The saying ‘aged like fine wine' is one not normally found in the confines of AFL discussion. However, for these ‘old mates', the wine has never tasted better, with Scott Pendlebury's ANZAC Day performance last week showing the extent of treating age as just a number.
Some of the competition's all-time legends are still among the league's best despite being out of their primes, with some even now playing the best footy of their careers.
Here's my ranking of the top 10 players in the AFL who are aged 30 and above. I am basing this list on current form rather than assessing their careers and the age cut-off criteria will be turning 30 years before the 2026 season started.
8Jack Gunston (34 years)
Hawthorn's dominance cannot be talked about without mentioning the man who finished second in the Coleman last year and is once again second in goals kicked so far. Who some call ‘Uncston', the Hawks' spearhead has defined the club's forward line for over a decade now and still provides stellar form that takes attention enough to provide opportunities for other forwards in Nick Watson and Jack Ginnivan to shine.
