THE TAC Cup has compiled a list of the best 25 players to come through the competition, marking the Transport Accident Commission’s 25th year of partnership with AFL Victoria.
Luke Hodge, Sam Mitchell and Jarryd Roughead are the three Hawthorn players which have been chosen on the star studded list which boasts five Brownlow Medal winners, three Coleman Medallists and 21 premiership players.
The players have been judged based on their achievements and impact upon the AFL competition, the criteria being each had to have played at least one TAC Cup game and 150 AFL games.
Hodge, a four-time premiership player and two-time Norm Smith Medallist, was recruited from the Geelong Falcons in 2001 with pick one in the NAB AFL Draft.
Sam Mitchell won two club best and fairest awards with the Eastern Ranges in 1999 and 2000 before joining the Box Hill Hawks and being drafted by Hawthorn with pick 36 in the 2001 NAB AFL Draft.
Roughead, who played with the Gippsland Power at TAC Cup level, was drafted by the Hawks with pick number two in the 2005 NAB AFL Draft, and is one of the three Coleman Medal winners on the list.
AFL Victoria Chief Executive Officer Steven Reaper said the list of the competition’s best former players showcases the depth of high quality talent that has passed through the U18 competition.
“The Top 25 provides an opportunity to look back at the history of the TAC Cup and its players, highlighting the important role the competition plays in developing players both on and off the field, which should never be underestimated,” he said.
The TAC Cup Top 25 ranked in order from 1 to 25 will be revealed at the Morrish Medal night on Sunday September 4.
Provide your thoughts on the Top 25 on social media with the hashtag #TACCupTop25
Name | TAC Cup team | AFL club |
Joel Selwood | Bendigo Pioneers | Geelong |
Nick Dal Santo | Bendigo Pioneers | St Kilda/North Melbourne |
Dane Swan | Calder Cannons | Collingwood |
Justin Leppitsch | Dandenong Stingrays | Brisbane Lions |
Sam Mitchell | Eastern Ranges | Hawthorn |
Gary Ablett Jnr | Geelong Falcons | Geelong/Gold Coast |
Luke Hodge | Geelong Falcons | Hawthorn |
Jonathan Brown | Geelong Falcons | Birsbane Lions |
Matthew Scarlett | Geelong Falcons | Geelong |
Jimmy Bartel | Geelong Falcons | Geelong |
Cameron Ling | Geelong Falcons | Geelong |
Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong Falcons | Adelaide/Geelong |
Scott Pendlebury | Gippsland Power | Collingwood |
Jarryd Roughead | Gippsland Power | Hawthorn |
Robert Murphy | Gippsland Power | Western Bulldogs |
Barry Hall | Murray Bushrangers | St Kilda/Sydney Swans/Western Bulldogs |
Steve Johnson | Murray Bushrangers | Geelong/GWS |
Adam Goodes | North Ballarat Rebels | Sydney Swans |
Brent Harvey | Northern Knights | North Melbourne |
Chris Johnson | Northern Knights | Fitzroy/Brisbane Lions |
Daniel Hannebery | Oakleigh Chargers | Sydney Swans |
Chris Judd | Sandringham Dragons | West Coast/Carlton |
Brad Johnson | Western Jets | Western Bulldogs |
Matthew Lloyd | Western Jets | Essendon |
Dustin Fletcher | Western Jets | Essendon |