You don’t have to be a resident of the down under to have your preferences with AFL. The Australian Football League has a lot to offer to the whole world as we break down some of the best AFL players to watch out for in the upcoming seasons.
Australian Football League
Founded more than a century ago, the Australian Football League or the AFL is the only professional men’s sports competition under the Australian Rules football (also known as footy). Originally named the Victorian Football League, it was just a breakaway game for the inaugural ceremony of the Victorian Football Association.
However, once they realized that the game could be carried towards doing a national sport, they started aiming towards the objective by expanding its popularity beyond Victoria. And so the name was consequentially changed to AFL. Today, it is one of the most celebrated sports beyond the four walls of Australia and has made quite a global audience.
10 Best AFL Players
Naturally, when a sport has been developing over the course of more than 125 years and celebrated across the world, it is bound to create players that are the true creditors of what AFL is today. One can’t help but focus on the talent that AFL has produced over the years, with the best AFL players of all time taking up the legacy.
So no matter which team you support, you can’t deny that there are players who have risen above their team’s stance and become a phenomenon across all leagues. So don’t take it as just a mention of some of the biggest names in AFL, but a list of the greatest AFL players to watch out for in the upcoming seasons.
So let’s get started!
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Wayne Carey
The newer generations would know Carrey as the panelist on Talking Footy – the popular sports program. But back in his glory days, he was considered the best player in the AFL. He played with the Adelaide Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, among other leagues in AFL. He lost his charm when it was revealed that he was involved in an extramarital affair.
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Gary Ablett Jr.
The former AFL player was known as the monster machine when it was his time to shine. A child of nepotism was brought into Australian Rules because he was the eldest son of Australian Football Hall of Fame member Gary Ablett Sr. – it is surprising to think he didn’t want to but got drafted under the father-son rule. Today he is known for being one of the greatest AFL players for having played the thirteenth-most number of games in AFL.
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Lance “Buddy” Franklin
Lance Buddy Franklin, or simply Buddy Franklin, is a professional Australian Rules footballer. He plays for Sydney Swans in AFL while he previously was under the team-ship of Hawthorne Football Club for the longest time. Known as the greatest AFL player of all time, he was regarded as the best forward of his generation.
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James Hird
Not many Australian Rules footballers have gone on to coach, but James Albert Hird was the exception. After ending his playing career in 2007, he took a break for a few years only to return as a coach in 2011 and retire in 2015. It is safe to say when football is in your blood. You can’t separate the passion from within.
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Nathan Buckley
Another former glory man who went on to coach after his playing career, Nathan Buckley, is one of the most popular Australian Rules footballers because of his good looks combined with his gameplay. He is currently coaching the Collingwood Football Club and is accredited for the team’s performance in recent seasons.
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Chris Judd
Recognized for being the AFL’s premier midfielders to have ever come out of the game, Chris Judd is a legendary player for Australian Rules. From numerous championship trophies to accolades and medals, he was recently drafted into the AFL Hall of Fame in 2021, completing the set of career highlights any young AFL player would dream of achieving.
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Robert Harvey
Currently an assistant coach for Hawthorn Football Club, Harvey as a player, was dedicated to one team and one team only for the entire expanse of his career – St Kilda Football Club in the AFL. He also served as the interim head coach for Collingwood Football Club. Most prominently, Harvey has been recognized as one of the top 50 greatest AFL players of all time.
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Tony Lockett
One of the most coveted players in the history of AFL, Tony Lockett was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2006 and got the legend status in 2015, upon completing 10 years of serving with Australian Rules despite not playing. He is known for single-handedly having carried St Kilda and Sydney Football Club as the man of his game.
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Nick Riewoldt
Known for being the all-time record holder for most marks in AFL’s history, he surpassed Gary Dempsey in 2017 with a wondrous margin. Even early on in his career, he was awarded the AFL Rising Star, and people were already too sure of his competency as an AFL player to doubt his accolades. Surprisingly, he has also won Celebrity Master Chef Australia Season 2.
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Michael Voss
Another popular Australian Football player known beyond the Australian borders, Voss, has been a triple premiership captain of the Brisbane Lions. Until recently, he has been the senior coach of the same club. However, in 2022 he moved over to Carlton. He is noted as being an inspiring footballer for his fearlessness, leadership, and gameplay tactics.
Conclusion
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic had severely disrupted the 2020 AFL season, the association didn’t back down from the games being carried out under strict measures. However, the true gallant disposition was seen in some of the best AFL players to have set foot on the field despite no crowd to cheer them on.
This goes on to show that they only play for the game, their country, their team, and the entertainment or fame and glamor factor involved. It is safe to say that as the pandemic guidelines have been eased, we can expect record-braking crowds back in the stadium for the upcoming seasons as AFL adds another year of football to its legacy.