There are stars, and then there are superstars.
Former Saints greats Nick Dal Santo and Leigh Montagna have named their seven true superstars of the AFL and discussed what defines the prestige title.
Speaking Fox Footy’s DEBATE podcast, Dal Santo declared being a superstar goes beyond on-field abilities.
“It’s our version of Hollywood,” Dal Santo said.
“They need to be invited to A-list events. This is the level of fame of a person, not just their ability. You have to have a mystique and be someone that turns heads when you walk into a room.”
Dal Santo and Montagna agreed that once a player becomes a superstar, they are always a superstar. Montagna recalled growing up as a Collingwood fan watching his hero Nathan Buckley.
“I think a superstar is literally someone you would go to pay and watch,” Montagna said.
“I used to go and literally just watch Nathan Buckley to run around and count his stats as a Collingwood fan in the 1990s. They must have longevity and box office appeal.”
The pair debated with Fox Sports' Julian De Stoop over which players held superstar status, before ultimately coming up with seven names
Dal Santo and Montagna's seven AFL superstars
Dustin Martin
Lance Franklin
Nat Fyfe
Patrick Dangerfield
Gary Ablett
Scott Pendlebury
Marcus Bontempelli
Notable absences
Brodie Grundy
Patrick Cripps
Jeremy Cameron
Nic Naitanui
Tom Mitchell
Lachie Neale
Max Gawn
