BACKS
Guy McKenna
Anyone who was captain and general of one of the meanest backlines in the last 20 years deserves a spot in this team. He was a two-time best and fairest with the Eagles and an All- Australian representative.

Dustin Fletcher
Dustin will go down as one of the best full-backs of all time. He can play on talls and smalls, has incredibly long arms and combines tight defence with a brilliant ability to attack. He looks like he could play forever!

Brendon Goddard
Most players taken at No.1 in the draft turn out to be guns of the competition, and Brendon is definitely one of those. He is almost the complete package - versatile, strong, determined and very skilful.

HALF-BACKS
Kevin Murray
‘Bulldog’ Murray was a Fitzroy legend in the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. He played 333 games in 18 seasons, won a Brownlow Medal in 1969, represented Victoria 24 times, was the Lions’ best and fairest nine times, All-Australian twice and was recently inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.

Justin Leppitsch
‘Leppa’ wouldn’t let me get away with leaving him out of this side! Luckily, he has the pedigree to almost make him a walk-up start. He played 227 games for Brisbane, was the centre half-back in the Lions’ three premiership teams (2001-03), and was All-Australian three times.

Kevin Walsh
Kevin was a mainstay in the Essendon backline during its dominance in the 1980s. He was a member of the 1983 Bombers team which defeated Hawthorn by four goals, and was an EJ Whitten Medallist in 1986.

CENTRES
Neville Bruns
I don’t mind a hard-nosed, tenacious midfield redhead, and Neville was just that. Over 15 years (mostly in the ‘80s) for the Cats, Bruns played 223 games both as a rover and wingman, kicked 173 goals and collected 33 Brownlow votes for his career.

Michael Voss
Another tough and uncompromising midfielder, Michael Voss is considered one of the greats of the modern game. He won acclaim for winning the hard ball and providing excellent leadership. He did everything in the game - won three premierships (2001-03), a Brownlow Medal (1996), four best and fairest awards and All-Australian selection five times.

Keith Greig
One of the best players the Kangaroos have ever produced, Keith was a dashing wingman who won two Brownlow Medals (1973 and 1974), a club best and fairest, All-Australian selection and AFL Hall of Fame membership.

HALF-FORWARDS
Des Tuddenham
There seems to be a common theme among the redheads in this team - they’re all tough and courageous! Des was no exception. He played 251 games for Collingwood and Essendon in the tough old days of the 1960s and ‘70s, and was considered very unlucky not to win a Brownlow.

Dermott Brereton
It would be impossible to leave ‘Dermie’ out of this team. Not many players in my memory have earned the right to strut around the field like he did. I would too if I kicked eight goals in a grand final, played in five premierships and kicked more than 400 goals.

Brad Hardie
I can’t remember many redheads who sported the long sleeve jumper like Brad did. He played at plenty of clubs over his career, but was always a dangerous player as a defender or attacker, which was validated by his Brownlow Medal in 1985.

FORWARDS
Darren Bewick
Every team needs a dangerous goalsneak, and Darren was one of the best going around during Essendon’s reign at the top of the ladder in the 90s. He hardly ever missed a goal on the run, but could also take a grab and was a good tackler.

Lance Whitnall
The man known as ‘Big Red’ was a favourite at Carlton. He burst onto the scene as one of the most damaging forwards in the competition in the late ‘90s, with his strong marking causing headaches for opposition defences. He ended up being a backman with the Blues and was captain in 2007.

Jason Akermanis
Brisbane definitely produced some classy redheads. Jason has been one of the most enigmatic, exciting small forwards/midfielders in the past 15 years. He has never been far from the headlines, but has backed up his opinions with some amazing feats on the field.

FOLLOWERS
Steve O’Dwyer
‘Strawbs’ stood at over 200cm and had his best season with the Demons in 1988, when he won the best and fairest and guided the club to the grand final. He missed the big game through suspension.

Adam Cooney
Having played against Adam for a few years now, I’ve seen first-hand what an influence he can have on a game of footy. To win a Brownlow at 22 was outstanding. His speed and power make him a tough opponent to stop.

Cameron Ling
‘Lingy’ has long been one of the best taggers in the AFL. He’s someone I admire, being a run-with player myself, and someone I’ve learnt a lot from. The Geelong fans admire him, and his peers respect him.

INTERCHANGE
Barry Stoneham
If Barry didn’t have his career affected by a nasty leg injury, he probably would have gone down as one of the game’s best key position players. Before that injury in 1994, he won Geelong’s best and fairest, was All-Australian and kicked 223 goals from 241 games.

Tim McGrath
‘Bluey’ McGrath was another redhead who found his way at Kardinia Park during the ‘90s. Anyone who stood toe-to-toe with the great Wayne Carey, and won his fair share of battles, deserves to be in this team.

Jarryd Roughead
He’s still got a long way to go in the game, but Jarryd is already a star. When he’s on song, there are few better kicks for goal in the competition. He already averages almost two goals a game for the Hawks and I’m definitely envious of his premiership in 2008.

Robert Neal
Known as ‘Scratcher’, Robert was a hard-at-it wingman who loved tackling and chasing opponents - much like me. He collected 57 Brownlow votes over his 216-game career.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.