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.
4. Wayne Schwass
Wayne Schwass is notable as being one of the only New Zealand-born players with Mฤori heritage.
Nicknamed "Swatta", Schwass played 282 games at both North Melbourne and Sydney, from 1988 to 2002.
Drafted by North Melbourne, and debuting in 1988, he was a star wingman who played in the Kangaroos' 1996 premiership. In his time at the Roos, he also a two-time club Best and Fairest in 1994 and 95.
Schwass then became a leader at the Swans, and once again won a club Best and Fairest in 1999. He also made the All-Australian team that year.
In 2012, Swatta became a player-coach for New Zealand's representative AFL side, the New Zealand Hawks.
Since his playing days, Schwass has become an ambassador for the game in New Zealand, and more personally, revealed that he suffered from depression during his successful playing days. Schwass had founded two foundations in support of mental health.
