best afl players of the 21st century

(We've also collated a 12-man list of snubbed players, which you can check out here.) Tom Harley led Geelong to the 2007 premiership and the 2009 premiership, they were coming off a premiership drought since 1963, so it was a long time. Stream them all for free on 7plus >>. Picking then ranking the 20 best AFL players of the past 20 years has been a painstaking and hair-tearing task thats consumed many hours of isolation life. It was clear from an early age that there was something special about Hazard. Contents 1 Top 10 AFL Players Right Now 1.1 Dustin Martin - Richmond 1.2 Christian Petracca - Melbourne 1.3 Max Gawn - Melbourne 1.4 Jack Steele - St. Kilda 1.5 Toby Greene - GWS 1.6 Lachie Neale - Brisbane 1.7 Marcus Bontempelli - Bulldogs 1.8 Jack Macrae - Bulldogs 1.9 Nic Naitanui - West Coast 1.10 Zach Merrett - Essendon FourFourTwo is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. If names are anything to go by, we are in for a treat with surnames that whether or not they are in any way related mirror the surnames of former Brownlow Medalists, champion goal scorers and club champions both past and present. Alastair Clarkson has defended his temper after a clash with a reporter earlier this month, saying he cannot guarantee it will not flare up again. 1 and No. Come the turn of the century, his standing in the game grew as he inspired the Magpies to a genuine premiership tilt. Chelsea didnt take long to pounce and it was at Stamford Bridge that the dynamic winger established a reputation as one of the best in the business, scoring 110 goals over seven seasons with the London club and wining a stack of individual awards to go with two Premier League and two Europa League titles. Arsene Wenger once claimed that he only really won the Arsenal players' trust when he arrived in England because they could see he'd brought a top player with him. With the NRL season shut down and no footy to . 14. Buckley won a record six Copeland Trophies during his 15 season in the AFL, averaging above touches disposals in every year in the system. Di Maria has won league titles in Portugal, Spain and France, and finally added an international honour to his cabinet last year by scoring the only goal of the Copa America final against Brazil. The Western Bulldogs Official App is your one stop shop for all your latest team News, Videos, Player Profiles, Scores and Stats delivered LIVE to your smartphone or tablet! Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. The issue for his opponents, though, was he was anything but buddy-like to them on the field. Throughout of the rest of the noughties, he simply oozed more of the class he'd displayed in the 90s. JESSE HOGAN. For sheer consistency the only player that comes to Judd for mantle of best 21st century player is Gary Ablett Jnr, but his first season didn't set the world on fire. FourFourTwo is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Toure won four consecutive African Player of the Year awards between 2011 and 2014, his first four seasons with Manchester City, and he played a pivotal role in the Citizens first title of the Premier League era in 2011/12. You will receive a verification email shortly. But the trait that defined Voss career was his ferocity at the contest. Dean Polo is one such player. Goodes is a two-time Brownlow Medalist, two-time premiership player and three time best and fairest with Sydney. 295. Ahead of the 2020 Draft, ESPN decided to look back at the last 20 No. Menzel, who played 80 AFL games across stints with both Geelong and Sydney in a career spanning a decade, ranked the leaders based on who he'd want to follow into the field. But perhaps Alonsos greatest achievement was his central role in Spains three consecutive major tournament victories at Euro 2008, World Cup 2010 and Euro 2012. Heres how it works. Sun Sign: Cancer. Falling just short of the best player of the century, Franklin deserves a podium finish for his astounding career-to-date. 15-11: Four Brownlow Medallists and the fifth deserves one, 10-6: Four game-changing freaks and a controversial legend. Can use the ball really well. Walker nearly took a Mark of the Year contender on Andrew Embleys shoulders in that game too, highlighting every exciting aspect of his game from the moment he stepped onto the field. . Sidney Crosby (ice hockey) Credit: PA 20. (Feel free to leave aratingand reviewto help me move up the charts ). He's still the only player to score in four FA Cup finals and he practically won Chelsea their first Champions League on his todd. The Hall of Famer was a staple in Geelong's three premierships between 2007 and 2011, with Scarlett adding six All-Australian selections and a Carji Greeves Medal from his 284-game career. Last-gasp wins, mouth-watering match-ups, inspirational individual performances; this is the stuff that memorable Grand Final moments are made of. Today, we reveal the top five. The WA-born prospect had to toil to break into the Lions side, but he was rewarded with seven straight games late in the 2008 campaign going on to average over 26 touches in those matches. Makeleles deep-midfield role helped both provide defensive cover for and unlock the attacking talents of his team-mates further up the field. But from that effervescent starlet grew a dependable leader: Spain's reliable backbone through three consecutive international trophies. Bulldogs welcoming Darcy dilemma, Old habits die hard as Buckley backs Blues to miss finals. Dane Swan (Collingwood) Now we present the top five ranked players in foxfooty.com.au's Top 20 of the Past 20. Source: FOX SPORTS David Zita from Fox Sports @DavidZita1 May 10th, 2020 6:57 pm The nicknames he inspired over the course of his playing career, il Maestro and lArchitetto, capture Pirlos appreciation for composition, design and set-pieces.. Menu . And fair to say there is some big names on this one! And there have been moments. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Heres how it works. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Pendlebury Good top 5. . That is the reason I gave him the best captain of the last 23 years., 2023, SEN All Rights Gold Coast Suns also have a big contingent with Noah Anderson, Connor Budarick, Caleb Graham, Ben King and Matt Rowell who although played only five games before his season-ending injury in 2020 had already shown the depth of his talent. The three-time German Footballer of the Year starred in Bayer Leverkusens remarkable runners-up treble of 2001/02, when they finished second in the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, before losing the World Cup final to Brazil that summer. Across his 174-game career, Fyfe has won both All-Australian selections and a Doig Medal on three occasions as well as the Leigh Matthews Trophy twice. Official Western Bulldogs App. No player has polled more Brownlow Medal votes. Shevchenko was great at an overachieving Dynamo Kyiv side in the 1990s, but its his time at AC Milan in the 2000s that earns him a place here. Oops! Dennis Comettis call of cometh the moment, cometh the man the son of the man was so apt, as it was a goal when his team needed him most in its most important win of the season. Get the best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. The 100 best players of the 21st Century: the greatest Ballon d'Or hoggers, serial winners and cult heroes since the turn of the millennium. AFL Naming Rights Partner. He later joined Inter Milan and was just as classy: intelligent, creative and with the ability to control the cauldron, he's one of his country's finest ever players. Premier League and Champions League victories have been the reward, while at international level the winger captained Egypt to their first World Cup in 28 years in 2018 and runners-up finishes in two Africa Cup of Nations. Hes played with some of the best midfielder of any generation Xavi, Iniesta and Yaya Toure, to name a few and while his contributions may be less eye-catching, theres a reason he has spent more than a decade at the heart of Barcelonas midfield. His 2016 campaign will go down as one of the greatest seasons in recent history, collecting a then-record 35 Brownlow votes, both AFLPA and AFLCA awards and a Carji Greeves medal to cap off a record breaking debut season with Geelong. Comparing different eras in football is a thankless task . My Top 5 players drafted since 2000. A key component for Real Madrid's early 00s triumphs, the Portuguese was the statesman on home soil in 2004. It was the first major honour of his career, but far from the last. Itd be a superhuman yet thoroughly well-deserved milestone. 10 goals, 10 finals, 10 trophies at club level. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Time to Find Out Who the 2019 Denver Nuggets Really Are. Sydneys Tom McCartin despite already playing 48 games and scoring 28 goals is ineligible as he was born two days before the calendar ticked over to the year 2000 as is Jordan Butts being born on New Years Eve 1999. The Zero Hanger team recently undertook the major project of ranking the 15 AFL best players of the century in every position - defenders, forwards, ruckmen and midfielders. 'Saint Nick' was everything a coach could ask for in a player. This varies slightly from the Last Word On Baseball All-Decade teams list which took the best individual seasons. Today, we're able to reveal the players you considered to be the greatest bassists of the 21st century (so far). (Mackenzie) is a great kid. In typical early 2000s fashion, Paul Haselbys first game of footy came in a Dockers loss. Burnett Bartolo Colon Dan. Sign up to all of Foxtel Now with a 10-day free trial. But not all former Hawks are in agreement with the doom-and-gloom forecast. The 'Little Master' had it all. Unfortunate to miss out on a premiership medallion, Riewoldt will forever go down as one of the game's greatest centre-half forwards. Login. Rounding off the top five are Brazilian icon Ronaldinho and Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta. 1 picks, dating back to 2000, and rank them as players from worst to best. Then again, Buddy is no ordinary player or footy figure. Dalziell held the disposals record for less than two years before another mature-aged player stole his thunder. Round 13 and 14 rising stars Brandon Starcevich (Brisbane Lions) and Giant Jake Riccardi both miss the age barrier by less than six months but all the other rising star winners are in as are North Melbournes Tarryn Thomas, Bailey Scott and Jack Mahony, while Adelaides Chayce Jones and Fischer McAsey join Lachlan Sholl in the squad. 2000-2020 stats: 346 games, 437 goals, 266 Brownlow votes, averaged 25.3 disposals, 2000-2020 CV: Two-time premiership Cat, two-time Brownlow Medallist, five-time AFLPA MVP, eight-time All-Australian (one as captain), six-time best and fairest, three-time club leading goalkicker. Francesco Totti retired with 307 goals in 786 Roma appearances. Iker Casillas burst into the Real Madrid side as a kid, putting in a masterclass as a 19-year-old in a Champions League final. LANCE FRANKLIN (HAWTHORN/SYDNEY SWANS), 2000-2020 stats: 300 games, 944 goals, 170 Brownlow votes, averaged 15.5 disposals, 2000-2020 CV: Two-time premiership Hawk, eight-time All-Australian (one as captain), one best and fairest, four-time Coleman medallist, 11-time club leading goalkicker. But when Brisbane was in the midst of its premiership dynasty, Voss was at the peak of his powers both as a player and, subsequently, as a leader. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. NY 10036. He had an incredible blend of physical power, velvet touch and positional intelligence: the Gunners yearned for him for a decade after he departed. He was irreplaceable when he left, too. All rights reserved. While. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio. AFL Club Essendon Other Teams Coburg Lions, All Boston sides Dec 19, 2022 #352 1. Weve counted down the top 15 players of the century. They put him in there because they knew he was a cool head, a calm head and could get the best out of his team and I think he is a massive reason as to why Geelong has had sustained success for such a massive period of time.. He starred under the bright lights with his third and final goal of the game putting the Tigers in front with just a few minutes remaining. He only won the AFLPAs best captain award once which is surprising, back in 2013. He captained Geelong to the one premiership, played in four but only captained one which is probably what held him back from giving him the number one or two title.. Plus tips on how to play better and interviews with the biggest names. All players have been selected and ranked based on their 21st century performances only, so any seasons prior to 2000 havent been considered. Gold Coast have a very impressive 19, four of whom won rising star awards in 2020. Stay tuned, and check out the other runners and riders. You must provide an email address to create a Roar account, When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address, By joining The Roar you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. During Collingwoods stint at the bottom of the ladder in the late 1990s, Buckley was a rare shining light. Here are the 25 of the greatest players to ever play the great Australian game ranked from one to 25: 1. After being named as a co-captain in 1997 at 21 years of age, Voss lead the Lions to three successive premierships between 2001 and 2003. The former Magpies captain and now coach won a total of seven All-Australian selections, along with a Brownlow medal and Norm Smith following the turn of the century. Buckleys 2003 campaign was arguably the finest of his career. A powerhouse of the 21st century that hauled in four premierships in the Alastair Clarkson era (including three in a row from 2013-2015), the Hawks last played finals in 2018. His decision to throw his Norm Smith Medal an award won for his scintillating 32-disposal display during the 2002 Grand Final in his sock immediately after the Magpies loss to Brisbane proved just how highly he valued the ultimate AFL honour. A star midfielder, an unstoppable forward and overall legend for the Bombers. Arguably the game's greatest ever full-back, Matthew Scarlett's dominance over the league is yet to be reached by any there player since his retirement. Cechs individual records stack up high: he has the most clean sheets ever in the Premier League with 202, as well as the most in a single season, 24, while hes a four-time Golden Glove winner and has gone longer than any other keeper without conceding, 1,025 minutes in 2004/05. Hawks great Dermott Brereton, who wore the same No. The dual Brownlow medalist has been the star of the Dockers for some time, transforming into the league's best contested possession player of the past decade. Of course, the criteria for eligibility is totally arbitrary. THE NUMBERS: 7 disposals, 4 marks, 3 goals Ive got Scott Pendlebury at 5. 245 games as captain, the most games as captain, the most wins as captain. Between 2001 and 2003, Voss won two AFLPA MVP awards, two best and fairests, three best captain titles and All-Australian honours on three occasions (including twice as the captain). HIGHLIGHTS Watch the best of Team of the 21st Century back pocket, Dylan Grimes AFL career averages Kicks: 6.2 Handballs: 5.3 Disposals: 11.5 Marks: 3.8 Rebound-50s: 1.7 Contested possessions: 4.6 Uncontested possessions: 6.8 Intercepts: 4.2 Score involvements: 1.4 Tackles: 2.5 One-percenters: 4.9 Metres gained: 88.8 Brian Taylor makes outrageous Nick Daicos call for 2023 AFL season, AFL star heartbroken after losing best friend in freak accident, Indore pitch rated poor with excessive and uneven bounce after Aussies win, Shane Warnes children remember cricket legend on first anniversary of his death, UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko reveals unique training camp, Penrith Panthers teammates involved in heated argument after shock loss, Knights star fuming after being dragged from the field: Im literally fine, practice match against Collingwood in Tasmania on Thursday. Martin's 2017 season is arguably the most dominant by any midfielder of the past decade, winning almost every honour possible and stamping his authority as the competitions best. 0. Modern-day forwards like him arent supposed to average 3.5 goals per game across multiple seasons. There was a problem. His heroics earned McGrath a game in the next three rounds, where he combined to record just 19 possessions and one goal. The following players have been inducted into the Carlton Hall of Fame. At the age of 36, McCulloch scored 17 goals in the 2013-14 season to bring Rangers back into the Scottish Premiership. It will be an interesting exercise to look back at these players careers when another decade has passed. He played at least 21 games in each of those seven seasons. BA1 1UA. The midfield wizard behind Manchester Citys recent successes, De Bruyne has developed into one of the worlds most complete midfielders under Pep Guardiola. Smith, Kelly, Hird, Fyfe, Mitchell and Bedford may take the AFL trophy this century and Coleman, Young, Carroll and Rowell may be leading goal-kickers and what supporter would not want another Rioli, King, Stephens, Weightman, West, Neale, Walsh, Hamill, Serong, Clark or Evans playing again? It has been a drastic reset under former premiership hero Sam Mitchell, who took the coaching reins from Clarkson at the end of the 2021 season in what was a messy handover. And hes a Buddy legend. The rock within the Lions dynamic and star-studded midfield. Among those to depart were Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell (to Collingwood), gun mid Jaeger OMeara (to Fremantle) and star forward Jack Gunston (to Brisbane). There were seasons in which Didier Drogba didn't live up to his humongous hype but that big game record alone is reason to see him as one of the greatest African players of all time. Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Lionel Messi. The 2023 AFL Season is just around the corner and the Zero Hanger Season Guide is back! AFL's biggest question 'everyone's talking . Top 20 AFL players of 21st Century. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, August 1, 2005. New customers only. His character and prowess was unmatched within the league, with Goodes ending his career after a club record 372 games in 2015, having spent 17 seasons in the AFL. He was a key contributor in the Giants first AFL season, illustrating his talents from day one as he tied for the second most touches for his side in an expectedly ugly loss to the Swans. Pele said if I played with him, I wouldve scored many more goals, Thierry Henry described Scholes as the greatest Premier League player ever, and Xavi called him a role model. Catch up and settle in with no installation & no lock-in contract. Menzel, who played 80 AFL games across stints with both Geelong and Sydney in a career spanning a decade, ranked the leaders based on who hed want to follow into the field. The star of the Lions three-peat dynasty, Voss would add to his already stellar career with record breaking season after season following the conclusion of the 20th century. More from Telstra afl.com.au womens.afl . Rahul Dravid (Ind) Key numbers (from Jan 1, 2000): 130 matches, 10,590 runs at 52.95 The eight-time All-Australian and six-time Best and Fairest is deep into the twilight of his career, meaning he is a further step closer to being crowned an AFL legend and perhaps the greatest ever. Luke Hodge is as hard as they come, as much of a leader you want to play for out of anyone and I found it hard not to put him at no.1. Ferdinand was a ball-playing defender of the European school, rather than the bruising centre-halves more associated with the English school of thought. When you consider Franklin has kicked 944 goals as a key forward in an era where goals have never been harder to kick, its a truly remarkable feat. 4. New customers only. THE NUMBERS:27 disposals, 5 clearances, 5 tackles Create Account. Naming the 10 best AFL players of all-time is a thankless task when you consider the talent the competition has had in its long history. The 100 best players of the 21st Century: the greatest Ballon d'Or hoggers, serial winners and cult heroes since the turn of the millennium. They (will) have a lot of youth and enthusiasm, Tuck said. He's one of England's finest players ever. They also had to have played at least one game at . If you like what you read be sure to check out more SportsbyFry articles by hitting this link. Courageous, humble and dedicated. Ablett in full flight in the trademark words of Fox Footy caller Dwayne Russell is as good as it gets. Fyfe's Brownlow votes polling average is set at an astonishing 1.07 per game, meaning he is one of only two players to ever average getting into the best in every game he plays. Mine are Gary Ablett Junior Buddy Juddy Dusty Unlucky Hodge Selwood Franklin will be keen to knock down the 1,000-goal milestone as he currently sits just 56 goals away, securing his rank with some of the game's greatest ever forwards. The 100 best players of the 21st Century: the greatest Ballon d'Or hoggers, serial winners and cult heroes since the turn of the millennium. Judd . If youd like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings. Birthdate: June 24, 1987. Statistically, Black is one of the greatest midfielders to grace the game, leading the all-time count for games, disposals, tackles, inside 50's, clearances,contested possessions and Brownlow votes for the Lions alone. Voss played through most of the 90s, but his durability and elite consistency across the first seven years of the 2000s mustnt be forgotten. THE star forward of the 21st century, nobody has or will ever match the ability of Buddy Franklin. Picture: Phil Hillyard. Cameron Smith and Billy Slater were a key part of one the greatest NRL teams of the 21st century. The four selectors picked their separate teams, from which the final team was named. A powerhouse of the 21st century that hauled in four premierships in the Alastair Clarkson era (including three in a row from 2013-2015), the Hawks last played finals in 2018. A modern-day Liverpool great, Salahs arrival from Roma in 2017 acted as a catalyst to the Reds outstanding period of success under Jurgen Klopp. Every now and then, you get caught on YouTube watching freakish Judd highlights from the mid-2000s. Robert Lewandowski netted 344 goals in 375 Bayern Munich games. THE NUMBERS:28 disposals, 6 marks, 3 goals, 3 Brownlow votes THE NUMBERS: 26 disposals, 9 marks, 4 tackles, 1 Brownlow vote Skip to main content. He got awarded the AFLPA best captain four times that just shows what his peers thought about him. Lots of goals. Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated. Your first AFL game is a pretty monumental occasion, but Toby Greenes debut was different from others. Whatever way you slice and dice the numbers, weve never seen a player like Ablett and that includes his father Gary Sr, who might still be the greatest player in VFL/AFL history yet had nothing on his sons insane, unprecedented ball-winning ability. Picture: Ian Cugley, Michael Voss led his Lions to three straight premierships. Pic: Getty. The game's all-time leader for marks was the focal point for the Saints for over a decade, claiming five All-Australian selections, six best and fairests and four leading goal-kicker awards across 336 games for St Kilda.

Where Does Michael Crawford Live, Sunday Morning Polka Show, Montana Summer Camp Jobs, World Systems Theory Strengths And Weaknesses, Replacement Behavior For Ripping Clothes, Articles B