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
6. Brett Deledio (2005-2016)
2 x best and fairest (2008 and 2009)
2 x All-Australian (2012 and 2015)
243 games, 182 goals, 22.8 disposals per game, 75 Brownlow votes, 0.3 votes per game
While he would depart Tigerland before Richmond's rebuild would pay dividends, Deledio's arrival at Punt Road with the first pick of the 2004 AFL Draft acted as the first shovel in the soil.
A hyper-talented midfielder for seasons on end, it seems a cruel irony that Deledio was made to fall by the wayside and then watch on as Richmond edged his Giants in the 2017 preliminary final before choking them out in the big one two years later.
Few gave more to the Tigers' efforts during the early years of this millennium - a fact that real heads will never forget.
