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 2000Â AFLÂ season will be acknowledged.
- All statistics and awards must have been accrued while playing for the club in question.
- Any player selected must have played at least 100 senior games for their respective club since the start of the 2000Â AFLÂ season.
Next up, we head down the highway to run a rule over the cream of the Cats' crop.
PREVIOUS TOP TENS: CROWS, LIONS, BLUES, PIES, BOMBERS, DOCKERS
2. Gary Ablett Jr. (2002-2010 and 2018-2020)
1 x Brownlow Medal (2009)
3 x Leigh Matthews Trophy (2007, 2008 and 2009)
2 x best and fairest (2007 and 2009)
1 x leading goalkicker (2006)
4 x All-Australian (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010)
247 games, 22.3 disposals per game, 321 goals, 1.3 goals per game, 139 Brownlow votes, 0.6 votes per game
Brady, Jordan, Messi and Ablett, ever since breaking out in the mid-2000s, no player ascended higher than the Son of Man, with Ablett earning a pair of Brownlows and more All-Australians nods than he had hot meals.
Still, after a seven-season break on the Gold Coast, Ablett will have to be content with the podium's second step, as the top spot has gone to arguably the greatest Cat of all time.
