Leigh Matthews is No.1 as Herald Sun experts choose their top 25 players of the past 50 years

A PANEL of Herald Sun experts — including three with premiership experience — were asked to choose the best 25 VFL/AFL players of the past 50 years. SEE THE LIST and VOTE

TWENTY years after he was named by this newspaper as the game’s greatest player, Leigh Matthews remains that person despite the obvious challenge of Wayne Carey in the proceeding years.

Matthews yet again emerged as the numero uno, a unanimous choice with Carey just as clearly second.

HOW THEY VOTED: SEE WHO ALL NINE SELECTORS PICKED RIGHT HERE

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE FINAL 25 — AND HAVE YOUR SAY

Then the fun began as three premiership players/coach — Mick Malthouse, Dermott Brereton and David King — and six Herald Sun football writers — Mark Robinson, Jon Anderson, Glenn McFarlane, Jon Ralph, Scott Gullan and Sam Edmund — each selected their best 25 players over the past 50 years.

A final list was compiled from those nine experts’ selections which all had Matthews at No.1 or No.2.

‘He’s a He-Man’ ... Leigh Matthews was a clear No.1 after our panel of experts cast their votes.

In all nine selection groups, key forwards polled extremely well despite the current trend of midfield dominance.

Carey, Tony Lockett, Gary Ablett Sr, Jason Dunstall, Peter Hudson and Royce Hart were all picked before the first key defender in Stephen Silvagni, with only Bruce Doull, Glen Jakovich and Matthew Scarlett joining Silvagni to fly the defenders’ flag.

Of the current day group only Sam Mitchell, Lance Franklin and Ablett Jr made the final 25.

Other greats not to make the final group included Jason Akermanis, Peter Daicos, Barry Cable, Luke Hodge, Andrew McLeod, Doug Hawkins, David Dench, Geoff Southby, Dermott Brereton, Ross Glendinning, Stephen Kernahan, Matthew Lloyd, Nick Riewoldt, Robert Harvey, Bernie Quinlan, Gary Dempsey, Peter Knights, Simon Black, Keith Greig, Gavin Wanganeen, Francis Bourke, Jonathan Brown and Peter Matera.

HOW WE DID IT

The criteria given to the judges was that those eligible for selection had to have played more than half their careers between 1967-2016, making legends such as John Nicholls and Bob Skilton ineligible.

All nine selectors - Mick Malthouse, Dermott Brereton, David King, Mark Robinson, Jon Anderson, Jon Ralph, Glenn McFarlane, Scott Gullan and Sam Edmund - picked his top 25.

To be chosen No.1 on a list earned 25 points on a sliding scale down to No.25 who earned one point.

When all lists were tallied, Leigh Matthews had earned 221 of a possible 225 votes. Nathan Buckley earned 28 votes for being chosen 17th, 19th (twice) and 21st on four separate lists.