What do you think of his choices? Today Grey names his FORWARD LINE.

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IT’S the great unanswered question in the long history of the AFL — what would a Northern Territory side look like if it was a fully-fledged team playing premiership matches every week?

Many theories have been put forward on the ‘whys’ and ‘why nots’ of a Darwin-based Territory AFL side, most of them surrounding the infrastructure and long-term viability of a team from Australia’s far north.

1. The full back line: The NT’s ‘ultimate’ AFL side

2. The half back line: The NT’s ‘ultimate’ AFL side

3. The centres: The NT’s ‘ultimate’ AFL side

4. The half forwards: The NT’s ‘ultimate’ AFL side

But what really matters to the average punter is the 18 players on the field and four interchange players waiting for their chance to wear the ochre, white and black jumper against AFL heavyweights like Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond and West Coast.

I have chosen Territory players from 38 years of AFL representation through several clubs and placed them in a 22-strong side I believe would have competed on a level playing field with any of the elite in this country.

This is not intended to be a best-of-side, even though there are several superstars in the starting XVIII who made their name with rival clubs.

What I have looked for is balance, experience and the all-important ‘X’ factor Territory footballers have always delivered on Australia’s greatest sporting stage.

— GREY MORRIS

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FORWARD LINE

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Willie Rioli Jr (West Coast)

Position: Forward Pocket

Games: 38

Honours: 2018 West Coast premiership player

IN the news for all the wrong reasons for allegedly substituting a urine sample during AFL and ASADA anti-doping tests, Willie Jr played his 24th game at the elite level in West Coast’s last gasp 2018 premiership triumph.

The Tiwi islander went through his own physical hell before the Eagles selected him at No.52 in the 2016 national draft.

He fine tuned his body by shedding 16kg and made the move to SANFL club Glenelg, where West Coast’s recruiting staff noticed his goalkicking skills and crumbing ability when the ball was on the ground.

Rioli has booted 46 goals from his 38 games, statistics the NT Buffaloes will welcome with open arms.

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Daniel Motlop (North Melbourne and Port Adelaide)

Position: Full Forward

Games: 130 (47 North Melbourne, 83 Port Adelaide)

The second oldest of the three Motlop brothers to play in the AFL, Daniel’s powerful marking, smart lead-up play and great poise make him an ideal player to line up in the key forward post.

A broken collarbone in 2007 and a fractured ankle that required major surgery in 2009 slowed him down at the peak of a career where he kicked more than 200 goals with both clubs.

With the Rioli cousins on both sides of him, Motlop can be assured any spilt marks or clever tap-ons from his hands will be used to maximum advantage, factors he will have in the back of his mind when he flies for a mark or contests the ball in a pack situation.

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Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn)

Position: Forward Pocket

Games: 189

Honours: 4-time Hawthorn premiership player, 3-time All-Australian, 2015 Norm Smith Medal, AFLNT Hall Of fame

Cyril ‘Junior Boy’ Rioli’s AFL career stretched over 11 seasons and 189 games, but several pundits are still scratching their heads at why he retired at the peak of what was a spectacular career.

His magnificent evasive skills and left foot kicking were remarkably similar in style to his uncle, the great Maurice Rioli, the result of family bloodlines handed down to him through his dad Cyril Jr.

The No.33 Hawthorn jumper was always paramount in the minds of opposition defenders and coaches, purely because Rioli made maximum use of the football when within range of the goals.

In a Territory side containing three Riolis and his uncle Michael Long, those coaches and defenders will have several more headaches trying to work out a solution to their great skills.

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SO, that’s GREY MORRIS’ ultimate Territory AFL team’s FORWARD LINE. What do you think of his picks?

DON’T forget to check back here on Thursday when GREY selects his RUCKS. Who do you think will make the cut?

CLICK ON the image to see the full size graphic of the NT’s ‘ultimate’ AFL side so far as chosen by Grey Morris