Credit: PA Selwood 5. A subscription makes a thoughtful gift for both family and friends. 236K subscribers in the AFL community. The high-flying forward who was taken second overall had to wait until Round 5 to make his AFL debut, but he wasted no time playing a pivotal role in the Blues second win of the season. Many would argue that Cech is the greatest Premier League goalkeeper ever, and there are good reasons why. 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. Ferdinand was a ball-playing defender of the European school, rather than the bruising centre-halves more associated with the English school of thought. The towering Dutchman, who combines immense strength with impressive acceleration, was the defensive rock behind Champions League and Premier League victories in his first two full seasons at Anfield. Best forwards of the 21st century (L-R): Eddie Betts, Lance Franklin, Brendan Fevola, Matthew Pavlich. Robert Lewandowski netted 344 goals in 375 Bayern Munich games. New customers only. But hes only won the AFLPAs best captain once, which is why I didnt give him the number one spot.. They also had to have played at least one game at . Provides a lot of energy. It will be an interesting exercise to look back at these players careers when another decade has passed. Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors. 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. GAJ 2. 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. Debate about the best players of the 21st Century goes . 10 Best AFL Grand Final Moments Of The 21st Century THE NUMBERS: 33disposals, 6 marks, 4 tackles, 4 clearances, 2 goals 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 Modern-day forwards like him arent supposed to average 3.5 goals per game across multiple seasons. Menzel's top seven AFL captains of the 21st century Chris Judd - Greatest player of the 21st Century (so far) The four-time All-Australian would flex his versatility when called upon, in midfield, ruck or forward. After spending a few seasons on Richmonds list Polo finally broke through for his debut match in the famous Dreamtime at the G clash against the Bombers during the 2006 season. Arsene Wenger once claimed that he only really won the Arsenal players' trust when he arrived in England because they could see he'd brought a top player with him. That's 22.5% of the greatest sluggers of this century, even with testing in place for 17 of the 21 seasons. 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 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. The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of the 21st Century The level of talent in this tournament -- especially among the top few teams -- is unprecedented. Then again, Buddy is no ordinary player or footy figure. Itsnot just players who have played in the last 20 years. Top 20 AFL players of all time - World Gambling List Philip Rivers (QB) San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts - First year: 2004 - Drafted:. 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. 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 . 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. New customers only. No one will ever forget the exhaustion and disappointment of the players as the final siren rang and neither team could claim victory. 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? AFL Naming Rights Partner. Ranked! The 100 best players of the 21st Century The Cats start kick-off our list as a deserving candidate with a stelar record to his name. 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. 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. 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. The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 40-26, (Image credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images), (Image credit: (Photo by Pawel Andrachiewicz/PressFocus/MB Media/Getty Images), The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 60-41, The 100 best players of the 21st Century: 25-11, 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: 10-1, Roberto Firmino makes stunning choice on Liverpool future: 'It's decided', Liverpool signing Mason Mount from Chelsea could be a LOT more realistic than you realise, Why Sir Alex Ferguson thinks Anfield has the best atmosphere in the country, Father of Manchester United's potential new owner Sheikh Jassim criticises bid for club: 'I dont like this investment', Manchester United target Victor Osimhen openly reveals that a dream Premier League move is his 'ambition'. The WA-born prospect had to toil to break into the Lions side, but he was rewarded with seven straight games late in the 2008 campaign going on to average over 26 touches in those matches. 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. How many others have a position named after them? They held on to claim a two-point win and Polo took home three of five career Brownlow votes. 38 Hawthorn jumper for all the trivia buffs playing along at home the Buddy nickname stuck. 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. Voss played through most of the 90s, but his durability and elite consistency across the first seven years of the 2000s mustnt be forgotten. Few footballers have been this influential and even fewer have been quite so adored. (We've also collated a 12-man list of snubbed players, which you can check out here.) Anyone can contribute to The Roar and have their work Francesco Totti retired with 307 goals in 786 Roma appearances. There were devastating patches of brilliance. The 2023 AFL Season is just around the corner and the Zero Hanger Season Guide is back! Hes Buddy brilliant. 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. 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. The Western Bulldogs Official App is your one stop shop for all your latest team News, Videos, Player Profiles, Scores and Stats delivered LIVE to your smartphone or tablet! A strong, tough-tackling defender, Terrys leadership was behind five league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, a Europa League crown and a Champions League title. 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. Champion Geelong ruckman Graham "Polly" Farmer was today named as captain of the indigenous team of the century. He had an incredible blend of physical power, velvet touch and positional intelligence: the Gunners yearned for him for a decade after he departed. Best 20 AFL players of past 20 years list, Top 20 of 20: Rankings 10 to Hes a player you just wanted to play for. 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. Years active: 2010 - current. Chris Judd, Adam Goodes and Nat Fyfe are all among the AFL's best since 2000. 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. Pendlebury Good top 5. . That is the reason I gave him the best captain of the last 23 years., 2023, SEN All Rights Create. The Belgian was one of the most imperious centre-backs in Europe at his peak, adored by every manager who worked with him.