By the end of velious melee are very powerful simply because they aren't even really melee at that point. There's a rediculous amount of clickies that shift the classes.
Thott's summary of it from ages ago
http://www.afterlifeguild.org/Thott/utilityitems.php
And monks are just so OP with the gear they get + their tank ability until its nerfed at the end of luclin