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.
- Any player selected must have played at least 100 senior games for their respective club since the start of the 2000ย AFLย season.
Next up, we head west to decide which Dockers can be counted as the ten best of this century.
PREVIOUS TOP TENS:ย CROWS,ย LIONS,ย BLUES,ย PIES, BOMBERS
3. Aaron Sandilands (2003-2019)ย
2 x best and fairest (2009 and 2015)
4 x All-Australian (2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014)
271 games, 31.4 hitouts per game, 88 Brownlow votes, 0.3 votes per game
Alongside Peter Street and 'The Lanky Yankee' Mason Cox, Sandilands stands as the tallest AFL player to ever lace an enormous boot.
The Western Australian used his frame to his advantage for years, acting as the game's leading ruckman at his peak as he delivered the Dockers' myriad of gun midfielders silver service.
