We’re about to bring down the curtain on a decade of footy that had a decidedly brown-and-gold flavour, given Hawthorn’s three straight flags, but there is much reflect on.
It was 10 years in which the game became more frenetic than ever and midfielders dominated, to the stage where mechanisms were installed to slow the game and introduce more fatigue for the players.
We had new teams, new grounds and new countries staging AFL games. Technology started to play an increased role in the game and for the smart clubs, it gave them an edge.
Was it the most revolutionary decade in the game? Perhaps not. But it as one full of highs and lows, with all sorts of talking points.
In this week’s AFL Record we take a look at the best of the decade.
TEAM OF THE DECADE
FB: Corey Enright, Alex Rance, Josh Gibson
HB: Luke Hodge (captain), Jeremy McGovern, Scott Pendlebury
C: Patrick Dangerfield, Sam Mitchell, Dustin Martin
HF: Dane Swan, Nick Riewoldt, Nat Fyfe
FF: Eddie Betts, Lance Franklin, Robbie Gray
Foll: Max Gawn, Joel Selwood (vice-captain), Gary Ablett
Int: Jack Riewoldt, Jimmy Bartel, Cyril Rioli, Josh Kennedy (West Coast).
Emg: Chris Judd, Aaron Sandilands, Shaun Burgoyne, Steve Johnson.
Your club’s MVP
Adelaide: Eddie Betts
Brisbane: Dayne Zorko
Carlton: Patrick Cripps
Collingwood: Scott Pendlebury
Essendon: Jobe Watson
Fremantle: Nat Fyfe
Geelong: Joel Selwood
Gold Coast: Gary Ablett
GWS: Jeremy Cameron
Hawthorn: Luke Hodge
Melbourne: Nathan Jones
North Melbourne: Ben Cunnington
Port Adelaide: Robbie Gray
Richmond: Dustin Martin
St Kilda: Nick Riewoldt
Sydney: Adam Goodes
West Coast: Josh Kennedy
Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli
Pick up your copy of the AFL Record from all grounds for just $5 to see who we have selected as the coach and umpire of the decade as well as the best games, stories we loved, stories we didn't and the best of the innovations.