Last year, we asked you to vote on your North Melbourne Team of the 2010s, and the results are in.
Players were deemed eligible if they had played in 50 games, or won a Syd Barker Medal during the decade.
And from thousands of votes, your best 22 have been selected.
First, we take a look at the defenders.
Michael Firrito
North Melbourne games - 275
A fan-favourite with his tough displays in the backline, Firrito was an integral member of the North Melbourne team that made back-to-back preliminary finals in 2014 and 2015.
Recruited as a rookie in 2003, Firrito was an extremely fierce competitor and was able to play either tall or small.
“Spud” as he is affectionately known, retired at the end of 2016, but recently returned to the club in the role of Academy Coach.
Robbie Tarrant
North Melbourne games - 148
After beginning life in the AFL as a forward, Tarrant has developed into of the finest and arguably one of the most underrated defenders in the competition.
Since overcoming a series of injuries early in his career, Tarrant has become one of the Roos’ most reliable performers in the backline, shutting down the very best forwards in the competition.
He was named in the All Australian squad in 2016, and won his first Syd Barker Medal the same year.
Sam Wright
North Melbourne games - 136
Another fan-favourite, Wright was a key performer in the middle part of the decade, which coincided with the Roos’ most successful period of the 2010s.
Wright’s game-changing mark in the 2014 Elimination Final win against Essendon is etched into North folklore.
Unfortunately for Wright and the Roos, he was never able to fully recover from a foot injury that kept him out for more than 700 days, and he called time on his AFL career in 2019.
Jamie Macmillan
North Melbourne games - 157
A true team-first player, Jamie Macmillan is an important member in the Roos’ backline.
Another important member of the team that made back-to-back prelims, Macmillan has become a strong presence in defence with his impressive leadership qualities.
Macmillan averaged a career-high 20.5 disposals and 5.4 rebound 50s in 2019, and will be hoping to take those numbers into the new decade.
Scott Thompson
North Melbourne games - 241
Thompson was not only one of the Roos’ best defenders of the completion, but arguably one of the AFL’s best throughout the 2010s.
An All-Australian and Syd Barker Medallist in 2013, Thompson finished the decade with more intercept marks and possessions than anyone else in the AFL.
A true warrior and leader by example in the backline, he retired at the end of 2019.
Shaun Atley
North Melbourne games - 197
An ever-present member in the Roos’ best 22 since being drafted in 2010, Atley has managed an impressive 197 games in nine seasons.
With the exception of his debut season (16 games), Atley has made at least 20 appearances in every year since, including 99 games straight between 2015 and 2019.
Atley averaged a career-high 20.1 disposals off half-back in 2019, and at still only 27 years of age, will be hoping some of his best footy is ahead of him.
