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Interesting article, have a read:

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theroar.com.au/2024/06/12/the-top-ten-afl-players-since-2000-where-does-dustin-martin-sit-on-the-eve-of-his-300th-game/amp/[/URL]

When assessing players, one of the first things I use is the Eye Test, plus statistics and along with the Eye Test I like to see how much of an inpact a player has had in games.

Therefore, in my opinion my top 4:

1. Gary Ablett Jnr: For sheer overall consistent output, GazJnr gets the nod at number 1. Outstanding career with many achievements. Ultra consistent and with inpact too.

2x Premiership player

2x Brownlow medal

5x AFLPA MVP (Leigh Matthews Trophy)

3x AFLCA Champion Player of the Year

8x All Australian

6x club B & F (2x Geelong, 4x Gold Coast)

3x Leading Goal Kicker (1x Geelong, 2x Gold Coast)

2. Chris Judd - not easy to split GazJnr or Judd (or even the player at number 3) in terms of impact but Judd gets the number 2 spot. Once again his output and consistency was excellent and his career achievements were very good.

1x Premiership player

2x Brownlow medal

1x Norm Smith medal

2x AFLPA MVP (Leigh Matthews Trophy)

6x All Australian

5x Club B & F (2x West Coast, 3 x Carlton)

1x AFLPA Best First Year Player

1x AFL Goal of the Year

3. Dustin Martin - His Home & Away record is still good but probably isn't as good in terms of consistency as GazJnr and Judd but where he makes up ground is his record in Finals Footy - when it truly matters most, and when you combine his Finals record with his Home & Away record...it shows he "burnt the candle at both ends" so for me he goes in at number 3, in my opinion. The perfect player for the big stage and he delivered more often than not - to me that gives serious weight when assessing a player.

3x Premiership player

1x Brownlow medal

1x AFLPA MVP (Leigh Matthews Trophy)

1x AFLCA Champion Player of the Year

4x All Australian

2x Club B & F

3x AFLCA Player of the Finals

3x Norm Smith medal

2x AFLPA Under 22 Team

4. Lance Franklin - For a player to kick 1000+ goals in the modern era, seriously that's a great achievement and that's what Franklin did (1066). He is also the most recent player to kick 100 goals in a season - 113 (2008). He's certainly the best Key Position Forward since 2000.  His record speaks for itself

2x Premiership player

8x All Australian

4x Coleman medal

1x Club B & F

13x Club Leading Goal Kicker (6x Hawthorn & 7x Sydney)

2x AFL Goal of the Year

I decided to do a top 4, purely because I like horse racing and did the "Quartet"

Anyway, that's my top 4. So what's yours? Maybe you have a top 5? Do you agree/disagree with the article in terms of the ranking (top 10).