World Footy News

 

The following article from the AFLNT (AFL Northern Territory) details the selection of the top 100 footballers from this often underrated footballing goldmine. The AFL has been graced over the years by names such as Rioli, Long and Burgoyne – all heralding from the Northern Territory.

 

Following months of robust discussion and committee debate, we are pleased to announce the top 100 footballers for the Northern Territory Government AFLNT Team of the Century.

 

The list includes NT football identities that established their careers on the national stage and also pays respect to the local men who made their name in the Territory.

 

Featuring in the Top 100 is Michael Long, winner of two AFL Premierships with the Essendon Football Club, a Norm Smith Medallist and Australian Football Hall of Fame inductee. Long heralds from local club St Mary’s where he was also a two-time premiership player.

 

Current Collingwood Football Club coach, 2003 Brownlow Medallist, Norm Smith Medallist and seven-time AFL All Australian, Nathan Buckley has been included on the list after spending his formative years playing for the Nightcliff Tigers and Southern Districts football clubs.

 

Another familiar name to Territorians is last year’s North Smith Medallist, four-time Hawthorn premiership player, 2008 AFL Rising Star winner and excitement-machine, Cyril Rioli Jnr.

 

The list includes five members of the Rioli family, two Motlop brothers and their uncle plus three familiar LewFatt names.

 

Current NT Thunder coach Xavier Clarke and AFLNT Manager of Football Operations Joel Bowden have also been included in the first cut after their respective AFL achievements.

 

Bowden is not the only Central Australian who made the list; he is joined by the likes of Henry Peckham who is often considered to be one of Central Australia’s finest footballers.

 

Peckham won seven premierships with the Pioneers Football Club during his 1946-1958 playing career and was the CAFL’s leading goal kicker in 1948 and in 1953.

 

AFLNT CEO and non-voting Team of the Century Committee Chair, Michael Solomon said it was no-easy task getting to a top 100.

 

“The criteria was simple - as long as you’d played at least one game in the Territory you were eligible.

 

“We had 55,000 names to choose from and only 100 spots to fill. It was never going to be a simple job but we are thrilled to have reached this point,” Solomon said.

 

“With the support of the NT Government we are able to celebrate with Territory football fans a once-in-a-century occasion.”

 

Minister for Sport and Recreation Nathan Barrett MLA said:

 

“I commend AFLNT and its Chief Executive Officer Michael Solomon on this wonderful initiative.

 

“AFL plays such a huge role in the lives of Territorians and this team will be a real testament to the long list of champion Northern Territory footballers throughout the years,” Mr Barrett said.

 

“The Northern Territory has produced some of the best footballers to have ever played the game and I look forward to seeing the final team when it is announced in September.

 

“I congratulate the selection committee on what would have been a very arduous process and I certainly don’t envy their roles,” Mr Barrett said.

 

The Team of the Century Selection Committee comprises Shaun Hardy, Lincoln Jenkin, Charlie King, Bennie (Walter) LewFatt, Grey Morris and Jenny Sinclair.

 

They will meet again over the coming months to determine a top 40 by mid July.

 

The process will then culminate at a gala dinner on Friday 2nd September, when a 22-man team and coach is named as the inaugural Northern Territory Government AFLNT Team of the Century.

 

 

 

1              Steve    Abala Snr.            1937 - 1952          Buffaloes

 

2              William 'Put'   Ahmat         1918 - 1940          Buffaloes

 

3              John      Amadio                1957 - 1967          Rovers

 

4              Jimmy   Anderson            1957 - 1969          Buffaloes

 

5              Michael Athanasiou         1981 - 2000          St Marys

 

6              Bill  Bennett                      1977 - 1981          St Marys / Nightcliff

 

7              Damian Berto                   1982 - 1994          St Marys / Katherine

 

8              Joe  Bonson                     1953 - 1968          Works & Housing

 

9              Don        Bonson Snr.        1930 - 1940          Buffaloes / Wallabies

 

10           Joel        Bowden               1994 - 2009          West Alice Springs

 

11           Jared     Brennan               2000 - 2016          Southern Districts

 

12           William Briston                  1979 - 1991          Darwin / Pioneers

 

13           Nathan Buckley                1990 - 2007          Nightcliff / Southern Districts

 

14           Peter     Burgoyne            1994 - 2010          St Marys

 

15           Shaun   Burgoyne            2002 -                    St Marys

 

16           Ronnie  Burns                  1992 - 2005          St Marys / Nightcliff / Tiwi

 

17           Basil Campbell                  1972 - 1982          St Marys / Tiwi

 

18           Leo         Castillon (Pon)   1935 - 1959          Buffaloes / Nightcliff

 

19           Scotty   Chisholm             1991 -                      St Marys

 

20           Xavier   Clarke Jnr.           1998 - 2013           St Marys

 

21           Jason     Cockatoo             1992 - 2008          Southern Districts

 

22           Ted Cooper                         1955 - 1965          Wanderers

 

23           Reuben Cooper Snr.         1917 - 1939          Buffaloes

 

24           Joe Daby                             1969 - 1982          Nightcliff

 

25           Aaron    Davey                    2000 - 2015          Palmerston

 

26           Alwyn   Davey Jnr.            2001 - 2016          Palmerston

 

27           Neil Davies                        1955 -1956           St Marys

 

28           Bill Dempsey                       1958 - 1975          Buffaloes

 

29           Trevor   Dhu                         1993 - 2003          Pioneers

 

30           Gary   Dhurrkay                   1990 - 2000          Wanderers

 

31           Tony Dragun                        1973 - 1986          Nightcliff

 

32           Dennis  Dunn                        1981 - 1999          St Marys / Tiwi

 

33           Cadji      Dunn                        1980 - 1995          St Marys / Tiwi / Pioneers

 

34           Darren  Ewing                         2006 - 2016          St Marys / Palmerston

 

35           Eddie     Fry                             1974 - 1986          Wanderers

 

36           Michael Graham                     1971 - 1987          St Marys

 

37           Jarred   Ilett                              1997 - 2016          St Marys

 

38           Cameron Ilett                          2000 - 2016          St Marys

 

39           Peter Ivanoff                            1981 - 1988          Waratah

 

40           Bruce    Jarmyn                       1991 - 2005          Southern Districts

 

41           Russell  Jeffrey  1985 - 1995          Wanderers

 

42           Edmund               Johnston             1952 - 1969          St Marys / Tiwi

 

43           Jason     Jones    1988 - 1998          Darwin / Palmerston

 

44           Leo         Jurrah   1980s - 1990s      Buffaloes / Alice Springs / Yuendumu

 

45           David     Kantilla Snr.        1958 - 1972          St Marys / Tiwi

 

46           Adam    Kerinaiua             1991 - 2005          St Marys / Waratah / Palmerston / Tiwi

 

47           Gympie                LewFatt                1964 - 2004          St Marys

 

48           Walter  LewFatt                1930 - 1942          Buffaloes

 

49           Terry     LewFatt                1954 - 1968          St Marys

 

50           Ted        Liddy     1975 - 1995          St Marys

 

51           Michael                Long      1985 - 2001          St Marys / Tiwi / Pioneers

 

52           Noel      Long      1982 - 2000          St Marys / Tiwi

 

53           Peter     MacFarlane        2004 - current    St Marys

 

54           Kelvin    Maher  1990 - 2005          Southern Districts / South Alice Springs

 

55           Gilbert  McAdam              1985 - 2000          South Alice Springs / Waratah

 

56           Greg      McAdam              1980 - 1995          South Alice Springs / Waratah

 

57           Warren McCoy  1978 - 1990          North Darwin

 

58           Michael                McLean                1980 - 1996          Nightcliff

 

59           Andrew                McLeod                1991 - 2011          Darwin

 

60           Don        McMillan             1916 - 1932          Wanderers

 

61           Mark     Motlop 1975 - 2000          Nightcliff / Southern Districts / Wanderers

 

62           Shannon              Motlop 1995 - 2016          Wanderers

 

63           Daniel   Motlop 1998 - 2016          Wanderers

 

64           Ali           Muir      1965 - 1976          Buffaloes

 

65           Pat         Murphy                1971 - 1974          St Marys

 

66           Norm    Murphy                1990 - 2001          Nightcliff

 

67           John      Paterson              1975 - 1989          Darwin

 

68           Henry    Peckham             1946 - 1958          Pioneers / Wanderers

 

69           John      Pepperill              1967 - 1979          Pioneers / St Marys

 

70           Bruce    Potts     1950 - 1965          Wanderers

 

71           Mike      Poulter 1960 - 1982          Waratah / Darwin

 

72           Ronald 'Barney' Quall      1970 - 1985          Darwin

 

73           Maurice               Rioli        1974 - 1995          St Marys / Waratah / Tiwi

 

74           Sebastian            Rioli        1968 - 1975          St Marys / Imalu

 

75           Willie     Rioli        1987 - 2007          St Marys / Waratah / Tiwi

 

76           Cyril       Rioli Jnr.               2005 - 2016          St Marys / Tiwi

 

77           Cyril       Rioli Snr.               1982 - 2004          St Marys / Tiwi

 

78           Billy        Roe        1951 - 1971          St Marys / Wanderers

 

79           Gerry    Roe        1955 - 1972          St Marys

 

80           Aldo       Rossetto              1966 - 1980          Darwin

 

81           Joe         Sarib      1947 - 1955          Buffaloes

 

82           Graeme               Smith    1989 - 2004          Pioneers

 

83           Brian      Stanislaus            1988 - 2005          St Marys / Tiwi

 

84           Mathew               Stokes  1999 - 2016          Palmerston

 

85           Don        Stokes  1966 - 1974          Darwin / Pioneers

 

86           Trevor   Sutton  1979 - 1983          Nightcliff

 

87           Peter     Talman 1964 - 1966          Works & Housing

 

88           Richard Tambling              2004 - 2016          Southern Districts

 

89           Graham                Taylor    1991 - 2001          Southern Districts

 

90           Ross       Tungatalum        2006 - 2016          Tiwi / St Marys

 

91           Greg      Turbill    1974 - 1988          Nightcliff

 

92           John Henry         Tye         1968 - 1980          Nightcliff / Darwin

 

93           Iggy        Vallejo  1997 - 2016          St Marys

 

94           Benny   Vigona  1975 - 1986          St Marys / Tiwi

 

95           Gus        Wanganeen       1975 - 1989          Wanderers

 

96           Kevin     Wanganeen       1975 - 1995          St Marys / Wanderers

 

97           Matthew             Whelan                1996 - 2010          Darwin

 

98           Darryl    White    1992 - 2016          Pioneers / Southern Districts / St Marys / Darwin

 

99           Lance    White    1974 - 1989          Pioneers / St Marys

 

100         Arch       Wilkey  1972 -    Waratah

 

 

Original article at: http://www.aflnt.com.au/index.phpωid=6&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=818&tx_ttnews[backPid]=5&cHash=19a502b849