GIANTS celebrate NSW/ACT talent
The team was today announced at the GIANTS AFL Grand Final Lunch at the National Arboretum in Canberra attended by over 500 people.
The 24-man team includes eight members of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, 22 VFL/AFL Premierships and seven Brownlow Medals in a reflection of the strength of the region over the past 100 years.
The team consists of five players from Canberra including Hall of Fame legend Alex Jesaulenko, James Hird, Michael Conlan, Brett Allison and Craig Bolton.
The starting six members of the forward line boast an incredible 3,229 goals between them while the midfield includes Brownlow medallists Paul Kelly (1995), Shane Crawford (1999), Hayden Bunton Snr (1931, 1932, 1935) and Brian Gleeson (1957).
Wayne Carey, who originates from North Wagga and attended today’s lunch, was named vice-captain of the team. Allan Jeans, who grew up in Finley, was named as coach for his four premierships with St Kilda (1966) and Hawthorn (1983, 1986 & 1989).
The team hailed from Albury (Gordon Strang, Brett Kirk and Dennis Carroll) to Ungarie (Terry & Neale Daniher) and as far west as Broken Hill (Dean Solomon) to demonstrate the strength of the GIANTS zones across ACT and NSW.
Allan Jeans, who grew up in Finley was named as coach of the century for his four premierships with St Kilda (1966) and Hawthorn (1983, 1986 & 1989).
The ACT and Southern NSW Team of the Century selection panel was chaired by GIANTS inaugural Head Coach Kevin Sheedy and included Brian Quade, Greg Carroll and Tony Peek.
“It has been an honour to work with Brian, Greg and Tony to help select this team which includes some of the greatest players our game has seen over the past century,” Sheedy said.
“This side has tough midfielders in Paul Kelly and Brett Kirk, brilliant ball winners like Haydn Bunton Snr and James Hird and two of the most exciting forwards the game has ever seen in Wayne Carey and Alex Jesaulenko.
“The current crop of GIANTS features a number of exciting products from the local area such as Canberra’s Phil Davis, Leeton’s Jacob Townsend and Slater & Gordon GIANTS Academy graduate Zac Williams from Narrandera and I am sure AFL in the region will grow stronger over the coming years.
“I’d like to thank my fellow selectors for giving up hours of their time to pick this team and I’d like to thank the 24 players for the joy they’ve given all of us footy fans,” he said.
ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr addressed the lunch which was attended by Sheedy and Carey as well as premiership greats Dermott Brereton, Stephen Silvagni, Robert Dipierdomenico, Chad Cornes, Luke Power, Tom Harley and Craig Bolton.
