Best player per team in AFL era (1990-2019)

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Adelaide - Ricciuto
Brisbane - Voss
Carlton - Williams
Collingwood - Daicos
Essendon - Hird
Fitzroy - Roos
Fremantle - Fyfe
Geelong - Scarlett (as good as Snr's record is in the 90s I reckon he was better in the 80s)
GC - Ablett
GWS - Ward
Hawthorn - Dunstall
Melbourne - Neitz
North Melbourne - Carey
Port Adelaide - Tredrea
Richmond - Richardson
St Kilda - Lockett
Sydney - Lockett
West Coast Eagles - Cousins
Western Bulldogs - Lake

 

[Air Conveyance]

Very hard to argue with those nominations. Some debates could be:

Pendlebury vs Buckley - Pendles is getting closer
Hodge vs Mitchell vs Buddy - Mitchell for me, 4 flags, 1 as captain, brownlow, 5 B&F
Ablett vs Scarlett - Scarlo was a fantastic player but Ablett is a class above
Stynes vs Nietz
Wanganeen vs Tredrea
Richardson vs Martin - Martin would need to be top drawer for a few years yet to get near Richo.
Harvey vs Riewoldt
Grant vs Johnson
Cousins vs many from the 1992 1994 flags - Cousins 6 x AA, 4 b&f, Brownlow. Judd won b&f twice at WC.

If you include the players like Lockett, Dunstall, Daicos, it becomes a lot more difficult.

 

[Air Conveyance]

Adelaide - Ricciuto
Brisbane - Voss
Carlton - Williams
Collingwood - Daicos
Essendon - Hird
Fitzroy - Roos
Fremantle - Fyfe
Geelong - Scarlett (as good as Snr's record is in the 90s I reckon he was better in the 80s)
GC - Ablett
GWS - Ward
Hawthorn - Dunstall
Melbourne - Neitz
North Melbourne - Carey
Port Adelaide - Tredrea
Richmond - Richardson
St Kilda - Lockett
Sydney - Lockett
West Coast Eagles - Cousins
Western Bulldogs - Lake

Daicos only played till 93. He did his best work in the 80s also.

 

[gavaniacono]

Be interested to see what people think on this one. All subjective of course. My list:

Adelaide - Andrew McLeod
Brisbane/Fitzroy - Michael Voss
Carlton - Greg Williams
Collingwood - Nathan Buckley
Essendon - James Hird
Fremantle - Matthew Pavlich
Geelong - Gary Ablett Snr
Gold Coast - Gary Ablett Jnr
GWS - Jeremy Cameron
Hawthorn - Sam Mitchell
Melbourne - Jim Stynes
North Melbourne - Wayne Carey
Port Adelaide - Gavin Wanganeen
Richmond - Matthew Richardson
St Kilda - Robert Harvey
Sydney - Lance Franklin
Western Bulldogs - Chris Grant
West Coast - Ben Cousins

A good list.
Hodge in my eyes easily the best Hawk. Big game player, skilled, tough and an organiser.
Goodes at Swans - the booing episode seems to have deafened (blinded) people to how damn good he was.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Daicos only played till 93. He did his best work in the 80s also.

1990 - 97.46
1991 - 75.28
1992 - 52.31

OP didn't say they had to play for 'x' amount of years, just the AFL era which started in 1990. They're pretty good numbers for someone who wasn't a noted aerialist like Ablett was. Only 2 seasons he had the ball more than he did in 1990 and that was 1988 and 1989. In 1988 he had 69 more disposals but kicked 78 less goals than 1990. In 1989 he had 46 more disposals but kicked 73 goals less.

If not Daicos then Buckley with Pendles next cab off the rank.

 

[BennyGan]

Be interested to see what people think on this one. All subjective of course. My list:

Adelaide - Andrew McLeod
Brisbane/Fitzroy - Michael Voss
Carlton - Greg Williams
Collingwood - Nathan Buckley
Essendon - James Hird
Fremantle - Matthew Pavlich
Geelong - Gary Ablett Snr
Gold Coast - Gary Ablett Jnr
GWS - Jeremy Cameron
Hawthorn - Sam Mitchell
Melbourne - Jim Stynes
North Melbourne - Wayne Carey
Port Adelaide - Gavin Wanganeen
Richmond - Matthew Richardson
St Kilda - Robert Harvey
Sydney - Lance Franklin
Western Bulldogs - Chris Grant
West Coast - Ben Cousins

Hodge for Mitchell and Goodes for Franklin only 2 clear changes I'd make
Could make the argument for Riewoldt over Harvey, even though Harvey won 2 Brownlows i think hes overrated

 

[Air Conveyance]

1990 - 97.46
1991 - 75.28
1992 - 52.31

OP didn't say they had to play for 'x' amount of years, just the AFL era which started in 1990. They're pretty good numbers for someone who wasn't a noted aerialist like Ablett was. Only 2 seasons he had the ball more than he did in 1990 and that was 1988 and 1989. In 1988 he had 69 more disposals but kicked 78 less goals than 1990. In 1989 he had 46 more disposals but kicked 73 goals less.

If not Daicos then Buckley with Pendles next cab off the rank.

Sorry should have been clearer. AFL years only.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Sorry should have been clearer. AFL years only.

Yep, name changed to AFL in 1990, the year Daicos kicked 97 goals.

 

[Air Conveyance]

Yep, name changed to AFL in 1990, the year Daicos kicked 97 goals.

Changed it.

 

[Air Conveyance]

Saints:

1. Harvey: 383 games, 8xAA, 4xB+F, 2xBrownlow, 1xAFL MVP
2. Hayes: 297 games, 3xAA, 3xB+F (with 8 top 3 finishes), 1xnorm smith
3: Riewoldt: 336 games, 5xAA, 6xB+F, 1xAFLPA MVP, 1xrising star

*Would have been Lockett @1 but the OP had only from 1990. That's just 71 games for the Saints. Did win 2 AA jumpers, a coleman, a B+F and kick 343 goals in those 71 games though ...

Not easy is it

 

[Craze]

Richo is easily Richmond’s greatest player of the last 25 years, miles above anyone else

No he's not.

Dustin Martin has accomplished more in his 200 games. His 2017 season was the catalyst to us breaking a 37-year premiership drought. Richmond supporters love Richo, but we were frustrated as hell early on with his conversion. Yes Richo kicked 800 goals, but we had no other targets for 15 years.

Dusty's 2017 is potentially the best individual season in the history of the sport.

 

[Macpotata]

Adelaide - Mark Riccuito
Brisbane - Couldn't tell you. Voss/Black/Akermanis
Carlton - Diesel. Or is it? Won a Brownlow but so did Judd. How many seasons were they truly great for Carlton? Genuine questions that Carlton fans can answer for me. What about Kouta? Craig Bradley?
Collingwood - Similar to the above.Many would say Buckley. What about Swanny? Or Pendy?
Essendon - James Hird
Fremantle - Pavlich
Geelong - Ablett Snr+Junior
Gold Coast - Israel Folau
GWS - Glen Tunbridge
Hawthorn - *en tough. Too tough. Dunstall, Crawford, Franklin, Hodge, Mitchell. Too many champions and influential players.
Melbourne - Stynes, Neitz, Lyon? Andrew Lamprill tops them all.
North - Glen Freeborn
Sturt - Levi Kappler Lovett Cresswell
Richmond - Tony Free
Sydney - Warrick Kappler Cresswell
Western Bulldogs - Ilija Grigic Grgic
West Coast - Brendan Krummel's pet Camel
Fitzroy - Paul Roos and Dock Whieldon


* you O.P. Best head * ever.

 

[Macpotata]

In all seriousness I'll choose my list. It's very hard to name one great player, especially as when you're a kid/teen even older you don't fully understand the game and take everything in the way you should. Some understand the game later than others ( most of you campaigners still don't understand it )

Won't look at the stats which reveal all, or a lot I should say. Here's my stab at it.
Adelaide - Mark Riccuito
Brisbane - Akermanis
Carlton - Craig Bradley
Collingwood - Buckley
Essendon - James Hird
Fitzroy - Paul Roos
Fremantle - Peter Bell
Geelong - Ablett Snr
Gold Coast - Ablett Jnr
GWS - Coniglio
Hawthorn - Dunstall
Melbourne - David Neitz
North - Carey
Port Adelaide - Warren Tredrea
Richmond - Richo
West Coast - Judd
Western Bulldogs - Chris Grant ( but probably will end up being Bontempelli )

 

[Forward Press]

Buddy?
Plugger?

Buddy - Goodes, a number of Hawthorn players
Plugger - Riewoldt, Harvey, Goodes and many other Sydney players

 

[Forward Press]

People forget just how good Plugger was.

In his time at Sydney, surely behind a few. And in his time at St Kilda, well he has competition from Harvey and Roo surely.

 

[Paganism mark II]

No he's not.

Dustin Martin has accomplished more in his 200 games. His 2017 season was the catalyst to us breaking a 37-year premiership drought. Richmond supporters love Richo, but we were frustrated as hell early on with his conversion. Yes Richo kicked 800 goals, but we had no other targets for 15 years.

Dusty's 2017 is potentially the best individual season in the history of the sport.

He had 1 stand out season, Richo had several

 

[Forward Press]

Hard/impossible to compare mids to forwards so Plugger v Harvey. Maybe. IMO I would have Plugger miles ahead of Harvey.
Riewoldt isn't fit to tie Plugger's laces IMO.

Riewoldt singlehandedly won St Kilda many games, guy was a f***ing gun.

I think imo you're overplaying Plugger's influence. They are both in the mix, Plugger isn't that far ahead if at all.

 

[Boris the Contradiction]

Adelaide - Modra
Brisbane - Voss
Carlton - Williams
Collingwood - Buckley
Essendon - Hird
Fremantle - Pavlich
Geelong - Ablett Jnr
GC - Ablett Jnr
GWS - Cameron
Hawthorn - Franklin
Melbourne - Stynes
North - Carey
Port - Tredrea
Richmond - Richardson
St Kilda - Lockett
Sydney - Lockett
West Coast - Cousins
Dogs - Grant

 

[calyam]

Adelaide: Mark Ricciuto
Brisbane Bears: Roger Merrett
Brisbane Lions: Michael Voss
Carlton: Stephen Kernahan
Collingwood: Nathan Buckley
Essendon: James Hird
Fitzroy: Paul Roos
Fremantle: Matthew Pavlich
Geelong: Gary Ablett Jnr
Gold Coast: Gary Ablett Jnr
GWS: Callan Ward
Hawthorn: Jason Dunstall
Melbourne: David Neitz
North Melbourne: Wayne Carey
Port: Warren Tredrea
Richmond: Dustin Martin
St Kilda: Nick Riewoldt
Sydney: Adam Goodes
West Coast: Ben Cousins
Western Bulldogs: Chris Grant

Only considered AFL seasons, which is why the likes of Lockett and Ablett Snr were not considered. Winning mattered - being the best player in a very good team was weighed more heavily than being a very good player but never achieving meaningful team success.

Hardest ones to pick were Melbourne, Richmond and West Coast.

 

[Wolfgang West]

Adelaide - Ricciuto
Brisbane - Voss
Carlton - Williams
Collingwood - Daicos
Essendon - Hird
Fitzroy - Roos
Fremantle - Fyfe
Geelong - Scarlett (as good as Snr's record is in the 90s I reckon he was better in the 80s)
GC - Ablett
GWS - Ward
Hawthorn - Dunstall
Melbourne - Neitz
North Melbourne - Carey
Port Adelaide - Tredrea
Richmond - Richardson
St Kilda - Lockett
Sydney - Lockett
West Coast Eagles - Cousins
Western Bulldogs - Lake

Nailed It.

So far ahead of anyone at both Clubs its laughable. In the top 3 players to have ever pulled on a boot.

 

[BarryMorgan]

Adelaide - Ricciuto
Brisbane - Voss
Carlton - Williams
Collingwood - Daicos
Essendon - Hird
Fitzroy - Roos
Fremantle - Fyfe
Geelong - Scarlett (as good as Snr's record is in the 90s I reckon he was better in the 80s)
GC - Ablett
GWS - Ward
Hawthorn - Dunstall
Melbourne - Neitz
North Melbourne - Carey
Port Adelaide - Tredrea
Richmond - Richardson
St Kilda - Lockett
Sydney - Lockett
West Coast Eagles - Cousins
Western Bulldogs - Lake

Grant, and maybe a couple of others, ahead of Lake.

 

[juss]

Richo is ours, however two that could potentially overtake him are Martin and Riewoldt.

People will question Riewoldt, but if he can get back to his 2018 form and if he played into his 30s and got to 800+ goals, hed have to be in the conversation. He would probably need to be playing at an AA level again though.

 

[beerbandit]

Would you argue for him as a better player than Mitchell?

Jason Dunstall comfortably better then Mitchell. Dunstall is in the top handful to ever lace a boot , Mitchell is not.

 

[eaglespremiers]

Only going to comment on Eagles, but the best player is Chris Judd. After Swift of course.

You're really sticking your neck out with that one.

 

[The_Eagles]

Cousins was far better than Judd for us.

Nah I’ll still take Judd for 130 odd games over 220 odd Cousins
2004-07 was basically the best midfielder of all time