IT IS a roll call of stars and champions.
As we reach the start of 2025, AFL.com.au has undertaken the task of selecting each club's Team of This Century (so far).
In each team there are 23 players – 18 on the field, four on the interchange and a substitute, to be in line with the modern game – and the criteria is simple: starting from round one, 2000, through to the end of the 2024 season, our reporters have picked who they believe to be each club's Team of This Century.
How did we do it? Put simply, it was about career impact within the time period. Some gun players who did most of their best work in the 1990s and had only limited games in this century have been overlooked for players with longer stints. Others have been rewarded for smaller sample sizes but bigger influence.
Across the next three days, each club's Team of This Century will be unveiled. Let the debate begin.
B: Nathan Bassett, Ben Rutten, Ben Hart
HB: Rory Laird, Daniel Talia, Andrew McLeod
C: Simon Goodwin, Scott Thompson, Rory Sloane
HF: Tyson Edwards, Kurt Tippett, Brett Burton
F: Eddie Betts, Taylor Walker, Josh Jenkins
Foll: Sam Jacobs, Patrick Dangerfield, Mark Ricciuto
I/C: Jordan Dawson, Matt Crouch, Brodie Smith, Graham Johncock
Sub: Richard Douglas
The Crows have several greats who played their careers either side of 2000, with Goodwin, Ricciuto and McLeod all premiership players in the 90s before winning multiple club champion awards after 2000. Edwards also played 240 of his 321 games after 2000, comfortably earning selection, while Hart played 131 games in the 2000s, winning one of his four club champion awards as well as All-Australian selection in 2002. Walker stands alone as the Crows' best key forward this century, with Jenkins (296 goals) and Tippett (188) able to support in attack and the ruck, edging the unlucky Tom Lynch. Dawson's impact in three seasons, including two as captain, has been immense, forcing himself in after back-to-back club champion wins, 2023 All-Australian selection and two Showdown medals. Douglas played 246 games and is selected as the sub after winning the Malcolm Blight Medal in 2010. Among others unlucky to miss were Nathan van Berlo, Ben Keays, Michael Doughty, David Mackay and Nathan Bock. – Nathan Schmook
B: Chris Johnson, Harris Andrews, Darryl White
HB: Chris Scott, Justin Leppitsch, Daniel Rich
C: Nigel Lappin, Simon Black, Hugh McCluggage
HF: Dayne Zorko, Jonathan Brown, Jason Akermanis
F: Charlie Cameron, Alastair Lynch, Joe Daniher
Foll: Stefan Martin, Michael Voss, Lachie Neale
I/C: Brandon Starcevich, Shaun Hart, Tom Rockliff, Luke Power
Sub: Tim Notting
The Lions have two distinct eras of success this century, along with a host of high-performing club stalwarts between times that makes this selection difficult. Voss, Black, Akermanis and Neale are all no-brainers as Brownlow medallists, while Brown, Leppitsch, Andrews and Cameron also pick themselves as among the best in the competition at their respective positions. Brisbane has traditionally selected three tall forwards, and while Daniel Bradshaw could be considered unlucky, Daniher's impact in his short tenure was undeniable. Ruck was another close battle, with 'Mr September' Clark Keating unlucky, along with Oscar McInerney, but Martin was a shining light during a difficult period. The sub role could go to a host of the three-peat champions, but Notting's versatility and dynamic play from a wing and half-forward should not be under-estimated – he's perfect for the role. - Michael Whiting
B: Andrew McKay, Stephen Silvagni, Kade Simpson
HB: Sam Docherty, Jacob Weitering, Heath Scotland
C: Scott Camporeale, Anthony Koutoufides, Brett Ratten
HF: Matthew Lappin, Harry McKay, Marc Murphy
F: Eddie Betts, Brendan Fevola, Charlie Curnow
Foll: Matthew Kreuzer, Patrick Cripps, Chris Judd
I/C: Andrew Carrazzo, Bryce Gibbs, Sam Walsh, Lance Whitnall
Sub: Andrew Walker
It's a team stacked with All-Australians, Brownlow and Coleman Medal winners, which could be considered somewhat of a surprise given Carlton's lack of team success throughout the 2000s. Silvagni played only 40 games this century, but still gets the nod at full-back ahead of 150-game player Michael Jamison given his standing in the early 2000s. The five Coleman Medals won between Harry McKay, Fevola and Charlie Curnow force All-Australian and best and fairest Whitnall to the bench. Lappin and Camporeale make it as All-Australians, while Carrazzo also gets a spot on the bench given his 2007 best and fairest. Corey McKernan and David Teague are the only John Nicholls Medal winners to miss out. Adam Saad is stiff and is the only All-Australian to miss. Walker is the substitute, given his versatility and his terrific 56-goal season in 2011. Jarrad Waite, Jeff Garlett, Ed Curnow and Ryan Houlihan are among the others who could consider themselves unlucky. - Riley Beveridge
B: James Clement, Simon Prestigiacomo, Nick Maxwell
HB: Heath Shaw, Darcy Moore, Ben Johnson
C: Steele Sidebottom, Dane Swan, Dale Thomas
HF: Alan Didak, Anthony Rocca, Jordan De Goey
F: Jamie Elliott, Travis Cloke, Leon Davis
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Nathan Buckley, Scott Pendlebury
I/C: Nick Daicos, Jack Crisp, Paul Licuria, Brayden Maynard
Sub: Scott Burns
Brownlow Medallists Buckley and Swan pick themselves, along with Collingwood's games record-holder Pendlebury. The backline is blended with players from all Grand Final appearances this century. Difficult to leave Jeremy Howe out, but Clement won two Copeland Trophies and finished top three in two other counts, while Maxwell is a premiership captain and All-Australian. Johnson and Thomas get the starting spots over Maynard and Josh Daicos, but the two current premiership stars still have plenty of football left. With 400+ goals, Rocca and Cloke get the key posts in attack, just ahead of Chris Tarrant, who ended his career in defence after returning from Fremantle. Nick Daicos hasn't played enough games yet to be in the starting 18, especially with a stacked midfield, but clearly can't be left out of the 23. Current board member Licuria also features just ahead of the likes of Burns, Shane O'Bree and Tarkyn Lockyer after winning two best and fairests during the first half of Mick Malthouse's tenure at the club. - Josh Gabelich
B: Mark Johnson, Dustin Fletcher, Michael Hurley
HB: Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker, Brendon Goddard
C: Brent Stanton, Jobe Watson, Adam Ramanauskas
HF: James Hird, Scott Lucas, Mark Mercuri
F: Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Matthew Lloyd, Joe Daniher
Foll: David Hille, Zach Merrett, Jason Johnson
I/C: Sean Wellman, Joe Misiti, Paddy Ryder, Dean Solomon
Sub: Mark McVeigh
That this team has 12 members of the 2000 premiership side says two things about Essendon: just how dominant that side was in the single best ever season and also how middling a lot of the rest of the century has been for the club. Hird, Lloyd, Fletcher and Lucas were locks from that team, while both Johnsons won best and fairests and Wellman was an All-Australian in the selection period. Of the modern group, Merrett is the only current player selected, while former skipper Heppell also gets in as does McDonald-Tipungwuti, who beat a narrow field of small forwards. Hurley was a multiple All-Australian and Hooker was in once and won a best and fairest, while Goddard is one of only two recruits from another club to feature. Damien Hardwick and Blake Caracella's limited time at Essendon post 2000 made it harder for them to feature, while David Zaharakis and Darcy Parish were others to be close, with Parish an All-Australian and Zaharakis a Crichton medallist. – Callum Twomey
B: Antoni Grover, Shane Parker, Roger Hayden
HB: Michael Johnson, Luke McPharlin, Luke Ryan
C: Stephen Hill, David Mundy, Shaun McManus
HF: Michael Walters, Matthew Pavlich, Hayden Ballantyne
F: Jeff Farmer, Tony Modra, Justin Longmuir
Foll: Aaron Sandilands, Nat Fyfe, Peter Bell
I/C: Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong, Paul Hasleby, Ryan Crowley
Sub: Lachie Neale
The Dockers' most successful team is the group that led it to the 2013 Grand Final, with 11 of those players represented here, including champion forward Pavlich, dual Brownlow medallist Fyfe, and Freo games record-holder Mundy, who are arguably the three greatest players to represent the club. Sandilands, Crowley and Neale are other club champions from that era to feature, with Neale playing 135 games as a Docker. The key forward roles were difficult, but Modra's 77 goals across 2000-01 get him in, with Longmuir as a third tall and back-up ruckman. Walters (365 goals), Ballantyne (254) and Farmer (224) sit second, third and fourth respectively on the club's all-time goalkickers list, filling out the forward line. Of the inaugural Dockers, Parker played 150 of his 238 games from 2000 onward, while wingman McManus played 170 of his 228. Triple club champion Bell returned in 2001 and played 161 games with the club this century, earning selection in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. Players unlucky to miss include Michael Barlow, Troy Cook, Chris Mayne, Alex Pearce and Clive Waterhouse. – Nathan Schmook