FOUR St Kilda players have been named in the AFL’s Multicultural team of champions.
Former Saints Ian Stewart, Alex Jesaulenko and Roy Cazaly were named in the Australia Post Multicultural Team of Champions alongside current captain Nick Riewoldt.
A selection panel including AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou, Carlton coach Mick Malthouse and TV commentator Dennis Cometti picked its best 22 players with international ties to have played the game from 1896-2013.
Jesaulenko, who was born in Austria to a Ukrainian father and a Russian mother, was named the captain of the team. He spent two years captaining St Kilda after a long and distinguished career with Carlton where he played in four premiership teams.
Cazaly is an icon of the Australian game who qualifies for the team by having an English-born father and a Scottish-born mother. He was a star of both the St Kilda and South Melbourne teams from 1911 to 1927. Like Jesaulenko, he has been named an official legend of the AFL.
Stewart became a St Kilda great from 1963 to 1970, winning two Brownlow medals and playing in a premiership team before moving to Richmond where he won another Brownlow and played in another premiership. He qualifies because his father was born in Italy.
Riewoldt is one of the stars of the modern day, having played 251 games for the Saints since he was taken with the first overall pick at the 2000 Draft.
His father Joe was born in Germany.
The Australia Post AFL Multicultural Team of Champions (Saints in bold):
B: John Worsfold (England), Stephen Silvagni (Italy), Matthew Scarlett (England)
HB: Wayne Schwass (New Zealand), Glen Jakovich (Croatia), Anthony Koutoufides (Italy, Greece)
C: Robert DiPierdomenico (Italy), Ian Stewart (Italy), Peter Matera (Italy)
HF: Alex Jesaulenko (Ukraine, Russia), Nick Riewoldt (Germany), Dermott Brereton (Ireland)
F: Peter Bell (Korea), Alastair Lynch (England), Peter Daicos (Macedonia)
Foll: Roy Cazaly (England, Scotland), Simon Black (New Zealand), Daniel Kerr (India)
I/C: Allan La Fontaine (France), Charlie Pannam (Greece), Saverio Rocca (Italy), Jim Stynes (Ireland)
Coach: Jock McHale
Captain: Alex Jesaulenko
Selection panel: AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou, Australia Post managing director and CEO Ahmed Fahour, AFL general manager national and international development Andrew Dillon, Carlton coach Mick Malthouse, Seven Network commentator Dennis Cometti, AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan and AFL historian Col Hutchison.
