accolades because there was always an Andrew Hinson or a Bubba Kennedy there too who took the lime light. I don't think I ever saw Luyksy play a bad game."

The wingers in the fan-picked side were Nathan Rollinson and Brett Harvey, while named alongside Elvy in the halves is current Panthers coach Doug Hewitt.

Again Elvy pointed to some of the players who missed out on the side as an indication of the quality of those who made the cut.

"Choc Harvey on the wing was a good one, he was a junior coming through and is probably best remembered for his fight with Kip Miranda in the grand final," he said.

"Rollo as the other winger, he was very exciting and very strong for his size.

"Having Me and Dougie there in the halves is great, but there have been some great halves at the club.

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"Aidan Bateup played in four grand finals in a row, Keith Blackett had a couple of years with the club and he played 50 NRL games and in the 2000 grand final."

Grant Walsh was selected at hooker and the second row spots were taken by current Panther Jack Siejka and former man in black Simon Osborne.

Stan Latu and Brent Seager got the nod as props, while the bench featured two more handy front rowers in Wes Coe and Matt Kirkland as well as hooker Nick Loader.

Coe actually played in the 2004 Mudgee Dragons outfit which beat Panthers on grand final day before linking with the men in black three years later.

"Him and Seags are the exact same mould. Wes used to play massive minutes and full games if he needed to just like Seags," Elvy said.

"He was damaging with the ball, always made good metres and had quick play the balls."