Throughout the final years of the 1990s,ย AFLย 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 2000ย AFLย 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 2000ย AFLย season.
For our final instalment, we head west to assess who the top Dogs are at the Whitten Oval.
PREVIOUS TOP TENS: CROWS,ย LIONS,ย BLUES,ย PIES,ย BOMBERS,ย DOCKERS,ย CATS,ย SUNS,ย GIANTS,ย HAWKS, DEES,ย ROOS,ย POWER,ย TIGERS,ย SAINTS, SWANS, EAGLES
1. Marcus Bontempelli (2014-present)ย
2 x Leigh Matthews Trophy (2021 and 2023)
5 x best and fairest (2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023)
5 x All-Australian (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023)
1 x premiership player (2016)
216 games, 23.7 disposals per game, 169 Brownlow votes, 0.8 votes per game
As just about the best footballer in the contemporary game, the question isn't whether Bontempelli is the best Bulldog from this century, but whether he is the best Bulldog of all time.
While Ted Whitten's record still stacks up, if Bontempelli can eventually add a Brownlow or two to his already gilded mantel, the superstar will no doubt prove impossible to pass up.
