Mark Robinson’s All Australian team for 2023

Tom Liberatore or Jack Viney? What about Zach Merrett? Mark Robinson has made the call in his All Australian team for 2023 – one that has a few surprises. See it here.

It’s always the flip of a coin.

Unfortunately for Melbourne’s Jack Viney, he missed a bench spot for Tom Liberatore and then missed the subs spot for the Giants’ Stephen Coniglio.

The Libba v Viney was a conundrum. Both heart and soul players, Viney has probably had his best season. His impact is not about pure numbers. His impact is through effort and moments and will power.

It was on display again on Sunday against the Swans. But for balance on the bench, Libba won out and he should officially receive his first All Australian blazer.

The team will be announced on Wednesday night.

Selectors gathered for the final time on Monday morning, where debate surely centred around the selection of North Melbourne’s Nick Larkey.

He finished with 71 goals in a team which won three games.

Yes, he got a lot of the ball directed at him, but you still have to mark it and kick goals.

My team has 16-17 locks.

Tom Liberatore should officially receive his first All Australian blazer this year. Picture: Michael Klein.

The centre line is everyone’s centre line: Gulden, Butters, Josh Daicos. And Marcus Bontempelli and Christian Petracca fill the other midfield positions. All locks.

Dustin Martin makes it because his season compared to others – and not compared to his previous off-the-charts standards – is favourable, and Connor Rozee is also a must-have.

The two of them are the forward-mids, and Petracca also falls into that category.

The defensive group was the most difficult selection outside of selecting the four bench spots.

Sam Taylor misses because 15 games can’t earn him a spot, despite his dominance. The last player to play 15 games and get an AA jacket was Gary Ablett Jnr in 2014. Taylor is good but he’s no Gazza.

Missing eight games is a fraction one or two too many.

That leaves Sicily and Moore as the key defenders, ahead of Harris Andrews, Jacob Weitering, Callum Wilkie and Taylor.

Wilkie is in the AA of squad and so he should be.

Nick Daicos is in the back half. He played some great footy at half-back and some great footy in the midfield, so that was also a toss of coin about his placement.

Dan Houston is a lock. So is Jack Sinclair. And Tom Stewart’s consistent high level of performance seems to be more accepted than heralded.

Josh Daicos is on the wing in Robbo’s team. Picture: Michael Klein.

Tim English won out in the ruck, but St Kilda’s Rowan Marshall was a close second. English kicked more goals (16 to Marshall’s seven), tap outs (31 to 27), hit outs to advantage (11 to seven), while Marshall won clearances (five to three).

Marks and disposals were almost identical.

There’s 20 players who could fill a bench spot.

Mine were Larkey, Libba, Adelaide skipper Jordan Dawson and the winner of the Herald Sun player of the year award, Fremantle’s Caleb Serong.

Serong is one of – if not the – most unheralded stars. He broke all sorts of records at Fremantle this season.

Those unlucky to miss selection include Zach Merrett, Viney, Nick Blakey, Steven May and Gryan Miers.

The captain is Toby Greene. Moore and Bontempelli were contenders, but Greene won out because as well as being one of the most dominant players, his story of loyalty, redemption and leadership in his first season as skipper, captivated the footy world.

Originally published as Mark Robinson’s All Australian team for 2023