Where Robben was direct, obvious, powerful and bold, Ribery was deft, thoughtful and capable of the unexpected. UNLUCKY DOZEN: The 12 AFL legends brutally snubbed from top-20 list, *Odds are current as of 4th March 2023, 6:03pm AEST. 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. Makeleles deep-midfield role helped both provide defensive cover for and unlock the attacking talents of his team-mates further up the field. 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. Share, or vent, your thoughts on Facebook or tweet us @FOXFOOTY. 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. Players whose careers began prior to the year 2000 . Can use the ball really well. 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 midfield wizard behind Manchester Citys recent successes, De Bruyne has developed into one of the worlds most complete midfielders under Pep Guardiola. THE NUMBERS: 33disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 2 goals Create. 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. They (will) have a lot of youth and enthusiasm, Tuck said. Across his stellar two-club career, 'Buddy' has also added four Coleman Medals, two premierships and a best and fairest from his 300-game career. Lots of goals. He earned legend status over 11 years at the Bernabeu and remains the foreigner with the most appearances for the club. And fair to say there is some big names on this one! 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. As for the man himself, he told FFT in 2016 that it all came very naturally to me. 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 . 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? Lloyd started the 21st century like no other, having two 100+ goal seasons in 2000 and 2001 and added a third Coleman Medal in 2003. He captained them to four Grand Finals, three of them were premierships. You will receive a verification email shortly. Rounding off the top five are Brazilian icon Ronaldinho and Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta. Along with Hodge and Burgoyne, Richmond legend Matthew Richardson, AFLW trailblazer Daisy Pearce, former Geelong captain Cameron Ling, and 7NEWS football reporter Ryan Daniels also believe that the Hawks are on track to break a 58-year wooden-spoon drought. Champion Geelong ruckman Graham "Polly" Farmer was today named as captain of the indigenous team of the century. 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. (Feel free to leave aratingand reviewto help me move up the charts ). 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. Wherever El Tigre has gone, goals have followed. Whether it is high flying marks, bone jarring tackles or freakish goals, Australian Rules has it all. The technically gifted winger is often less lauded than some of his illustrious team-mates for club and country, but hes been a consistent source of goals and assists throughout his career. Hawthorn are bracing for a world of pain in the 2023 AFL season, according to two of their most decorated players. I dont necessarily know a lot of these guys in terms of how they lead inside the four walls because I wasnt with them, so Ive gone off the way they act on the field.. THE NUMBERS: 26 disposals, 9 marks, 4 tackles, 1 Brownlow vote THE star forward of the 21st century, nobody has or will ever match the ability of Buddy Franklin. THE NUMBERS: 32 disposals, 7 marks, 5 tackles Best forwards of the 21st century (L-R): Eddie Betts, Lance Franklin, Brendan Fevola, Matthew Pavlich. Who is your club's best ruck of the 21st century? 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. And while the no.10 broke through in the 90s, the 21st Century was paved in gold for him. He was irreplaceable when he left, too. No player has polled more Brownlow Medal votes. THE NUMBERS:12 disposals, 5 marks, 5 goals Ive got Scott Pendlebury at 5. Europes biggest prize, the Champions League, still eludes De Bruyne and his club-mates, but for how long? The midfielder is quiet, understated and perhaps the ultimate German footballer. (We've also collated a 12-man list of snubbed players, which you can check out here.) At the very start of the 21st Century, Luis Figo committed the most controversial transfer that football had ever seen. Hes a player you just wanted to play for. 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. Dalziell held the disposals record for less than two years before another mature-aged player stole his thunder. Black also sits in exclusive company as one of only six players to win a Brownlow, Premiership and Norm Smith, joining the likes of Bartel, Williams, Hird, Judd and Martin. At his peak, Falcao looked utterly unstoppable - Chelsea fans might still have traumatic flashbacks to his stunning first half hat-trick in a 4-1 UEFA Super Cup victory for Atleti in 2012. 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. The club's CEO at the time, John Anderson acted as non-voting chairman of the panel. The Bombers all-time leading goal-kicker won his club's goal scoring tally in nine of the opening 10 season to start the decade and would end his career at the end of 2009 after 270 games and 926 goals. Michael Voss 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. Some notable examples in this regard would be Gianluigi Buffon, Carles Puyol, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Luis Figo, and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Robert. 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. Because Judds explosive best during a four-year period at West Coast (2004 to 2007) was better than any players optimum output on this 20-man list. 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. While most AFL fans will remember Ben Truck Rutten for his All-Australian defensive days his debut match in 2003 was something quite the opposite. King Kun arrived in the Premier League with promise: he left a hero. 15-11: Four Brownlow Medallists and the fifth deserves one, 10-6: Four game-changing freaks and a controversial legend. Bulldogs welcoming Darcy dilemma, Old habits die hard as Buckley backs Blues to miss finals. 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. Ahead of the 2020 Draft, ESPN decided to look back at the last 20 No. To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Pictures: AFL Photos THEY'RE the stars who drive your club to glory. It shouldnt take away from his outstanding Blues stint, which netted him a second Brownlow Medal and three best and fairests. Mine are Gary Ablett Junior Buddy Juddy Dusty Unlucky Hodge Selwood The four selectors picked their separate teams, from which the final team was named. Former AFL forward Daniel Menzel has ranked his top seven AFL captains of the 21st century. The most experienced millennium at the end of 2020 was Western Bulldogs Bailey Smith, who had played 41 games and starred in his 42nd game in the season opener against Collingwood, followed by Carltons Sam Walsh (39) and Gold Coasts Jack Lukosius (38). Franklins sensational switch to Sydney, after two flags with the Hawks, was bold on many fronts. 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. 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. A two-time Golden Boot winner, Salah holds the record for the most goals scored in a Premier League season with 32 and has been astonishingly prolific at Anfield, notching more than 20 goals in each of his five seasons. Modern-day forwards like him arent supposed to average 3.5 goals per game across multiple seasons. A key component for Real Madrid's early 00s triumphs, the Portuguese was the statesman on home soil in 2004. Gold Coast have a very impressive 19, four of whom won rising star awards in 2020. 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. Sun Sign: Cancer. 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. There was a problem. Martin boasts two best and fairest honours, three All-Australian selections and 251 goals from his 225 game career. AFL Naming Rights Partner. 2 pick recording 30 touches against Geelong way back at the start of the 2000 season. 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. 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. 38 Hawthorn jumper for all the trivia buffs playing along at home the Buddy nickname stuck. 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. Dean Polo is one such player. Greatest player of the 21st Century (so far)" thread, where we could all share some of our favourite stories of the great man. 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. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. The issue for his opponents, though, was he was anything but buddy-like to them on the field. 12 votes, 77 comments. Philip Rivers (QB) San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts - First year: 2004 - Drafted:. AFL Premier Partners. Player Sponsorship . 0. 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. 1 and No. Playing Career: 1982, 1984-96 (Haw 1982, Geel 1984-96) Games: 248. 0. 10 greatest AFL players of all time. But the major honours soon flowed in after he joined Bayern Munich, winning the league and cup double three times, while he claimed the Premier League crown with Chelsea in 2010. Novak Djokovic (tennis) 18. Lance Franklins famous match-winning goal against Adelaide in 2007 elimination final. 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. Tonight, AFL and Carlton fans alike will get their first look at prized No. 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. FourFourTwo is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. It just seemed he wasnt as dynamic at Carlton compared to his West Coast days, while his ability to hit the scoreboard declined. He played at least 21 games in each of those seven seasons. The 21st century has provided a stage for new evolutions in the game of basketball. At the age of 36, McCulloch scored 17 goals in the 2013-14 season to bring Rangers back into the Scottish Premiership. In fact he probably became a wiser and more-rounded player at the Blues. Birthplace: Rosario, Argentina. Vincent Kompany joined Manchester City the same month as the Abu Dhabi United Group. At the time, Bradd Dalziells 32 touches were the most ever recorded in an AFL debut. 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. 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. Another Champions League crown and the La Liga title came at Real Madrid, followed by three consecutive Bundesliga triumphs at Bayern Munich. THE NUMBERS:28 disposals, 6 marks, 3 goals, 3 Brownlow votes 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. Chris Judd, Adam Goodes and Nat Fyfe are all among the AFL's best since 2000. Debate about the best players of the 21st Century goes . . That's why the likes of Wayne Carey and Robert . Share 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. Hawthorn champion Dermott Brereton recently told Fox Footy Live Judds best football was the best midfield football Ive seen. But not all former Hawks are in agreement with the doom-and-gloom forecast. 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. Italiano . That's 22.5% of the greatest sluggers of this century, even with testing in place for 17 of the 21 seasons. His last 10 minutes of the 2002 Grand Final when he controlled the game, he took it from a 50/50 to getting the Lions the win, probably should have own the Norm Smith as well. 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. The long-legged Ivorian mastered the role of the box-to-box midfielder, capable of causing damage in the final third and winning the ball while protecting his defence. The Brownlows, All-Australians, best and fairests and flags flowed, even after he sensationally walked away from the Cats at the end of 2010 to become new club Gold Coasts marquee player. Sit back and relax, as we take a look at the greatest, the best, the most iconic, the most memorable, the most spectacular and the most sensational . He was at the very core of everything that would happen on Eastlands. JESSE HOGAN. The team at AFL.com.au has dissected every club's records to name the best forward at each since the turn of the century. He was probably stiff not to win Buckleys 2002 Norm Smith Medal too. 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.