Top 100 named for Northern Territory Government AFLNT Team of the Century
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