AFL team of the 2000s
Short answer: Our team of the 2000s — Carey, Pavlich, Hird, Judd, Cousins, Cox, Voss, Ablett Jr and Buckley — goes 23-0 in about 60% of simulated seasons. It is the strongest legal nine the game’s 212 2000s cards allow, picked by the same engine that scores the 23-0 draft. Computed, not voted, and not an official team.
At a glance
- Our team of the 2000s: Wayne Carey (North Melbourne), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle), James Hird (Essendon), Chris Judd (West Coast), Ben Cousins (West Coast), Dean Cox (West Coast), Michael Voss (Brisbane), Gary Ablett Jr (Geelong) and Nathan Buckley (Collingwood).
- It goes 23-0 in about 60% of 2,000 simulated seasons, most likely finishes 23-0 and averages 22.5 wins.
- It is the strongest legal nine from the game's 212 2000s cards across 16 clubs, one card per player.
- Most games in the 2000s: Adam Goodes (Sydney), 232. Most goals: Matthew Lloyd (Essendon), 681. Most disposals: Simon Black (Brisbane), 5,398.
- 12 Brownlow Medals went to 11 players for the 2000–2009 seasons; Adam Goodes won two.
Checked 21 October 2026 · statistics as of 15 September 2026
Our team of the 2000s
- DEFWayne CareyDefender · North Melbourne
- DEFMatthew PavlichDefender · Fremantle
- MIDJames HirdMidfielder · Essendon
- MIDChris JuddMidfielder · West Coast
- MIDBen CousinsMidfielder · West Coast
- RUCDean CoxRuck · West Coast
- FWDMichael VossForward · Brisbane
- FWDGary Ablett JrForward · Geelong
- UTILNathan BuckleyUtility · Collingwood
2 defenders, 3 midfielders, 1 ruck, 2 forwards and 1 utility, from every 2000s card in the game. Each player is valued in his slot the way the draft values him: full value on his listed lines and at utility, less out of position. All nine play on a line they are listed for. Most likely record 23-0, 22.5 wins on average.
Your team of the decade vs ours
Pick nine from the decade’s cards, any player in any slot, then play the season. Your side plays the same 2,000 simulated seasons as ours.
Tap a slot or start typing to load the 2000s cards.
Stat leaders of the 2000s
Totals for senior games in the 2000–2009 seasons, summed across every club a player had in that time. 1,303 players played at least one game. Tackles and hit-outs are recorded for every one of those games in our data.
Most games
| # | Player | Clubs | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Goodes | Sydney | 232 |
| 2 | Tyson Edwards | Adelaide | 230 |
| 3 | Andrew McLeod | Adelaide | 227 |
| =4 | Brad Johnson | Footscray | 225 |
| =4 | Simon Black | Brisbane | 225 |
| 6 | Jude Bolton | Sydney | 224 |
| 7 | Matthew Scarlett | Geelong | 222 |
| 8 | Shane OBree | Collingwood | 221 |
| 9 | Jason Akermanis | Brisbane, Footscray | 220 |
| 10 | Adam Simpson | North Melbourne | 216 |
Most goals
| # | Player | Clubs | Goals | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matthew Lloyd | Essendon | 681 | 3.6 |
| 2 | Brendan Fevola | Carlton | 575 | 3.1 |
| 3 | Barry Hall | Sydney, St Kilda | 548 | 2.8 |
| 4 | Warren Tredrea | Port Adelaide | 466 | 2.2 |
| 5 | Brad Johnson | Footscray | 447 | 2.0 |
| 6 | Daniel Bradshaw | Brisbane | 442 | 2.4 |
| 7 | Matthew Richardson | Richmond | 426 | 2.6 |
| 8 | Fraser Gehrig | St Kilda, West Coast | 424 | 2.6 |
| 9 | Jonathan Brown | Brisbane | 423 | 2.3 |
| 10 | David Neitz | Melbourne | 414 | 2.4 |
Most disposals
| # | Player | Clubs | Disposals | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simon Black | Brisbane | 5,398 | 24.0 |
| 2 | Tyson Edwards | Adelaide | 5,011 | 21.8 |
| 3 | Adam Simpson | North Melbourne | 4,994 | 23.1 |
| 4 | Andrew McLeod | Adelaide | 4,975 | 21.9 |
| 5 | Scott West | Footscray | 4,899 | 27.7 |
| 6 | Joel Bowden | Richmond | 4,859 | 23.5 |
| 7 | Brent Harvey | North Melbourne | 4,801 | 22.3 |
| 8 | Simon Goodwin | Adelaide | 4,706 | 22.5 |
| 9 | Brad Johnson | Footscray | 4,673 | 20.8 |
| 10 | Luke Power | Brisbane | 4,660 | 21.6 |
Most marks
| # | Player | Clubs | Marks | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Riewoldt | St Kilda | 1,640 | 9.0 |
| 2 | Warren Tredrea | Port Adelaide | 1,521 | 7.2 |
| 3 | Brad Johnson | Footscray | 1,496 | 6.6 |
| 4 | Barry Hall | Sydney, St Kilda | 1,448 | 7.3 |
| 5 | Chad Cornes | Port Adelaide | 1,428 | 6.8 |
| 6 | Matthew Richardson | Richmond | 1,400 | 8.6 |
| 7 | Matthew Pavlich | Fremantle | 1,340 | 6.3 |
| 8 | Jonathan Brown | Brisbane | 1,339 | 7.3 |
| 9 | Joel Bowden | Richmond | 1,334 | 6.4 |
| 10 | Adam Goodes | Sydney | 1,265 | 5.5 |
Most tackles
| # | Player | Clubs | Tackles | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brett Kirk | Sydney | 1,150 | 5.4 |
| 2 | Jude Bolton | Sydney | 977 | 4.4 |
| 3 | Lenny Hayes | St Kilda | 971 | 4.9 |
| 4 | Simon Black | Brisbane | 952 | 4.2 |
| 5 | James McDonald | Melbourne | 816 | 4.2 |
| 6 | Joel Corey | Geelong | 772 | 3.9 |
| 7 | Luke Power | Brisbane | 747 | 3.5 |
| 8 | Shane OBree | Collingwood | 735 | 3.3 |
| =9 | Luke Ball | St Kilda | 718 | 5.1 |
| =9 | Tyson Stenglein | Adelaide, West Coast | 718 | 3.5 |
Most hit-outs
| # | Player | Clubs | Hit-outs | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff White | Melbourne | 4,003 | 20.8 |
| 2 | Dean Cox | West Coast | 3,780 | 21.0 |
| 3 | Aaron Sandilands | Fremantle | 3,465 | 25.7 |
| 4 | Peter Everitt | Hawthorn, St Kilda, Sydney | 3,446 | 21.7 |
| 5 | Steven King | Geelong, St Kilda | 3,322 | 19.4 |
| 6 | Darren Jolly | Sydney, Melbourne | 3,148 | 19.0 |
| 7 | Brad Ottens | Richmond, Geelong | 3,001 | 17.1 |
| 8 | Brendon Lade | Port Adelaide | 2,807 | 16.6 |
| 9 | Matthew Clarke | Adelaide, St Kilda | 2,497 | 19.5 |
| 10 | Troy Simmonds | Richmond, Fremantle, Melbourne | 2,352 | 12.7 |
Medallists of the 2000s
The club is the one he played for in the year he won.
Brownlow Medal
| Year | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Shane Woewodin | Melbourne |
| 2001 | Jason Akermanis | Brisbane |
| 2002 | Simon Black | Brisbane |
| 2003 | Adam Goodes | Sydney |
| 2003 | Nathan Buckley | Collingwood |
| 2003 | Mark Ricciuto | Adelaide |
| 2004 | Chris Judd | West Coast |
| 2005 | Ben Cousins | West Coast |
| 2006 | Adam Goodes | Sydney |
| 2007 | Jimmy Bartel | Geelong |
| 2008 | Adam Cooney | Footscray |
| 2009 | Gary Ablett Jr | Geelong |
Coleman Medal
| Year | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Matthew Lloyd | Essendon |
| 2001 | Matthew Lloyd | Essendon |
| 2002 | David Neitz | Melbourne |
| 2003 | Matthew Lloyd | Essendon |
| 2004 | Fraser Gehrig | St Kilda |
| 2005 | Fraser Gehrig | St Kilda |
| 2006 | Brendan Fevola | Carlton |
| 2007 | Jonathan Brown | Brisbane |
| 2008 | Lance Franklin | Hawthorn |
| 2009 | Brendan Fevola | Carlton |
Norm Smith Medal
| Year | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | James Hird | Essendon |
| 2001 | Shaun Hart | Brisbane |
| 2002 | Nathan Buckleylosing side | Collingwood |
| 2003 | Simon Black | Brisbane |
| 2004 | Byron Pickett | Port Adelaide |
| 2005 | Chris Juddlosing side | West Coast |
| 2006 | Andrew Embley | West Coast |
| 2007 | Steve Johnson | Geelong |
| 2008 | Luke Hodge | Hawthorn |
| 2009 | Paul Chapman | Geelong |
Quick answers
- Our AFL team of the 2000s is Wayne Carey (North Melbourne), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle), James Hird (Essendon), Chris Judd (West Coast), Ben Cousins (West Coast), Dean Cox (West Coast), Michael Voss (Brisbane), Gary Ablett Jr (Geelong) and Nathan Buckley (Collingwood). See the side→
- Our team of the 2000s goes 23-0 in about 60% of 2,000 simulated seasons against the game's All-Star opponents. Play yours against it→
- The defenders in our team of the 2000s are Wayne Carey (North Melbourne) and Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle). See the side→
- The midfielders in our team of the 2000s are James Hird (Essendon), Chris Judd (West Coast) and Ben Cousins (West Coast). See the side→
- The ruck in our team of the 2000s is Dean Cox (West Coast). See the side→
- The forwards in our team of the 2000s are Michael Voss (Brisbane) and Gary Ablett Jr (Geelong), with Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) at utility. See the side→
- Most games in the 2000s: Adam Goodes (Sydney), 232. Top ten for games→
- Most goals in the 2000s: Matthew Lloyd (Essendon), 681 from 189 games. Top ten for goals→
- Most disposals in the 2000s: Simon Black (Brisbane), 5,398 from 225 games. Top ten for disposals→
- Most marks in the 2000s: Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda), 1,640 from 182 games. Top ten for marks→
- Most tackles in the 2000s: Brett Kirk (Sydney), 1,150 from 212 games. Top ten for tackles→
- Most hit-outs in the 2000s: Jeff White (Melbourne), 4,003 from 192 games. Top ten for hit-outs→
- 12 Brownlow Medals were awarded for the 2000–2009 seasons, to 11 players (some years were shared); Adam Goodes won two. Every winner→
- Coleman Medals for the 2000–2009 seasons went to 6 players; Matthew Lloyd won three, Brendan Fevola won two and Fraser Gehrig won two. Every winner→
- Norm Smith Medals for the 2000–2009 Grand Finals went to 10 players. Every winner→
- No nine from the 2000s cards can beat ours on the game's scoring, because ours is the strongest legal side. The best you can do is match it. Try→
- Wayne Carey, James Hird, Michael Voss, Gary Ablett Jr and Nathan Buckley also make another decade's side. All four sides→
Other decades
All four sides side by side →Common questions
What is the AFL team of the 2000s?
Ours is computed, not voted: the strongest legal side of 2 defenders, 3 midfielders, 1 ruck, 2 forwards and 1 utility from every 2000s card in the 23-0 draft game, picked by the game's own engine. It is Wayne Carey (North Melbourne), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle), James Hird (Essendon), Chris Judd (West Coast), Ben Cousins (West Coast), Dean Cox (West Coast), Michael Voss (Brisbane), Gary Ablett Jr (Geelong) and Nathan Buckley (Collingwood). It is not an official team and is not endorsed by the AFL.
How was the side picked?
Each player is valued the way the game values a pick: his full rating on his listed lines and at utility, and less out of position. The engine then searches every legal combination for the nine worth the most together, one card per player. Its odds come from 2,000 simulated seasons.
Why is a great player missing?
The side can only use the game's cards, a curated squad for each club and decade (212 cards for the 2000s), and only two defenders, three midfielders, one ruck, two forwards and a utility fit. A great player can miss out because his line is already full of stronger cards, or because he has no 2000s card.
Why are no ratings shown?
The ratings are what you draft against in the game, so we keep them off the page. The side, the stat leaders and the season odds are all shown; the numbers behind the picks are not.
Can I pick my own team of the 2000s?
Yes. Use the tool on this page: pick nine 2000s players, play the season, and see your side's 23-0 chance next to ours. The link saves your side, so you can share it.
How are the stat leaders counted?
Totals are for senior games in the 2000–2009 seasons only, summed across every club a player had in that time. Data from AFL Tables, as of 15 September 2026.
Sources
- Season player statistics, 1990 to 2026, from AFL Tables (afltables.com).
- Medal winners checked against Wikipedia’s Brownlow, Coleman and Norm Smith Medal lists.
- Our team of the decade: computed by Unbeaten Season’s draft-game engine from the game’s own player cards. It is not an official team and is not endorsed by the AFL or any club.
- Statistics as of 15 September 2026. Facts compiled from public records; no text is copied from either source.
Now draft one for real
In the game you don’t get to pick from a whole decade. Each spin deals one club and one decade, you take one player from it, and your nine has to survive 23-0.
Play the 23-0 draftOr draft today’s sideHow to go 23-0→