It is quite the task to succeed in the AFL, even harder for those recruited from overseas to play the game.

These players have gone most of their life to that point, not knowing what Aussie rules is most of the time.

Than there are players who are born overseas but move to Australia at a young age, giving them ample time to learn the sport as they grow up.

This list will look at players on both sides of the coin, those who were not born here but moved at a young age, and those who were recruited from other sports worldwide.

Those who played before 1965 do not make the cut.

Honourable Mentions:

Current: Former No.1 Draft Pick and Rising Star Bomber Andrew McGrath (Canada), 2016 Norm Smith medallist and Premiership Bulldog Jason Johannisen (South Africa).

Former: Heritier Lumumba (Brazil) and Trent Croad (New Zealand) were both Premiership players and All-Australians at the Magpies and Hawks respectively.

Mike Pyke (Canada) won a Premiership at the Swans in 2005, and was the first international sportsman (rugby) outside of Gaelic football to switch to AFL.

Brian Mynott (England), played in the Saints only premiership in 1966.

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1. Jim Stynes

It was always going to be Jim Stynes at number one.

One of the first players part of the "Irish experiment", Stynes was a promising Gaelic footballer who won the 1984 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship.

He was recruited by Melbourne and brought over to Australia on the promise of $60 a week, clothing and $50 per game. Stynes would debut in 1987 and become one of the games most prominent figures.

Stynes played a total of 264 games for the Demons as a mobile ruckman (second most for the club) and holds the record for most consecutive AFL games played by anyone, playing 244 between 1987 and 1998.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - 1997: Jim Stynes of the Demons in action during the round one AFL match played between the Collingwood Magpies and the Melbourne Demons held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, 1997 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Getty Images)

He would go on to win the highest individual honour, a Brownlow Medal in 1991, the first and only non-Australian-born to do so. Alongside his Brownlow, Stynes Aussie rules achievements include a night premiership in 1987, a Leigh Matthews Trophy in 91', two All-Australian selections in 1991 and 93' and four club Best and Fairest wins in 1991, 95', 96, and 97'.

Following his career, Stynes was inducted in the Australian Football and Melbourne Hall of Fame and was named in the Demons Team of the Century.

Outside of football, Stynes was named Victorian of the Year twice for his youth work and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2007.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 27: Thomas Scully and Jack Trengove pose with Melbourne Demons AFL club president Jim Stynes (C) after a press conference to discuss the clubs draft picks for the 2010 season at Melbourne Cricket Ground on November 27, 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Stynes later served as Melbourne's president from 2008 to 2012, stepping down to due to his battle with metastatic cancer. He sadly passed away in 2012.

While Stynes didn't achieve as much as someone like Jesaulenko, namely a premiership,  the impact he had on the game, and coming from another sport, means he comes in at first. Not growing up with Aussie rules, and becoming such a prominent player, winning a Brownlow, Stynes left quite the legacy on the game and the Melbourne Football Club.

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