AFL 25: Michael Warner and Tony Greenberg name Richmond’s best side from 2000-2025

From Matthew Richardson to Dustin Martin, Richmond has boasted some of the greatest players of this century. MICHAEL WARNER names the Tigers’ best side from 2000-2025.

The great irony of the Melbourne tanking scandal was a kid from Castlemaine called Dustin Martin.

After conspiring to lose enough matches to secure the first two picks of the 2009 national draft, the Demons selected Tom Scully and Jack Trengove, leaving Richmond to swoop on Martin at pick 3.

Scully was done at the Dees by 2011 and Trengove by 2017, the year Martin rolled out what Leigh Matthews declared might have been footy’s greatest individual season — a premiership, Brownlow Medal, Norm Smith Medal, Player’s Association MVP, AFL coaches award, Gary Ayres Medal and Jack Dyer medal.

For a club that had perfected its own draft blunders - think Richard Tambling over Buddy Franklin or Aaron Fiora over Matthew Pavlich - it was the turning point at Punt Rd after almost four decades of pain.

Dustin Martin tries on the yellow and black jumper for the first time.

Martin won three premierships and Norm Smith medals. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

In a glorious three-flag, four-year run from 2017-2020 under coach Damien Hardwick, Dusty would collect another two Norm Smiths and become a legend of the game.

Sixteen players from Hardwick’s side made the cut in the Herald Sun’s Richmond Team of the 21st Century picked in conjunction with long-time Tigers journalist and researcher Tony Greenberg.

“Martin, Trent Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt and Shane Edwards were automatic selections, with that quartet likely to eventually have ‘Immortal’ status at Tigerland bestowed upon them, such was their influence during the recent Yellow and Black dynasty, along with 2017 flag full-back and five-time All Australian Rance,” Greenberg said.

“Overall, it is an outstanding team that has all bases strongly covered and would take a power of beating.”

Jack Riewoldt and Trent Cotchin.

The non-premiership seven who make up the side include the great Matthew Richardson, former skipper Chris Newman, two-time All-Australian and Jack Dyer medallist Darren Gaspar, 2004 No.1 pick Brett Deledio, the late hardman Shane Tuck, dual best and fairest winner Joel Bowden and 297-gamer Wayne Campbell, who hung up the boots in 2005.

Stiff to miss selection included injury-plagued midfielder Mark Coughlan, Nathan Brown, who was never the same after badly breaking his leg, Kane Johnson, Leon Cameron and Andrew Kellaway, while Brad Ottens played his best football at Geelong, despite being an All-Australian for the Tigers in 2001.

Champion midfielders Matthew Knights and Paul Broderick played briefly in the 2000s but were stars of the previous decade.