best afl players of the 21st century

He averaged 29.5 a game in 2000 then accumulated 46 touches (plus 20 contested possessions, 13 inside 50s, eight clearances and a goal) against Fremantle early in 2001 in an awesome solo display. 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. Australia's #1 independent AFL news source, Eddie McGuire tips Collingwood-Richmond blockbuster to reopen season, Jordan Lewis reveals he nearly went to Carlton after Hawks departure, Richmond confirm Jack Ross sidelined with injury, Forward or back? 1 pick Sam Walsh with the Blues confirming he's a certain starter against Richmond. Share Novak Djokovic (tennis) 18. Griezmann won the Golden Boot and player of the tournament at Euro 2016 as France reached the final, only to succumb to Portugal, but he made amends two years later by leading Les Bleus to their first World Cup victory in 20 years, winning man of the match in the final victory over Croatia. Unfortunate to miss out on a premiership medallion, Riewoldt will forever go down as one of the game's greatest centre-half 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. Reserved. Today, we reveal the top five. 2 was the easiest part of the gig. The wingers scorching pace, mind-bending trickery and ability to win games single-handedly make him a joy to watch, and a future Ballon dOr seems all-but inevitable already. You will receive a verification email shortly. Inducted in 1987: Rod McGregor - 1905-1920 One of the brightest stars of his era, Rod McGregor was a four-time Premiership player for the Navy Blues in a 236-game career that stood as a club record for more than half a century. More from Telstra afl.com.au womens.afl . AFL: The home of Australian rules football on Reddit, including the Australian Football When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. The Cats start kick-off our list as a deserving candidate with a stelar record to his name. Its no coincidence that in his three years at an increasingly galactic Real Madrid, he picked up two La Liga titles and a Champions League, while the club had to wait another four years to lift another domestic title and 11 years to lift a European title once he left for Chelsea. He won the Scudetto in 2001 before a World Cup in 2006, reinventing himself from a false nine, second striker and attacking midfielder along the way. He was a fast skilful, accurate, hungry and strong onballer for both the Cats and Suns, proving he can lead a team of stars and one with next-to none. As for the man himself, he told FFT in 2016 that it all came very naturally to me. So many moments. AFL Premier Partners. Slow succeeded in a fast environment thanks to the genius flashing behind his eyes. Ablett in full flight in the trademark words of Fox Footy caller Dwayne Russell is as good as it gets. . Europes biggest prize, the Champions League, still eludes De Bruyne and his club-mates, but for how long? Rounding off the top five are Brazilian icon Ronaldinho and Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta. The criteria incorporates consistency at an elite level, match-winning ability, contribution to team success and influence during their playing stints across the past two decades. He was acrobatic, dramatic and exciting to watch. Makeleles deep-midfield role helped both provide defensive cover for and unlock the attacking talents of his team-mates further up the field. Thats why the likes of Wayne Carey and Robert Harvey arent on the list. Gary Ablett was arguably an even better player at the Suns. It's ironic that Kroos running riot against the Selecao has become the defining image of his career: he's far more restrained, usually. The 2023 AFL Season is just around the corner and the Zero Hanger Season Guide is back! 11. Another natural leader and star utility, Luke Hodge revolutionised the half-back position during the Hawks' first several years as one of the century's best sides. And boy was this a tough job! August 1, 2005. Itsnot just players who have played in the last 20 years. He had an incredible blend of physical power, velvet touch and positional intelligence: the Gunners yearned for him for a decade after he departed. 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. THE NUMBERS:12 disposals, 5 marks, 5 goals Ballack was the complete package as a central midfielder, capable of bossing opponents physically, spreading passes around the pitch with both feet and scoring goals. As we near the last Saturday in September, to help whet your appetite for the big day, here are the 10 Best AFL Grand Final Moments of the 21st Century in chronological order. 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. How many others have a position named after them? The most anticipated AFL home-and-away games of the 21st century Jackson Mansell Roar Rookie 19th August, 2022 A A A 2 Join the conversation Advertisement Write for The Roar Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work featured alongside some of Australia's most prominent sports journalists. Lionel Messi. Luis Gonzalez Matt Kemp Jason Kendall Mike Lowell Hideki Matsui Brandon Phillips Gary Sheffield Grady Sizemore Jason Varitek Vernon Wells Pitchers Bronson Arroyo A.J. As if scoring that goal wouldn't endear himself to the Manchester City faithful, the Argentinian became the all-time overseas Premier League hitman, the club's record scorer and one of the greatest forwards of all time. 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 The 253-game Essendon hero won two best and fairests and three All-Australian selection after entering the 21st century, earning him Hall of Fame honours. Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. CHRIS JUDD (WEST COAST EAGLES/CARLTON), 2000-2020 stats: 279 games, 228 goals, 210 Brownlow votes, averaged 22.9 disposals, 2000-2020 CV: Eagles premiership captain, Norm Smith Medallist, two-time Brownlow Medallist, two-time AFLPA MVP, six-time All-All Australian (one as captain), five-time best and fairest. Gerard Healy thinks Richmond superstar Dustin Martin is already a "certainty" to be named the AFL player of the 21st century. 22. 2010 - Collingwood vs St. Kilda. 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. Port Adelaide, who lead the competition from go to whoa during the home-and-away season last season have managed to blood three quality millenniums who in 2021 should all bring up their half-century of games: Connor Rozee (38 games), Zac Butters (36) and Xavier Duursma (35) while at Collingwood, rising star Isaac Quaynor played 15 games but only three other millenniums played only a handful between them. Eight of Scholes 11 Premier League titles came after the year 2000, as well as the 2007/08 Champions League triumph. Cameron Smith and Billy Slater were a key part of one the greatest NRL teams of the 21st century. James Horncastles reflections on Andrea Pirlo remain unmatched: Many thought the regista was a relic consigned to the past. AFL: Best 22 of the Brisbane, Geelong, Hawthorn and Richmond dynasties, Mark Robinson | Herald Sun afl tigers - blues - 17/03 Fri 1:40AM cats - magpies - 17/03 Fri 7:45PM kangaroos - Eagles - 17/03 Fri 10:35PM power - lions - 18/03 Sat 1:25AM demons - bulldogs - 18/03 Sat 2:00AM suns - swans - 18/03 Sat 7:10PM giants - crows - 18/03 Sat 9:20PM 'Dusty' brings a level of aggression to the game like nobody before him. Here is our top 15 players of the century. (One of the Greatest Football Players of All Time) 1096. 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. 'Saint Nick' was everything a coach could ask for in a player. But not all former Hawks are in agreement with the doom-and-gloom forecast. 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. 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. 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. "In his prime; Falcao looked absolutely unstoppable: Chelsea fans still have traumatic memories of his impressive prone-trick in the first half of a 4-1 victory in the UEFA Super Cup for Atleti in 2012, he completed a report that carried some of the best things. Voss presence within the midfield lifted those around him, making some of the greatest onballers within the league better, perhaps producing the 'fab four' himself. The four-time premiership Hawk added three All-Australian selections and two Best and Fairests during his 18-year, 346-game career with the Hawks and Lions. You will receive a verification email shortly. He got awarded the AFLPA best captain four times that just shows what his peers thought about him. 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. He's one of England's finest players ever. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pies recruits sizzle in pre-season clash with Hawthorn. Franais. 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.. Courageous, humble and dedicated. While. AFLW Premier Partners. 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. Since breaking into Bara team at the age of 20, he has never made fewer than 40 appearances a season, he has been the rock on which Messi and co.s cathedral was built throughout the 2010s. Still, were nit-picking. Atletico Madrids flamboyant Frenchman has inspired club and country to success in the last decade. And there's no doubt about it. 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. Thank you for signing up to Four Four Two. The four-time All-Australian would flex his versatility when called upon, in midfield, ruck or forward. Haselby himself could hold his head high though with the former No. 2000-2020 stats: 138 games, 140 goals, 82 Brownlow votes, averaged 24.5 disposals, 2000-2020 CV: Norm Smith Medallist, Brownlow Medallist, three-time All-Australian, two-time best and fairest. Powerful yet graceful, explosive yet incredibly footy smart, Buckley at his best was the perfect midfielder. The players have been selected and ranked based on their 21st century performances only, so any seasons prior to 2000 haven't been considered. The Civil Rights Movement displayed how the African Americans fought against the tremendous alienation that they had faced for centuries. 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. Toni Kroos can do both. Where Robben was direct, obvious, powerful and bold, Ribery was deft, thoughtful and capable of the unexpected. New customers only. Rahul Dravid (Ind) Key numbers (from Jan 1, 2000): 130 matches, 10,590 runs at 52.95 Perhaps somewhat controversially, Voss has usurped Judd here. AFL 2020: Toughest players, Gladiator 20 years on, top ten footy gladiators, Jonathan Brown, Luke Hodge, Joel Selwood HOME AFL Yes, we are entertained: The AFL's top 10 gladiators since 2000 20 years on from the release of Gladiator, we rank the AFL's top ten hard men. 2. Make sure you keep up to date with the latestAFLand AFL Fantasy articles andfollow my fan pages onFacebook,TwitterandInstagramto never miss a minute of the action! The Belgians piles of goals and assists have fired the Citizens to three Premier League titles, five League Cups and the FA Cup, not to mention a bag of individual awards. Judd's record stands by itself, and this year first player i believe to poll more then 20 brownlow votes in 5 seasons. Nedved was already a decade into his playing career by the turn of the millennium, but he saved some of his best form for the 21st century. Originally a striker, Roberto Carlos bombing runs, fierce shot and bending free-kicks made him possibly the most entertaining left-back the game has ever seen. A leader in defence like few had ever seen in the Premier League, Kompany embraced the club he defined, Mancunian twang and all. Of course, the criteria for eligibility is totally arbitrary. We want to see it. The two-time Norm Smith medalist has reached unparalleled feats and continues to prove to be a one in a generation-type player. Ribery was vital to Bayern Munich's ascension to becoming a superpower once more and at his peak, there have been few wingers as beguiling to watch since 2000. Watch Foxtel in an instant. Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappe, Salah: The top 100 players of the 21st century ranked Football Football Messi, Ronaldo, Mbappe, Salah: The top 100 players of the 21st century ranked By. Language. Ablett 2. I think that holds a lot of weight, if your players and your peers vote you as the best captain it shows what they think about you. And there have been moments. 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? Who is your club's best ruck of the 21st century? 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 Victorian Football League-Australian Football League (VFL/AFL) Italian Team of the Century was announced in June 2007. 1 picks, dating back to 2000, and rank them as players from worst to best. 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. Bath 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. Heres how it works. GAJ 2. 13-min read. Sidney Crosby (ice hockey) Credit: PA 20. Hawthorn are bracing for a world of pain in the 2023 AFL season, according to two of their most decorated players. The Czech Republic international was behind four league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and a Champions League triumph during his 11-year spell with Chelsea, before clinching another FA Cup at Arsenal. Cam Mackenzie was a standout for the Hawks during the practice against Collingwood in Tasmania. FourFourTwo is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Lee McCulloch. Whether it is high flying marks, bone jarring tackles or freakish goals, Australian Rules has it all. 5. My Top 5 players drafted since 2000. Note that players must have played at least five seasons in the 21st century to meet the criteria and their body of work during the century is also key. (Weve also collated a 12-man list of snubbed players, which you can check out here.). No player has racked up more disposals, Champion Data ranking points and AFL Player Ratings points since 2000. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). It will be an interesting exercise to look back at these players careers when another decade has passed. 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. Pictures: AFL Photos DOMINANT tap specialist or athletic around-the-ground option? 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. Lewangoalski has defined the 2020s so far. Eight current AFL players, including Andrew McLeod and Adam Goodes, have been included in the league's indigenous team of the century, announced today. Three hundred and ninety-one career goals cant be wrong. Pictures: AFL Photos THEY'RE the stars who drive your club to glory. Buffon broke the world record for a goalkeeper back in 2001, and as of 2022, he is still playing, in a career that has seen him make over 1,000 appearances for clubs and country. There arent many players that can claim they were the best player on the field in their first AFL game. 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. In their predictions for the 2023 season, both Hodge and Burgoyne believe Hawthorn will finish rock bottom. Pic: Getty. We offer our respect to the Elders of these traditional . It had become too high in velocity, too intense. Already the number of players eligible if we include the category A and B rookies is 215 but obviously, a lot of these have not yet had the opportunity to show their skills in the hot cauldron of Australias finest football competition. His first game against the Eagles who picked up Dalziell a few short years later was something to marvel at though recording more touches than then teammates and greats of the game like Luke Power and Simon Black in his first pro outing. 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. Gold Coast have a very impressive 19, four of whom won rising star awards in 2020. Your first AFL game is a pretty monumental occasion, but Toby Greenes debut was different from others. These players have all played at some point throughout 21st century, however based on their entire . The Melbourne Team of the Century was selected in June 2000, by a panel that included Mike Sheahan, Percy Beames, Bill Guest, Lynda Carroll, Greg Hobbs, John Mitchell, Linda Pearce, Dudley Phillips and Steven Phillips. Picture: Annette Dew, There are few better sights in footy than Lance Franklin in full flight. 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. At the age of 36, McCulloch scored 17 goals in the 2013-14 season to bring Rangers back into the Scottish Premiership. REAL MADRID Is Toni Kroos one of the best midfielders of the 21st century? 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. 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. 295. Stay tuned, and check out the other runners and riders. featured alongside some of Australias most prominent sports journalists. At Madrid, he has scored one of the greatest goals in Clasico history a winner during the 2014 Copa del Rey final as well as one of the greatest goals in a Champions League final one of three Champions League final goals hes nabbed, while totting up four winners medals. The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 100-81 The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 80-61 The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 60-41 The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 40-26 The . In the back-end of 2000, he went on a ridiculous six-game streak where he averaged 31.2 disposals and polled Brownlow votes in five of the matches. The 21st century has provided a stage for new evolutions in the game of basketball. At the very start of the 21st Century, Luis Figo committed the most controversial transfer that football had ever seen. Drew Brees (American football) 21. Bens twin brother Max from St Kilda (who surprisingly has the least millenniums on their list with five) will play in tandem with Ben as the two 202 cms show amazing athleticism. 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.. They held on to claim a two-point win and Polo took home three of five career Brownlow votes. A star midfielder, an unstoppable forward and overall legend for the Bombers. That rangy, young Frenchman would soon blossom into one of Europe's most complete midfielders. Oops! FourFourTwo is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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. Sign up to all of Foxtel Now with a 10-day free trial. 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. Remember the Titans is a heartwarming story of how, after the strife of The Civil Rights Movement, both blacks and whites came together to form a football team and defeat discrimination between each other. Puyol was part of Spains triumphant sides at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup, and it was his headed goal against Germany that sent them through to the final of the latter tournament. These are guys you want to go out to battle with. Bombers midfielder Jye Caldwell sent for scans, club hopeful of Round St Kilda wingman Dan McKenzie to miss start of 2023 season. Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? Today, we're able to reveal the players you considered to be the greatest bassists of the 21st century (so far). Create Account. He is the very embodiment of the football club. After spending a few seasons on Richmond's list Polo. With the NRL season shut down and no footy to . Hawthorn are bracing for a world of pain in the 2023 AFL season, according to two of their most decorated players. 0. I dont want to put any pressure on the kids shoulders, but his debut is one of great anticipation, with some dubbing him a Brownlow chance (keep a lid on it) before the season has even begun. Ive got Scott Pendlebury at 5. The 19-year-old - pick No.7 in the 2022 draft - provided a pinpoint kick inside 50 in the third term for Fergus Greene, who topped the goal count with three. Create. As we are now a fifth of the way through the new millennium and the babies born in the first few years of the 2000s are beginning to make a name for themselves on the players lists at all 18 AFL clubs. 0. 245 games as captain, the most games as captain, the most wins as captain. The midfielder is quiet, understated and perhaps the ultimate German footballer. Last season the Hawks finished thirteenth (or sixth last) which was, in fact, a slight improvement on their previous seasons. The Ivorian was one of the most fearsome strikers ever. 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. A player that worked harder than any other, Adam Goodes rise to stardom is a thing of beauty. The Top 20 players of the past 20 years have been revealed. Ferdinand was a ball-playing defender of the European school, rather than the bruising centre-halves more associated with the English school of thought. Personally, the late, long-range snap goal from a stoppage in the 2007 preliminary final against Collingwood stands out. The level of talent in this tournament -- especially among the top few teams -- is unprecedented. Mine are Gary Ablett Junior Buddy Juddy Dusty Unlucky Hodge Selwood Martin boasts two best and fairest honours, three All-Australian selections and 251 goals from his 225 game career. See who made it into Hawthorn's team of the 20th century. Voss played through most of the 90s, but his durability and elite consistency across the first seven years of the 2000s mustnt be forgotten. Michael Barlow looked composed beyond his years against the Crows to start 2010 as he effortlessly chalked up 33 touches, becoming a Freo fan favourite from day one. Our criteria was that players had to have played at least five seasons in the 21st century. The fact he actually improved as a player when he moved north his first four years at the Suns, numerically, were the finest of his career to join an expansion club that was always going to start slowly is a testament to his drive, professionalism and talent. 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. All players have been selected and ranked based on their 21st century performances only, so any seasons prior to 2000 havent been considered. Italiano . He captained Collingwood in 184 games, he captained them to a Grand Final, he was twice the AFLPAs best captain he is a silky footballer, he got it done. Few have put the fear of God into quite so many defenders. AFL's biggest question 'everyone's talking . 236K subscribers in the AFL community. He was at the very core of everything that would happen on Eastlands. He was probably stiff not to win Buckleys 2002 Norm Smith Medal too. 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. The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 40-26. A World Cup winner and 10-time Serie A winner, his three times on the losing side of a Champions League final feel thoroughly undeserving of a player who has become the godfather of modern goalkeeping. 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. AFL Club Essendon Other Teams Coburg Lions, All Boston sides Dec 19, 2022 #352 1. He captained them to four Grand Finals, three of them were premierships. 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