Tasmania’s top 20 AFL/VFL players in 50 years: 20-16

We count down the top 20 Tasmanian footballers to play AFL/VFL in the past 50 years. Today we start with players ranked 20-16. SEE THE VIDEOS

Daryn Cresswell in action for Sydney at the MCG.

AS the surge in junior football continues and the calls for a stand-alone Tasmanian team in the AFL grow louder, there’s never better time to point out how good Tasmanian footballers are.

We have selected our list of the top 20 Tasmanian footballers to have played at the highest level in the past 50 years.

We know there are many others who predate the list but here are our “modern era” selections.

Over the next week we will be unveiling our top footy players, some more obvious, some not. All have finished their careers, from 1967 onwards.

No doubt we have missed a few and later in the week, there will be an opportunity for footy fans to tell us who they think should be added to the list and why.

Today we start the countdown.

Mathew Armstrong on the burst for North Melbourne.

20 Mathew Armstrong: Fitzroy, North Melbourne. 175 games, 89 goals.

Armstrong was drafted in 1986 from Hobart to VFL club Fitzroy and moved to North Melbourne in 1994. He was one of a new breed of players who could be played in many positions and was used as an on-baller, half back, centre and wingman. He was known for his quick disposal and line-breaking bursts. Despite missing just five games in the 1996 home and away season he was omitted from the side which defeated Sydney in the grand final.

John Greening in action for Collingwood.

19 John Greening: Collingwood, Port Melbourne, Cooee. 107 games 70 goals. Named as a Collingwood Legend.

Greening was recruited by Collingwood in 1967 as a 16-year-old from Burnie, having played football for Cooee. He made his senior debut for the club the following year and became a regular in the side, playing as a ruck rover, half forward, centreman and wingman. He played 94 consecutive games with the club until a major injury on July 8, 1972 during a game against St Kilda.

He was knocked out by St Kilda player Jim O’Dea and suffered such a severe concussion he was in a coma for 14 days. Such was the impact if the hit, some thought he might not survive. O’Dea was suspended for 10 weeks. The injury cut short a brilliant career.

Teammates gather around John Greening as he lay unconscious after the big clash.

In the 1972 season he came seventh in the Brownlow, despite only playing 14 games. Greening did return to play two years later but managed just nine games over two years. He was known as a player with great running skills and balance

Richmond's Paul Sproule in 1974.

18 Paul Sproule: Hobart, Essendon, Richmond, Sandy Bay. 146 games 153 goals

Recruited from Hobart football Club to play for Essendon in 1968, Sproule established himself as a tough, quick footballer with an uncanny knack to find the goals. After 60 games with the Bombers, he switched to Richmond in 1972 and went on to play 86 games for the Tigers. He later went on to coach Richmond after a successful coaching career in Tasmania where we coached Sandy Bay and Hobart to premierships.

Peter Jones holds the 1979 Premiership Cup aloft with Alex Jesaulenko.

17 Peter Jones: North Hobart, Carlton. 249 games, 284 goals Carlton best and fairest 1978

Peter “Percy” Jones was originally courted by Richmond to come over the VFL but Carlton snapped him up after watching the young North Hobart ruckman play at State level. He was then 18.

His VFL career almost ended before it began when Jones was badly injured in a car crash after a pre-season training session in 1966. He was being driven home to his grandmother’s place in St Kilda by a Carlton fan and the car left the road and hit a tree.

Percy Jones takes a mark in 1972 Grand Final against Richmond.

It left him with serious skull, facial and eye-socket injuries — he nearly lost one eye — a badly broken nose and fractures to both of his ankles. Subsequently he didn’t debut in his first season until round 16.

He developed into one of Carlton's most reliable ruckmen, won a best and fairest at the Blues and played in four winning premierships. Known as one of the characters of the game, Jones is vividly remembered for breaking free from his opponent in the goal-square, running into an open goal then missing the ball entirely and kicking the goalpost.

16 Daryn Cresswell: Glenorchy, North Hobart, Sydney Swans 244 games, 208 goals. All Australian 1997, Swans best and fairest 1994

Daryn Cresswell breaks free from a bounce for Sydney.

Cresswell started his football with Glenorchy in the Tasmanian Football League. He also briefly played for Geelong Reserves in the VFL before Cresswell returning to Tasmania to play with North Hobart in the TFL in 1991. The following year and was drafted to the Sydney Swans in the mid-season draft.

He played for the Swans for 12 seasons between 1992 and 2003. He was a member of the Swans losing 1996 Grand Final team and was named in both the Swans’ and Tasmanian Teams of the Century. Respected for his work ethic, he was a hard, tough-as-nails midfielder who could change the tempo of a game. He is famous for once knocking his knee cap back into place after it became dislocated in a game. Problems with gambling have plagued him post football and landed him in jail on fraud charges.