The Mercury's rankings have certainly sparked a conversation. Perhaps the more interesting question isn't who should be first, but how we judge greatness.

Yesterday The Mercury published its rankings of Tasmania's top 15 men's footballers, alongside a separate top 15 for the women's game.

The women's list deserves its own space rather than a few paragraphs tacked onto the end of this one, so I'll come back to that in a separate post.

For now, the men.

Congratulations to every player named.

Simply making the list is recognition of years of hard work, dedication and sacrifice.

Like many football supporters, my first reaction was probably the same as yours.

"Really?"

Within minutes I was mentally moving players up, moving others down and wondering who had missed out altogether.

Then I stopped.

Because here's the question nobody asked before they started ranking.

Can we really compare a Socceroo with a Joeys international?

Can we compare an established NPL legend with a teenager only just beginning a professional career?

Can we compare someone whose achievements span more than a decade with a player whose greatest football may still lie ahead?

They're all outstanding footballers.

They're all Tasmanians.

But are they even competing for the same title?

Keep that question in your back pocket. We'll come back to it.

One thing I noticed was that the article appeared without a byline.

I looked for the author's name but couldn't find one.

Personally I think that's a pity.

Lists like these are always subjective. There is no right or wrong answer and that's exactly what makes them interesting. But if you're prepared to rank players, put your name to it and be part of the argument that follows.

One small observation before we begin. The published rankings also appear to contain two players listed at number 14, so there seems to be a minor editing error in the numbering.

Rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing with The Mercury, I thought it might be interesting to work through the list, add a little context, and give credit where it's due.

15. Kobe Kemp

The Mercury describes Kobe as an NPL stalwart whose spectacular bicycle kick in last year's Australia Cup was the goal of the tournament.

That goal got him the headlines.

Those who watch Tasmanian football every week know there is much more to Kobe than one spectacular goal. His consistency, work rate and influence have made him one of the competition's most respected midfielders over many seasons.

The bicycle kick made him famous. His football is what has kept him there.

14. Toby Simeoni

The Mercury highlights Toby's football journey through the United States, South Melbourne, Launceston City and now Northcote City.

Here's what the article doesn't mention. Toby has spent much of this season sidelined through injury.

Most supporters ranking him this year haven't actually seen him play this year.

Worth remembering, before we get too confident about anyone's spot on this list.

14. William Humphrey

Recognised by The Mercury as one of Tasmania's most composed defenders, William has quietly built one of the state's most consistent NPL careers over more than 150 senior appearances.

Quietly is the right word.

He's not the one making the highlight reels. He's the one making sure the highlight reels are even worth watching.

13. Sam Lancaster

The Mercury highlights Sam's progression from South Hobart to Sydney FC and his senior Australia Cup debut.

Since the rankings were published, Sam's added another line to his CV. He came off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney FC's Festival of Football fixture.

Tottenham Hotspur.

A kid from South Hobart, on the same pitch as a Premier League club, inside the same year he's being ranked against players who've barely left the state.

That's the comparison problem in one sentence.

12. Taylor Last

Taylor's move from Devonport to Victoria reflects something bigger than one player's career. It's the growing number of Tasmanian players prepared to leave home to test themselves in stronger competitions.

We should be proud of that.

We should also be honest about what it costs our own competitions when they go.

11. Eddie Bidwell

Now back with Magic United after helping the club to a championship, Eddie continues to build an impressive career interstate.

A premiership medal and a return to the club that gave it to him. Not a bad way to make a list.

10. Charles Bidwell

A Devonport stalwart before signing with Broadmeadow Magic for last year's Australian Championship. Now at Birkenhead United, chasing a title in New Zealand's National League.

Three competitions, three countries worth of football, in as many years.

Not many Tasmanian midfielders can say that.

9. Eli Luttmer

School assistant principal by day. Kingborough Lions captain by weekend.

Led the club to its first Statewide Cup trophy this year, off the back of a Lakoseljac Cup run that deserved a lot more attention than it got.

If you missed it, that's on us, not on him.

8. Austin Yost

Twenty one years old. Already five seasons into the NPL, since he was 16.

Since the rankings were published, Yost has returned to South Hobart, adding more firepower to a squad that hardly needed it.

Half the players on this list are still working out what kind of career they'll have. Yost has been answering that question since he was old enough to need a permission slip.

7. Fletcher Fulton

Part of Heidelberg's Australia Cup upset over Wellington Phoenix last year. One of the biggest results by a Tasmanian linked player against A-League opposition in recent memory.

A consistent performer at Heidelberg, trusted by Jonny A to do a job.

6. Andy Brennan

Started at South Hobart. Won an NPL title there in 2014.

Then Newcastle Jets. Then years at South Melbourne, before departing late last year.

A long career, and one worth more than a single line in someone else's list.

5. Nick O'Connell

Kingborough's Lakoseljac Cup triumph elevated several players into the spotlight, and Nick's performances between the posts were central to that success.

Two penalty shootouts. Semi and final.

That's not luck, that's nerve.

4. Nick Morton

Few players have dominated Tasmanian NPL football over such a sustained period.

Three Best and Fairest awards. Golden Boots. Club best player.

And now the opportunity to challenge himself at Northcote City, under his stepbrother Max.

His place near the top of this list isn't up for debate.

3. Iluka Wootton

Still only at the beginning of his career, Iluka continues to establish himself at Adelaide United and remains one of Tasmania's brightest young prospects.

This is exactly the comparison problem again. He's third on a list that has players twice his age with a decade more football behind them.

Third now. Ask again in five years and the answer might be completely different.

2. Daniel Wojcik

Daniel's move to Adelaide United and his selection for Australia's Joeys underline why so many people believe his future is exceptionally bright.

A Joeys call up at his age is not a small thing.

It's also, again, not the same thing as fifteen years of NPL football. Which is exactly why ranking the two of them on one list was always going to be an argument, not a fact.

1. Nathaniel Atkinson

There is little debate about Nathaniel's place at the top.

From Riverside Olympic to Melbourne City and the Socceroos, including representing Australia at the FIFA World Cup, he has established himself as the benchmark for every young Tasmanian footballer with professional ambitions.

If there's one name on this list that transcends the argument I've been making all along, it's his.

Everyone else on here can be reasonably debated. Nathaniel can't.

Final Thoughts

Whether you agree with every ranking or not, one thing is beyond dispute.

Tasmania continues to produce footballers capable of succeeding on the national and international stage. From players starring in our own NPL to those building careers interstate and representing Australia, our football community has much to be proud of.

Perhaps that is the greatest value of lists like these. They make us stop, reflect and appreciate just how many outstanding footballers Tasmania has produced.

There will never be universal agreement on rankings like this, and perhaps there shouldn't be.

Every supporter brings their own experiences, memories and values to the discussion.

Perhaps the answer isn't one list at all.

Perhaps it's several. Our greatest professional footballers. Our greatest NPL footballers. Our brightest young talents. Our most influential careers.

Different achievements deserve to be celebrated in different ways.

So rather than arguing over who should have been fourth instead of sixth, or who missed out altogether, I'll leave you with the question that started this.

If a Socceroo, a Joeys international and an NPL legend are all Tasmanians, are they even competing for the same title?

I don't think there's a right answer.

But it's worth asking before the next list comes out.

The Mercury's Top 15 Tasmanian Footballers: A Ranking That Starts an Important Conversation