With a seemingly innate ability to measure flair, skill and intuition, players of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island heritage have had turnstiles ticking for decades.
High marks, flying runs and mercurial goals are what makes our game special and none are better performers and proponents than the descendants of the first Australians.
The role that Indigenous Australians have played in not only shaping Australian Rules Football, but also consistently looking to extend its boundaries cannot be stated emphatically enough.
This weekend, the AFL community will come together for Sir Doug Nicholls round. A chance for Australians of every creed, colour or denomination to pay respect to the games indigenous culture and champions.
Zero Hanger thought this would be the perfect opportunity to decide who every club's best Indigenous player is since the turn of the century.
Essendon
Anthony McDonald-Tipingwuti
Although Michael Long did play 30 games this century and Nathan Lovett-Murray represented the Dons with aplomb, we've decided to look to the future and have gone with Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.
โWalla' brought up his 100th game at the weekend with better than a goal a game career average.
When the Tiwi Island native is on song, it isn't just the Essendon faithful singing his praises.
