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.
Next up, we head to Punt Road to run a rule over the top ten Tigers of the century.
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, POWER
8. Dylan Grimes (2010-present)
1 x best and fairest (2021)
1 x All-Australian (2019)
3 x premiership player (2017, 2019 and 2020)
229 games, 3.85 marks per game
Whether flying gracefully, spoiling strongly or simply tangling his opponent up in a mess of limbs, Grimes proved to be an impenetrable force for the vast majority of the Tigers' three-flag run.
Still leading the way at Punt Road, the next generation of Tiger stoppers could do worse than shadow the former skipper for the rest of his days in yellow and black.
