With the names of our offensive and defensive trios already on the whiteboard, it is now time to list the men that link the two together – the midfielders.
Due to their aerobic and ball winning capacities, modern midfielders receive plaudits and pay packets far beyond their part-time predecessors.
These players at the coalface are regularly seen as their club's blue-chip talent, with their output integral to securing victory.
Like the previous pair of catalogues, the same four rules for selection apply for our third and final list:
1. Three players must be selected from each club.
2. Even if they have played for multiple clubs, no player can be selected on the list of two teams.
3. All players must have played at least a portion of their careers from 1990 onwards.
4. Most importantly, no player can have played an in-season match with any of their colleagues during their time at their selected club.
To up the ante, we have also added a fifth point of criteria: a ruckman must also be selected for each team.
For example, should Brodie Grundy be selected for Collingwood, then all of his midfield mates between 2013 and the present day become ineligible.
With all this in mind, here is our best stab.
Let us know how we have gone and which clubs you feel have fared best.
West Coast
Craig Turley – 1989-1995 (115 games)
When you think about the great West Coast sides of the early 90s, names like Worsfold, Matera, Jakovich and Sumich spring to mind. However, Craig Turley's also name deserves to be recalled.
In his seven seasons at Subiaco, Turley won a flag with the club in 1992, was an All-Australian in 1991 and won the club's best and fairest in the same year.
Turley also finished second behind only Jim Stynes in the '91 Brownlow count, and with a disposal average of 23.08 as well as 25 goals, it certainly was his career year.
Ben Cousins – 1996-2007 (238 games)
Despite his recent infamy off the field, Ben Cousins was a deadest weapon on it.
Across his twelve years with the Eagles, the ‘Prince of Perth' was the best player in the game for a long stretch.
His haul of honours in blue and yellow include:
Six All-Australian selections.
Four club best and fairests.
The 1996 Rising Star award.
Goal of the Year in 1999.
The 2005 Leigh Matthews Trophy.
The 2005 Brownlow.
Nic Naitanui – 2009-Present (183 games)
From one West Coast number nine to another. The Eagle's ruck position on this list is filled by the man that currently fills it on the field – Nic Naitanui.
At age 30, there is a debate to be had about whether ‘Nic Nat's' best football is ahead of him or behind him, however, he is still currently dotting the I's and crossing the T's to a more than commendable standard.
Just last year, Naitanui recorded an average of 29.17 hitouts per game, but it was his mean of 5.64 clearances across his 17 appearances that truly had crowds taking notice
With two All-Australian selections, a John Worsfold medal and the spectacular 2015 mark of the Year already to his name, there is no telling exactly when the man with Fijian bloodstock will drop off.
