Throughout the final years of the 1990s, AFL clubs across the land looked backward rather than forward, with selectors, historians and superstars converging to name their Teams of the 20th Century.
So, as we near the quarter-time mark of the 21st century, what better time to run the rule on which players are likely to feature when the selectors of tomorrow get together in several decades' time?
While every club has an array of deadset legends that can be called on, we here at Zero Hanger have employed the following rules of selection:
- Only statistics recorded and achievements accrued since the start of the 2000 AFL season will be acknowledged.
- Any player selected must have played at least 100 senior games for their respective club since the start of the 2000 AFL season.
Next up, we're heading to the Hangar to rate which Bombers have flown higher than the rest.
PREVIOUS TOP TENS: CROWS, LIONS, BLUES, PIES
10. Jason Johnson (2000-2008)
2 x best and fairest (2001 and 2005)
1 x All-Australian (2001)
1 x premiership player (2000)
169 games, 21.5 disposals per game, 52 Brownlow votes, 0.3 votes per game
A loyal lieutenant of the second golden age of Kevin Sheedy's Windy Hill reign, Johnson married skill with brawn and fire, acting as a reliable cog during Essendon's glittering turn-of-the-century run. While oft-forgotten by fans of other clubs, Johnson's pair of Crichton Medals and All-Australian nods were fair rewards for services rendered.
