best afl players of the 21st century

A leader in defence like few had ever seen in the Premier League, Kompany embraced the club he defined, Mancunian twang and all. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Slow succeeded in a fast environment thanks to the genius flashing behind his eyes. It was clear from an early age that there was something special about Hazard. 2 pick recording 30 touches against Geelong way back at the start of the 2000 season. REAL MADRID Is Toni Kroos one of the best midfielders of the 21st century? Whether it is high flying marks, bone jarring tackles or freakish goals, Australian Rules has it all. Robert Lewandowski netted 344 goals in 375 Bayern Munich games. Whilst most teams boast a clutch of these youngest players, the teams from lower down the ladder who have put their faith in rebuilding over time have the most. More from Telstra afl.com.au womens.afl . (Feel free to leave aratingand reviewto help me move up the charts ). If youd like to view this content, please adjust your Cookie Settings. He is PSGs all-time top assist provider, while at Real Madrid his ability to morph into a central midfielder under Carlo Ancelotti helped the club win La Decima - their long-awaited 10th Champions League title. 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. Hawthorn 400-game champion Michael Tuck recently made a bold call, telling Channel 7 he thinks the Hawks can play finals despite having one of the youngest playing lists in the competition. The precocious starlet of France's 2006 World Cup crusade grew into a cultured wide man who swept all before him. 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. The club also lost its much-loved captain and No.1 ruck Ben McEvoy, who decided to hang up the boots, and 255-game veteran Liam Shiels also retired (but then found his way to North Melbourne). Chris Judd was on a different level during the mid-2000s at the West Coast Eagles. These players have all played at some point throughout 21st century, however based on their entire . 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. 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. The Pole with the goals has gone from strength to strength, with an outrageous late career peak. Now we present the top five ranked players in foxfooty.com.aus Top 20 of the Past 20. Van Dijks 75m move to Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018 has often been pointed to as the moment Jurgen Klopp added the final piece to his Reds jigsaw, and you can see why. Your first AFL game is a pretty monumental occasion, but Toby Greenes debut was different from others. Bulldogs welcoming Darcy dilemma, Old habits die hard as Buckley backs Blues to miss finals. Even if you go back to the summer of 1933, when The Sporting News hailed baseball's first official . 100 greatest NFL players of the 21st century Aug 21, 2020 at 11:05 am Expand Autoplay 1 of 100 100. Oops! That he's managed to force himself into conversations alongside the great Gerd Muller is testament to what a phenomenon he's become: that he's managed to break records Der Bomber set is scarcely believable. Pic: Getty. In 2002, he broke both those records again when he moved to Man United for 30m. 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. His time with the Suns proved he could do it with any side, winning a second Brownlow in 2013 and even winning the club's leading goal-kicking tally in 2012 and 2013. But Pirlo still found time and he never failed to discover space. It got me thinking though, with plenty of fresh faces set to chalk up the first game of their careers this weekend, which players have had the best performances in their first AFL contest since 2000? Every now and then, you get caught on YouTube watching freakish Judd highlights from the mid-2000s. Best known for spells at Wigan and Rangers, Scotsman Lee McCulloch is the definition of a utility man, playing defence, midfield and up front. Provides a lot of energy. Enjoy! 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. 13-min read. A combination of icy cold finishing and red-hot drive through the centre of the pitch made him utterly unstoppable at his best. 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. 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. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access, Enjoy your first month for just 1 / $1 / 1, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription, Current page: Today, we're able to reveal the players you considered to be the greatest bassists of the 21st century (so far). The 2023 AFL Season is just around the corner and the Zero Hanger Season Guide is back! This was a massive reason as to why they had success and he led them to that success.. The team, captained by ruck legend Graham . He was irreplaceable when he left, too. 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. THE NUMBERS:28 disposals, 6 marks, 3 goals, 3 Brownlow votes As a 21-year-old, Franklins 2008 season was the stuff of legend. Hawthorn draftee Cam Mackenzie had an eye-catching performance, picking up 24 disposals, one goal and two assists, while James Worpel returned to his best with a 30-possession game. Comparing different eras in football is a thankless task . Andrew McLeod (Adelaide) 18. The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 60-41. 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. No one will ever forget the exhaustion and disappointment of the players as the final siren rang and neither team could claim victory. This year has been one of especially deep, painful . The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 40-26. Its hard to make a case against Barlows game as the best AFL debut since the start of the century and he didnt slow up recording 34 disposals the very next week against Essendon. James Horncastles reflections on Andrea Pirlo remain unmatched: Many thought the regista was a relic consigned to the past. We select the best ruckman at your club from 2000-onwards By Staff writers on May 1, 2020, 1:00pm Best ruckman of the 21st century (L-R): Brendon Lade, David Hille, Aaron Sandilands, Darren Jolly. (One of the Greatest Football Players of All Time) 1096. His ability to dominate within the middle of the ground as well as lead as a key target in the Bombers forward line gave Hird the label as one of the best utility players to stop foot on a footy field. The double baulk and goal against Port Adelaide in 2007, the running goal from the impossible angle against Brisbane in 2008 and his ridiculous snap from the boundary for the Suns against the Cats in 2013 his first game back at Kardinia Park since moving. Hawthorn have won 11 wooden spoons in their history but the last time they ended up on the bottom of the ladder was in 1965. He kicked 113.88 which included nine bags of six goals or more in a stunning solo campaign. Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? Best Performance: Chanderpaul scored five hundreds against Australia including one remarkable out-of-the-box effort - the fifth-fastest Test ton of all time, from just 69 balls as West Indies chased down a world record 418 in Antigua, 2003. NY 10036. Ablett 2. Since then, the Swans have made two Grand Finals but havent won a flag. 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. Watch Foxtel in an instant. Lots of goals. Few footballers have been this influential and even fewer have been quite so adored. 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. He's one of England's finest players ever. Hazard captained Belgium to a third-place finish and won the Silver Ball at the 2018 World Cup, his countrys best-ever finish. A key figure in the side's maiden AFL premiership success, Cornes is the club's only 300-game AFL player, won four best and fairests in seven years and was named in two All-Australian sides. 14. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. He played at least 21 games in each of those seven seasons. 38 Hawthorn jumper for all the trivia buffs playing along at home the Buddy nickname stuck. 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. 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. 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. A two-time premiership player with Geelong, Ablett had notched up close to 200 games for Geelong before leaving for the Gold Coast, winning a Brownlow Medal, four All-Australian selections, two best and fairests, three AFLCA Player of the Year awards and three Leigh Matthews trophies before 2011. This devalues names like Robert Harvey, Scott West and Stephen Silvagni. The greatest player of the last 20 years. The Galacticos needed a goalkeeper as blockbuster to match. For the AFL world will never see players of the talent and calibre of Gary Ablett and Lance Franklin again. At the very start of the 21st Century, Luis Figo committed the most controversial transfer that football had ever seen. 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. 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. AFL Club Essendon Other Teams Coburg Lions, All Boston sides Dec 19, 2022 #352 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. Yet the silverware he craved so much, a Collingwood premiership, eluded him until the end. Lionel Messi. 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. 236K subscribers in the AFL community. Hawks great Dermott Brereton, who wore the same No. Throughout of the rest of the noughties, he simply oozed more of the class he'd displayed in the 90s. 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. 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. Unfortunate to miss out on a premiership medallion, Riewoldt will forever go down as one of the game's greatest centre-half forwards. 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. We offer our respect to the Elders of these traditional . 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. No player has racked up more disposals, Champion Data ranking points and AFL Player Ratings points since 2000. 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. Dean Polo is one such player. 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. 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. Not only was he playing the first game of his career, but his debut coincided with the first game in GWS Giants history. 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. He was acrobatic, dramatic and exciting to watch. 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. Pryor is of course known as one of the best running quarterbacks in OSU history, but check out his passing stats in 2010: 2,772 passing yards, a crisp completion percentage of 65.0, and 27 . Hes Buddy brilliant. No player has won more MVP awards. They held on to claim a two-point win and Polo took home three of five career Brownlow votes. Player Sponsorship . Heres how it works. 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. Playing Career: 1982, 1984-96 (Haw 1982, Geel 1984-96) Games: 248. 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. There arent many players that can claim they were the best player on the field in their first AFL game. Posted below are The Independent's 100 best players of the 21st century. Itd be a superhuman yet thoroughly well-deserved milestone. 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. 245 games as captain, the most games as captain, the most wins as captain. Share, or vent, your thoughts on Facebook or tweet us @FOXFOOTY. AFL Premier Partners. The rock within the Lions dynamic and star-studded midfield. He won the 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil, earning a place in the All-Star team with his performances, and his 21st-century trophy haul also includes two Champions League and three La Liga titles with Real Madrid. 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. 2000-2020 stats: 161 games, 137 goals, 94 Brownlow votes, averaged 22.1 disposals, 2000-2020 CV: Three-time premiership Lion (all as captain), two-time AFLPA MVP, three-time All-Australian (two as captain), three-time best and fairest. Ahead of the 2020 Draft, ESPN decided to look back at the last 20 No. Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated. THE star forward of the 21st century, nobody has or will ever match the ability of Buddy Franklin. FourFourTwo is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Judd won his first Brownlow at 21-years-old and was soon a premiership star in 2006 with the Eagles, leading the club alongside the likes of Ben Cousins, Daniel Kerr and Dean Cox. Our criteria was that players had to have played at least five seasons in the 21st century. Buddy 3. Philip Rivers (QB) San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts - First year: 2004 - Drafted:. Still, were nit-picking. But the trait that defined Voss career was his ferocity at the contest. Greene hasnt played in the AFL since 2018 but could be a valuable addition for the Hawks, who meet Essendon in round one. Wherever El Tigre has gone, goals have followed. 15-11: Four Brownlow Medallists and the fifth deserves one, 10-6: Four game-changing freaks and a controversial legend. And hes a Buddy legend. . Last-gasp wins, mouth-watering match-ups, inspirational individual performances; this is the stuff that memorable Grand Final moments are made of. He won back-to-back Europa League titles with different clubs in 2011 and 2012 for Porto and Atleti, a Ligue 1 title with Monaco and is Colombias all-time top scorer with 35 goals in 90 caps. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Over the past few days, foxfooty.com.au has been counting down the Top 20 of the Past 20. Chris Judd, Adam Goodes and Nat Fyfe are all among the AFL's best since 2000. And there's no doubt about it. 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. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Or why not treat yourself? Create Account. 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! Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) 19. The four-time All-Australian would flex his versatility when called upon, in midfield, ruck or forward. Week by week Scarlett would claim a new scalp from the oppositions best forward, using his high-level footballing IQ and unrivalled consistently to do so. Trent Cotchin captained Richmond to nearly 200 games and in that time they won two thirds of those games, 130 of those 200 they won. They (will) have a lot of youth and enthusiasm, Tuck said. These are the top seven captains that you would love to play for, he said on SENs Sportsday SA. 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). Bombers midfielder Jye Caldwell sent for scans, club hopeful of Round St Kilda wingman Dan McKenzie to miss start of 2023 season. Patrick Vieira was the beating heart of every side he led, winning the Euros with France, a double and unbeaten title with Arsenal and covering more grass than just about any other teammate. Judd's record stands by itself, and this year first player i believe to poll more then 20 brownlow votes in 5 seasons. That rangy, young Frenchman would soon blossom into one of Europe's most complete midfielders. Not only was it the only win he played in, McGrath kicked an unreal five goals from 12 touches in the Tigers triumph against the Western Bulldogs. Comment on stories, get exclusive content and submit your own articles! 548 games, 303 goals and 57 assists record Radamel Falcao Garca in the twentieth century from the shirts of River Plate, Porto . A complete striker, Aguero put beauty in ball-striking, making an art of finding space around the penalty area. 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. 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. Create your own Fantasy AFL team and compete for daily prizes on Draftstars its free to join so why not check it out? Goals: 156+. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. The Top 20 players of the past 20 years have been revealed. Among those to depart were Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell (to Collingwood), gun mid Jaeger OMeara (to Fremantle) and star forward Jack Gunston (to Brisbane). Inside or outside, left boot or right boot, in the air or on the ground, short kick or long kick, overhead or on the ground, in front of the goals or on the last line of defence, Geelong or Gold Coast he could do it all and has done it all, wherever hes played. Sign up to all of Foxtel Now with a 10-day free trial. Sachin Tendulkar (cricket) 17. 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. 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. 5. Hodge's consistency in both midfield and defensive roles were vital to his side's prolonged successes between 2008 and 2015, with Hodge a key name in every contest. 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 Menu . Of course, the criteria for eligibility is totally arbitrary. Toni Kroos can do both. The Czech sensation won a league and cup double with Lazio in 2000, before replacing Zinedine Zidane at Juventus and firing the Turin club to two league titles and the Champions League final, achievements that helped him clinch the 2003 Ballon dOr. It recognises the role of Italian Australian players in the sport. Nathan Buckley emerged as a genuine superstar of the game in the early 2000s. From the moment he graced an AFL field wearing a No. When the game was on the line, he won two Norm Smith Medals (in Grand Finals) he was a captain in. 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. Italiano . The Victorian Football League-Australian Football League (VFL/AFL) Italian Team of the Century was announced in June 2007. 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. The top 10 players in your ranking, below, will next go head-to-head with our winningest pre-80 and 80-99 stars for the battle to determine the one true bass GOAT. Click here to subscribe on iTunes To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Gerard Healy thinks Richmond superstar Dustin Martin is already a "certainty" to be named the AFL player of the 21st century. GAJ 2. My Top 5 players drafted since 2000. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. THERE aren't many players that can claim they were the best player on the field in their first AFL game. Well before Tom Mitchell and Lachie Neale were racking up 40-plus disposals a game for fun, Buckley was the leagues true ball magnet in an era when possessions were harder to accumulate. I thought it was timely to pick a team of future champions who over the next decade will become the face of the AFL. Adelaide has 16 and the other cellar dweller (North Melbourne) has 14. Perhaps somewhat controversially, Voss has usurped Judd here. Powerful yet graceful, explosive yet incredibly footy smart, Buckley at his best was the perfect midfielder. The eight-time All-Australian has lead his club's goal kicking tally across 11 separate seasons, six with the Hawks and five with the Swans, becoming the undisputed, greatest forward of his time. 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. Dane Swan (Collingwood) Now we present the top five ranked players in foxfooty.com.au's Top 20 of the Past 20. 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. 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. New customers only. 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. AFL's biggest question 'everyone's talking . THE NUMBERS: 30 disposals, 7 clearances, 1 goal A player that worked harder than any other, Adam Goodes rise to stardom is a thing of beauty. These are guys you want to go out to battle with. . Four Brownlow Medallists and the fifth deserves one, Four game-changing freaks and a controversial legend, The 12 AFL legends brutally snubbed from top-20 list. This list was composed by taking the players with the best careers in the 21st Century (2000-2019). A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. The club's CEO at the time, John Anderson acted as non-voting chairman of the panel. Champion Geelong ruckman Graham "Polly" Farmer was today named as captain of the indigenous team of the century. 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. The Hawks will take a lot of encouragement out of their practice match against Collingwood in Tasmania on Thursday, losing to last years preliminary finalists by just one goal.