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 to Punt Road to run a rule over the top ten Tigers of the century.
PREVIOUS TOP TENS: CROWS, LIONS, BLUES, PIES, BOMBERS, DOCKERS, CATS, SUNS, GIANTS, HAWKS,DEES, ROOS, POWER
1. Dustin Martin (2010-present)
1 x Brownlow Medal (2017)
1 x Leigh Matthews Trophy (2017)
3 x Norm Smith Medal (2017. 2019 and 2020)
2 x best and fairest (2016 and 2017)
4 x All-Australian (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2020)
3 x premiership player (2017, 2019 and 2020)
289 games, 24.6 disposals per game, 328 goals, 1.1 goals per game, 212 Brownlow votes, 0.7 votes per game
Who else was it going to be, really?
Not only is 'Dusty' the greatest Tiger of this century, one could make an easily sound argument the hybrid gun with the neck tatts is the best player from any club to have laced a boot since 2000.
