Gavin Wanganeen
Beautifully balanced and courageous, one of his greatest strengths was his ability to take any ball with one touch. His clean hands under pressure meant that if you missed any ball it was swept away from the area. No second chances when playing on him.
Stephen Silvagni
Very quick off the mark for such a big man, he never conceded the lead and was difficult to wrestle under the high ball. Played in an era of great full-forwards but was rarely beaten. Kept Gary Ablett Sr goalless in the 1995 grand final.
Paul Roos
My hero as a kid, and his No.1 Fitzroy jumper was rarely off my back. Could play on the best opposition forwards or as a loose man in defence with equal success. I cried when he went to play for the Sydney Swans but I have since forgiven him.
HALF-BACKS
Andrew McLeod
In the 2000 International Rules tour to Ireland I got a first-hand glimpse of McLeod. Quick and creative as a ball carrier off half-back and defensively very good with his chasing and run-down tackles from behind. Norm Smith medallist in Adelaide’s back to back premierships of 1997 and 1998.
Glen Jakovich
Makes the side just ahead of my ex-teammate Justin Lepppitsch. The only player of his time to consistently beat the greatest player I have seen – Wayne Carey. A genuine person off the field and ultra intense and competitive on it.
Luke Hodge
Impresses me more and more every time I see him play. Deservedly won the Norm Smith medal in last year’s grand final where he was the difference between the two sides. A great reader of play, tough and courageous with a piercing left foot. Love his competitiveness and his hate for losing.
CENTRES
Peter Matera
One of my favourite players of all time (and not just because he is missing a finger, like me). A quick and brilliantly balanced wingman who formed one of the greatest centrelines of all time with Dean Kemp and Chris Mainwaring. His five goals in West Coast’s 1992 premiership win was one of the best individual displays of all time.
Michael Voss
My captain in the Brisbane Lions three-peat of 2001-2003. Arguably the greatest skipper of all time, his courage made players want to follow his lead. Intimidated the opposition with his strength, power and attack on the contest.
Robert Harvey
Greatest asset was running himself and his opponents to exhaustion. Rarely without a tagger, Harvey merely accepted it and lifted his workrate. Always seemed to have an abundance of time and space. Quick lateral movement made him a hard man to catch or hold down.
HALF-FORWARDS
James Hird
Could do it all – mark, kick and influence matches. I always wondered how a bloke of his size could move so well and play in so many different positions. A big game player who captained Essendon’s 2000 premiership side and won the Norm Smith Medal.
Wayne Carey
The greatest player ever. When I was growing up North Melbourne was always playing Friday night football and Carey was always dominating it. The Kangaroos’ whole game plan used to revolve around him. Could take the big mark and kick the big goal.
Darren Jarman
I once heard he used to blind turn around no one during training drills. Not the greatest athlete but well and truly made up for it with his football nous and super skills. Turned the game for Adelaide in the 1997 premiership, where he kicked six goals.
FORWARDS
Jason Dunstall
A strong leader with a great set of hands, he finished his career with a total of 1254 goals, kicking a hundred goals in a season on six occasions. Renowned for creating goalscoring opportunities for his teammates. Played in Hawthorn’s premiership sides in 1986, 1988, 1989 and 1991.
Tony Lockett
The greatest goalkicker in VFL/AFL history. I believe his total of 1357 will never be matched. His aggression and presence made him a feared opponent – I remember struggling to sleep thinking about him the night before my first game of AFL football against the Swans.
Gary Ablett Sr
One of the all-time greats. Very powerfully built, his greatest strength was his ability to win vital one-on-one contests in the air and on the ground. Great strength through his hips made him a very difficult man to tackle.
FOLLOWERS
Dean Cox
The best ruckman the game has seen. Once he contests the hit-out, he damages oppositions as a running midfielder. A great runner for his size and uses the ball beautifully. I always thought ruckmen should handball to the smaller players and not kick until I saw Cox ply his trade.
Nathan Buckley
The ultimate professional who left nothing to chance. A tall, strong midfielder who dominated the competition for a number of years. A very clean player who rarely fumbled the ball, his greatest strength was spotting up teammates with his penetrating, raking kick.
Simon Black
Has achieved everything in the game including three premierships, a Brownlow Medal and a Norm Smith Medal. His ability to win the contested ball and find teammates with his slick hands is amazing. Super competitive and a great runner.
INTERCHANGE
Chris Judd
When he is firing, everyone else seems to be standing still as he charges through the packs. His ability to win his own football and explode from contests makes him one of the current-day guns. Impressive attitude and demeanour.
Adam Goodes
I grew up playing junior footy against him and it’s great to see how good he has become. We also share the same birth date – maybe we’re twins! A gifted player who has the size, speed and agility to play in any position. A premiership player and dual Brownlow medallist.
Nigel Lappin
One of my favourite teammates. Quiet and unassuming off the field, he expressed himself freely through his skills. Would run himself to exhaustion and cover for his mates, making him a great player. His courage to play the 2003 grand final with broken ribs and a punctured lung will go down in football folklore.
Gary Ablett Jr
Quick, strong and balanced, and an integral part of Geelong’s 2007 premiership win. Outstanding ability to win one-on-one contests and finish in front of goals. Breaks the tackles of opponents and makes the impossible look easy.
NOTES
-- The only evident weakness in the team I have selected is the lack of a great small forward. If the forward line played together as selected there might not be too much chasing of the opposition on the way out. But as a great man once said to me: “You don’t need to chase when you have the ball in your hands,” and I’m sure that my forward line would have plenty of ball in hand.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
