Over 170,000 Dutch migrants have made their way to Australia since the late 1940s and at the 2021 census, 381,946 Australians – 1.5% of the country’s population – acknowledged having Dutch-heritage. Unsurprisingly, Dutch Australians have contributed to every aspect of Australian life, including on the country’s footy fields.
We’ve had the Greek (2004), Indigenous (2005) and Italian (2007) Australian Rules Teams of the Century. Now it’s time for a large splash of orange and the naming of the Dutch Team of the Century.
The Dutch Team of the Century is a celebration of the very best Dutch-born and Dutch-heritage players to have taken the field in the AFL/VFL and senior state competitions in Western Australia and South Australia, the main state competitions outside of Victoria.
Between them, players in the Dutch Team of the Century have taken the field in over 4,000 senior games, played in several premierships, scored hundreds of goals and won numerous best & fairest awards.
Selectors
Adam Muyt is a Tasmanian-based sports historian and writer of Dutch-Australian heritage. His publications include Clogball – the Dutch and Soccer in Australia (2023) and Maroon & Blue – Recollection and Tales of the Fitzroy football Club (2006).
Brian Clarke was born in Amsterdam and is of Dutch-Australian heritage. Based in Melbourne, he has been involved in international footy for 25 years and is responsible for the creation of the AFL International Cup, Harmony Cup, EU Cup and Footy 9s. He is the current CEO of Australian Football International.