Gavin Wanganeen
A beautifully balanced and skilled player, that was quite brave in the air. A Brownlow Medallist in 1993 at the age of 20, he also played in two premierships for two different clubs - Essendon and Port Adelaide.
Stephen Silvagni
Full back of the team of the century is not a bad start! A Carlton Premiership player in 1995, he was the ultimate competitor. I had to sneak him into my team as he’s now an assistant coach at St Kilda!
Gary Ayres
An uncompromising defender, that was as hard as nails. Ayres shone on the biggest stage winning two Norm Smith Medals along with an amazing five premiership medallions.
HALF-BACK
Andrew Mcleod
The only current player picked in My 22, McLeod is electrifying at his best. He is a player that has proven himself on the biggest stage with dual Norm Smith Medals in Adelaide’s back-to-back premierships.
Glen Jakovich
The West Coast Eagles’ Rock of Gibraltar, he is probably the only one who can say they matched, if not took the points from, the great Wayne Carey. He was impenetrable in the Eagles premierships of ’92 and '94.
Glenn Archer
The ‘shin-boner of the century’s’ courage and relentless attack on the ball and man, had to be seen to be believed. A bloke you'd just love to have in your team.
CENTRE
Nathan Buckley
Tough, smart and one of the best kicks the game has ever seen. Buckley nearly had it all. The only thing missing was team success. But he couldn't have done much more in the 2002 grand final, where he was awarded the Norm Smith Medal, despite the Pies losing that year.
Greg Williams
An amazing football brain, Williams was a ball magnet and had the best hands the game has seen. A dual Brownlow Medallist, Williams also won a Norm Smith Medal and was named on the bench in the Team of the Century.
Peter Matera
Amazing speed and a thumping long kick for goal, Matera was a very exciting player to watch and dominated in the '92 grand final, where he won the Norm Smith Medal.
HALF-FORWARDS
James Hird
A naturally gifted footballer and athlete, who was unfortunately slowed by injury. A premiership captain, Norm Smith and Brownlow Medallist, Hird always seemed to rise to the occasion when his side needed him.
Wayne Carey
Arguably the game’s most dominant player ever, this courageous and imposing player captained the Kangaroos to two premierships and often carried his team over the line, intimidating the opposition in the process.
Michael Voss
A real player's player that was tough, hard and relentless at the contest. Voss was also a fantastic leader who won a Brownlow Medal and captained the Brisbane Lions to three straight premierships.
FORWARDS
Gary Ablett Snr
Commonly regarded as the most freakishly-skilled player of all time, he did things on a footy field that no one else could or can do. Ablett kicked over 1000 goals including nine in the Cats’ losing grand final in '89.
Tony Lockett
The greatest goalkicker of all time, a Brownlow Medallist in 1987, Lockett was feared by many of his opponents.
Jason Dunstall
Another great goalkicker, who booted 1200 goals and spearheaded Hawthorn to multiple premierships. Dunstall’s amazing speed on the lead was just as good when he was down around the ball.
FOLLOWERS
Simon Madden
I didn't really see him play but from watching old footage and consulting people that did, I understand that Madden was a fierce competitor. A wonderful 'tap ruckman' with great mobility, who also kicked 575 goals over an amazing career of 378 games.
Robert Harvey
I was privileged enough to witness this maestro go about his work first hand. He was a running and ball-winning machine, who never stopped right to the end of his long and illustrious career. A humble champion of the game, Harvey is a dual Brownlow Medallist as well as being rewarded with countless other career accolades.
John Platten
A true rover, who was always buried under the packs, Platten’s non-stop running and hard work won him the ball and a Brownlow Medal. ‘The Rat’ wasn’t huge in stature but played with enormous heart and courage.
INTERCHANGE
Paul Kelly
Another courageous captain whose career was cut short by injury, Kelly’s bravery often inspired his team to lift.
Paul Salmon
The back-up ruckman was selected in both Essendon and Hawthorn's team of the century. He was a classical ruckman who was also an imposing force up forward.
Shane Crawford
Crawf finished his career in style with a premiership last year. He was an amazing, endurance athlete and competitor who won the 1999 Brownlow Medal in a struggling side.
Paul Roos
He is probably the utility-type player in My 22. His strength, athleticism, and durability meant he was able to play in several positions during his long and distinguished career.
COACH
Leigh Matthews
Unfortunately I didn’t get to see him in his playing days (that's why he's not in as a player!) but Leigh is the logical choice for coach. He coached Collingwood to its drought-breaking premiership win in 1990 and then took the Brisbane Lions to four straight grand finals for three premierships.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
