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
6. Robert Murphy (2000-2017)
2 x All-Australian (2011 and 2015)
312 games, 17.8 disposals per game, 5.4 marks per game, 3.1 inside 50s per game
While far from the most decorated Bulldog in the club's storied history, few have given more to the cause and embodied the club's blue-collar ethos better than Bob Murphy.
From a wafer-thin draftee to a wily and still wirey defender, Murphy will forever be remembered for his fighting effort, poetic soul and for being called up to the dais to help hoist the Dogs' 2016 premiership cup.
