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.
- 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 2000 AFL season.
Next up, we head out to Waverley to hunt down which Hawks have made the cut.
PREVIOUS TOP TENS: CROWS, LIONS, BLUES, PIES, BOMBERS, DOCKERS, CATS, SUNS, GIANTS
4. Cyril Rioli (2008-2018)Â
1 x Norm Smith Medal (2015)
3 x All-Australian (2012, 2015 and 2016)
4 x premiership player (2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015)
189 games, 275 goals, 1.5 goals per game, 4.55 tackles per gameÂ
For the vast majority of his decade and change in the league, there was no more dangerous small forward across the competition than Cyril Rioli.
As his stacked highlights reel suggests, Rioly was deadly with the ball in hand, however, what often got overlooked was the Tiwi Islander's ability to influence the contest when the Hawks were without the ball.
