Who Is the AFL GOAT? Tier List Maker and Crowd Ranking (Players Since 1990)
There is no official AFL GOAT, so this page counts the honours won since 1990. On that count Gary Ablett Jr leads with an honours score of 44, ahead of Chris Judd (40) and Robert Harvey and Nathan Buckley (38 each). Rank the 59 leading candidates in your own tier list, then vote head-to-head to build the crowd ranking.
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Ranking: top 10 by honours score
The crowd ranking is not available right now. This is the honours ranking.
- 1.Gary Ablett Jrscore 44
- 2.Chris Juddscore 40
- 3.Robert Harveyscore 38
- 4.Nathan Buckleyscore 38
- 5.James Hirdscore 34
- 6.Lachie Nealescore 32
- 7.Mark Ricciutoscore 32
- 8.Michael Vossscore 32
- 9.Lance Franklinscore 32
- 10.Patrick Dangerfieldscore 30
At a glance
- Seven players share the most Brownlow Medals from 1990 to 2025, with two each: Gary Ablett Jr, Chris Judd, Robert Harvey, Lachie Neale, Patrick Cripps, Adam Goodes and Nat Fyfe.
- Max Gawn has the most All-Australian selections since the modern team began in 1991: 9 (to 2026).
- Ten players share the most premierships from 1990 to 2025, with four each: Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge, Joel Selwood, Cyril Rioli, Jarryd Roughead, Jordan Lewis, Isaac Smith, Grant Birchall, Martin Pike and Shaun Burgoyne.
- Scott West has won the most club best and fairest awards from 1990 to 2025: 7, all at Footscray.
- Gary Ablett Jr has the highest honours score on this page: 44, from 2 Brownlow Medals, 8 All-Australian selections, 6 club best and fairests, 2 premierships and the Hall of Fame.
Checked 21 October 2026 · data as of 15 September 2026
The 59 candidates, by honours score
Honours score = 5 per Brownlow Medal + 4 for the Australian Football Hall of Fame + 3 per Coleman Medal + 3 per Norm Smith Medal + 2 per All-Australian selection + 2 per club best and fairest + 1 per premiership. Medals, best and fairests and premierships count from the 1990 to 2025 seasons; All-Australian selections from 1991 to 2026. The pool is every eligible player with a score of 16 or more: 59 players.
| # | Player | Clubs | Years | Games | Brownlow | AA | B&F | Coleman | Norm Smith | Flags | HoF | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gary Ablett Jr | Geelong, Gold Coast | 2002–2020 | 357 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | Yes | 44 | ||
| 2 | Chris Judd | West Coast, Carlton | 2002–2015 | 279 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | Yes | 40 | |
| 3 | Robert Harvey† | St Kilda | 1988–2008 | 383 | 2 | 8 | 4 | Yes | 38 | |||
| 3 | Nathan Buckley | Brisbane, Collingwood | 1993–2007 | 280 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1 | Yes | 38 | ||
| 5 | James Hird | Essendon | 1992–2007 | 253 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | Yes | 34 | |
| 6 | Lachie Neale | Fremantle, Brisbane | 2012–2026 | 319 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 32 | |||
| 6 | Mark Ricciuto | Adelaide | 1993–2007 | 312 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | Yes | 32 | ||
| 6 | Michael Voss | Brisbane | 1992–2006 | 289 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | Yes | 32 | ||
| 6 | Lance Franklin | Hawthorn, Sydney | 2005–2023 | 354 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 32 | |||
| 10 | Patrick Dangerfield | Adelaide, Geelong | 2008–2026 | 379 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 30 | |||
| 11 | Dustin Martin | Richmond | 2010–2024 | 302 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 29 | ||
| 11 | Sam Mitchell | Hawthorn, West Coast | 2002–2017 | 329 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | Yes | 29 | ||
| 11 | Marcus Bontempelli | Footscray | 2014–2026 | 282 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 29 | ||||
| 14 | Patrick Cripps | Carlton | 2014–2026 | 255 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 28 | ||||
| 14 | Wayne Carey† | North Melbourne, Adelaide | 1989–2004 | 272 | 7 | 4 | 2 | Yes | 28 | |||
| 14 | Matthew Pavlich | Fremantle | 2000–2016 | 353 | 6 | 6 | Yes | 28 | ||||
| 14 | Scott West | Footscray | 1993–2008 | 324 | 5 | 7 | Yes | 28 | ||||
| 14 | Andrew McLeod | Adelaide | 1995–2010 | 340 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Yes | 28 | ||
| 19 | Simon Black | Brisbane | 1998–2013 | 322 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Yes | 27 | |
| 19 | Scott Pendlebury | Collingwood | 2006–2026 | 442 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 27 | |||
| 21 | Adam Goodes | Sydney | 1999–2015 | 372 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 26 | |||
| 21 | Ben Cousins | West Coast, Richmond | 1996–2010 | 270 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 26 | |||
| 21 | Dane Swan | Collingwood | 2003–2016 | 258 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | Yes | 26 | ||
| 21 | Shane Crawford | Hawthorn | 1993–2008 | 305 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Yes | 26 | ||
| 21 | Nick Riewoldt | St Kilda | 2001–2017 | 336 | 5 | 6 | Yes | 26 | ||||
| 26 | Max Gawn | Melbourne | 2011–2026 | 271 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 25 | ||||
| 27 | Jason Akermanis | Brisbane, Footscray | 1995–2010 | 325 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | Yes | 24 | ||
| 27 | Matthew Lloyd | Essendon | 1995–2009 | 270 | 5 | 3 | 1 | Yes | 24 | |||
| 27 | Luke Hodge | Hawthorn, Brisbane | 2002–2019 | 346 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Yes | 24 | ||
| 30 | Gavin Wanganeen | Essendon, Port Adelaide | 1991–2006 | 300 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | Yes | 23 | ||
| 30 | Paul Kelly | Sydney | 1990–2002 | 234 | 1 | 3 | 4 | Yes | 23 | |||
| 30 | Corey Enright | Geelong | 2001–2016 | 332 | 6 | 2 | 3 | Yes | 23 | |||
| 30 | Brent Harvey | North Melbourne | 1996–2016 | 432 | 4 | 5 | 1 | Yes | 23 | |||
| 34 | Nat Fyfe | Fremantle | 2010–2025 | 248 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 22 | ||||
| 34 | Joel Selwood | Geelong | 2007–2022 | 355 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 22 | ||||
| 34 | Brad Johnson | Footscray | 1994–2010 | 364 | 6 | 3 | Yes | 22 | ||||
| 34 | Simon Goodwin | Adelaide | 1997–2010 | 275 | 5 | 3 | 2 | Yes | 22 | |||
| 34 | Jack Riewoldt | Richmond | 2007–2023 | 347 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 22 | |||
| 39 | Jim Stynes† | Melbourne | 1987–1998 | 264 | 1 | 2 | 4 | Yes | 21 | |||
| 39 | Matthew Scarlett | Geelong | 1998–2012 | 284 | 6 | 1 | 3 | Yes | 21 | |||
| 39 | Jeremy Cameron | Greater Western Sydney, Geelong | 2012–2026 | 299 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 21 | |||
| 39 | Peter Matera | West Coast | 1990–2002 | 253 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Yes | 21 | ||
| 39 | Warren Tredrea | Port Adelaide | 1997–2010 | 255 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Yes | 21 | |||
| 44 | Garry Hocking† | Geelong | 1987–2001 | 274 | 4 | 4 | Yes | 20 | ||||
| 44 | Jonathan Brown | Brisbane | 2000–2014 | 256 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Yes | 20 | ||
| 46 | Jimmy Bartel | Geelong | 2002–2016 | 305 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Yes | 19 | ||
| 46 | Dean Cox | West Coast | 2001–2014 | 290 | 6 | 1 | 1 | Yes | 19 | |||
| 46 | Lenny Hayes | St Kilda | 1999–2014 | 297 | 3 | 3 | 1 | Yes | 19 | |||
| 49 | Tom Hawkins | Geelong | 2007–2024 | 359 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 18 | |||
| 49 | Nathan Burke† | St Kilda | 1987–2003 | 323 | 4 | 3 | Yes | 18 | ||||
| 49 | Ben Hart | Adelaide | 1992–2006 | 311 | 4 | 2 | 2 | Yes | 18 | |||
| 49 | Zach Merrett | Essendon | 2014–2026 | 274 | 3 | 6 | 18 | |||||
| 49 | Glen Jakovich | West Coast | 1991–2004 | 276 | 2 | 4 | 2 | Yes | 18 | |||
| 49 | Peter Bell | Fremantle, North Melbourne | 1995–2008 | 286 | 2 | 4 | 2 | Yes | 18 | |||
| 55 | Nigel Lappin | Brisbane | 1994–2008 | 279 | 4 | 1 | 3 | Yes | 17 | |||
| 56 | Tom Mitchell | Sydney, Hawthorn, Collingwood | 2013–2025 | 207 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 16 | |||
| 56 | Trent Cotchin | Richmond | 2008–2023 | 306 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 16 | |||
| 56 | Christian Petracca | Melbourne, Gold Coast | 2016–2026 | 232 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 16 | |||
| 56 | Dayne Zorko | Brisbane | 2012–2026 | 319 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 16 |
† Career began before 1990. Included because at least three quarters of his games, and every honour counted here, came from 1990 on. A player still playing in 2026 has his 2026 All-Australian selection counted, but not his 2026 medals or best and fairest, which were not yet in the data.
Left out, and why. Tony Lockett, Gary Ablett Sr, Greg Williams, Stephen Silvagni, Paul Roos and Jason Dunstall would have made the pool on score, but each career began before 1990 and part of it falls outside the data used here. Ranking them on part of a career would sell them short, so they are left out rather than misrepresented. That is a limit of the data, not a judgement on them.
Quick answers
- There is no official AFL GOAT. Counting honours won since 1990, Gary Ablett Jr ranks first with a score of 44; the crowd ranking on this page is decided by votes. Vote→
- Gary Ablett Jr has the highest honours score on this page: 44, from 2 Brownlow Medals, 8 All-Australian selections, 6 club best and fairests, 2 premierships and the Hall of Fame. Rank them→
- Seven players share the most Brownlow Medals from 1990 to 2025, with two each: Gary Ablett Jr, Chris Judd, Robert Harvey, Lachie Neale, Patrick Cripps, Adam Goodes and Nat Fyfe. Rank them→
- Max Gawn has the most All-Australian selections since the modern team began in 1991: 9 (to 2026). Rank them→
- Ten players share the most premierships from 1990 to 2025, with four each: Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge, Joel Selwood, Cyril Rioli, Jarryd Roughead, Jordan Lewis, Isaac Smith, Grant Birchall, Martin Pike and Shaun Burgoyne. Rank them→
- Scott West has won the most club best and fairest awards from 1990 to 2025: 7, all at Footscray. Rank them→
- Lance Franklin has won the most Coleman Medals from 1990 to 2025: 4. Rank them→
- Dustin Martin has won the most Norm Smith Medals from 1990 to 2025: 3. Rank them→
- 39 of the 59 candidates are in the Australian Football Hall of Fame. See the table→
- Among players who played most of their games for Collingwood, Nathan Buckley has the highest honours score since 1990: 38, ahead of Scott Pendlebury (27). Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for Essendon, James Hird has the highest honours score since 1990: 34, ahead of Matthew Lloyd (24). Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for Carlton, Chris Judd has the highest honours score since 1990: 40, ahead of Patrick Cripps (28). Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for Richmond, Dustin Martin has the highest honours score since 1990: 29, ahead of Jack Riewoldt (22). Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for Hawthorn, Lance Franklin has the highest honours score since 1990: 32, ahead of Sam Mitchell (29). Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for Geelong, Gary Ablett Jr has the highest honours score since 1990: 44, ahead of Patrick Dangerfield (30). Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for West Coast, Ben Cousins has the highest honours score since 1990: 26, ahead of Peter Matera (21). Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for Sydney, Adam Goodes has the highest honours score since 1990: 26, ahead of Paul Kelly (23). Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for Brisbane, Lachie Neale and Michael Voss share the highest honours score since 1990: 32 each. Rank them→
- Among players who played most of their games for Adelaide, Mark Ricciuto has the highest honours score since 1990: 32, ahead of Andrew McLeod (28). Rank them→
Common questions
Who is the GOAT of AFL?
There is no official answer, and fans have argued it for decades. Counting honours won since 1990, Gary Ablett Jr ranks first with a score of 44, ahead of Chris Judd (40). This page's crowd ranking lets fans vote on it head to head.
How is the honours score worked out?
Honours score = 5 per Brownlow Medal + 4 for the Australian Football Hall of Fame + 3 per Coleman Medal + 3 per Norm Smith Medal + 2 per All-Australian selection + 2 per club best and fairest + 1 per premiership. Medals, best and fairests and premierships count from the 1990 to 2025 seasons; All-Australian selections from 1991 to 2026. The pool is every eligible player with a score of 16 or more: 59 players.
Why only players since 1990?
The player data behind this page, the same pool Siren Rush uses, covers every senior player with a game from 1990 on, and its honours are counted from 1990 too. A player whose career began earlier is only included if at least three quarters of his games came from 1990 on and none of his counted honours came before it. Tony Lockett, Gary Ablett Sr, Greg Williams, Stephen Silvagni, Paul Roos and Jason Dunstall would have made the pool on score, but each career began before 1990 and part of it falls outside the data used here. Ranking them on part of a career would sell them short, so they are left out rather than misrepresented. That is a limit of the data, not a judgement on them.
How does the crowd ranking work?
Each vote is one head-to-head result. The ranking is fitted from every result with a Bradley–Terry model, the standard way to rank from pairwise comparisons, so beating a highly rated player counts for more than beating a lower one. It stays provisional until 300 votes are in. Each browser gets one vote per pair per day and up to 200 votes a day.
Is my vote anonymous?
Yes. A vote adds to counts of how often each player was shown and picked. To stop the same browser voting on the same pair twice in a day, its random anonymous id is kept beside that pair for two days, then deleted. No name, handle or IP address is stored with a vote.
Why is my favourite player not in the pool?
The pool is every eligible player with an honours score of 16 or more. Honours miss a lot: a great key defender or a ruck can go a whole career without a Brownlow, and nobody gets a medal for a one-percenter. That is why the tier list and the vote are yours.
Is this an official ranking?
No. Unbeaten Season is an independent fan site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the AFL or any club. Honours are facts compiled from public records.
Sources
- Season player statistics, 1990 to 2026, from AFL Tables (afltables.com).
- Club and honour records from Wikipedia.
- Data as of 15 September 2026. Facts compiled from public records; no text is copied from either source.
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