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 West to decide which ten Eagles have flown highest this century.

OTHER LISTS: 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, SAINTS, SWANS

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1. Ben Cousins (2000-2007)

1 x Brownlow Medal (2005)
1 x Leigh Matthews Trophy (2005)
4 x best and fairest (2001, 2002, 2003 and 2005)
4 x All-Australian (2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006)
1 x premiership player (2006)

While he acts as the Eagles' answer to Icarus, for all of his off-field misdeeds and misery imparted and worn, there can be no denying that Cousins was one hell of a footballer when on song.

White-hot from the get-go, Cousins claimed Rising Star honours in the mid-90s, going on to cement himself as a star of the game before the turn of the millennium.

However, once the 20th century ticked into the 21st, Cousins continued to elevate, eventually ending his days as an Eagle with a swathe of awards, but in dire need of a fresh start.

Despite the glitz, the glamour and the stacked highlights reel, Cousins' career, and the continued spiral upon conclusion, act as one of the game's true cautionary tales.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 19: Ben Cousins of the Eagles poses with the 2005 Brownlow Medal after being announced as the winner during the West Coast Eagles Brownlow Medal Dinner at the Burswood Casino September 19, 2005 in Perth, Australia.(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
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