With our picks for the best defensive groups that never overlapped in the AFL era in the books, it is now time to shift our focus to the opposite end of the field.
When we think about the game's greatest highlights, it is usually the men in the goal square that acted as architects.
When we as fans cast our minds back to the first numbers we ever had stitched onto our replica jumpers, it was usually the full forward's digits that we selected.
They are the men that keep both the scoreboard and the turnstiles ticking.
With the AFL era now 32 years old (1990 to the present day), we here at Zero Hanger have decided to select a group of club greats on each line whose careers never overlapped.
As with our group of defenders, here are the ground rules for selection:
1. Three players must be selected from each club.
2. Even if they have played for multiple clubs, no player can be selected on the list of two teams.
3. All players must have played at least a portion of their careers from 1990 onwards.
4. As mentioned, no player can have played an in-season match with any of their colleagues during their time at their selected club.
For example, should Jason Dunstall be selected for Hawthorn, then all of his forward line friends from 1985 to 1998 will fail our criteria.
With that in mind, here is our best stab.
Let us know how we have gone and which clubs you feel have fared best.
Fremantle
Kingsley Hunter – 1995-1998 (41 games and 86 goals)
Many Zoomers may be unfamiliar with his name, but in the Dockers' early days, Kingsley Hunter owned the goal square.
Despite only playing 41 games for Freo, Hunter twice won the club's leading goalkicker award in 1996 and 1997.
Matthew Pavlich – 2000-2016 (353 games and 700 goals)
With the most games played and the most goals scored in Fremantle's history, Matthew Pavlich is possibly the most unsurprising selection on a list that contains names like Lockett, Dunstall, Ablett and Carey.
With a resume that includes eight leading goalkicker titles, six Doig medals and six All-Australians, the South Australian spearhead may well be the greatest centre-half forward of the 21st century, let alone the greatest ever Docker.
Cam McCarthy – 2017-2020 (49 games and 63 goals)
Despite his decision to haul in his anchor and jump ship from the Dockers midway through last year, Cam McCarthy takes out Fremantle's third and final position due to Pavlich's longevity and his reasonable goals per game average.
In a career that spanned just four seasons in purple, McCarthy managed a mean of over 1.2 goals across his 49 games.
Who knows what the future holds for him, but if it is anything like his past, it is sure to at least be interesting.
