Malcolm Blight’s AFL team of the year for the All-Australian selectors
HALL of Fame Legend Malcolm Blight rates All-Australian selection as the best individual award in the AFL today. Here is his team of the year. And there are a few big names missing.
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IT is a team sport, but Australian football — particularly at the elite level in the AFL — still lauds the great individuals.
And this is where All-Australian honour has greater significance today. It is the one plaudit that is open to every player — all 808 this season.
Once a year — rather than every four after a national carnival in the era when there were State games — the AFL finds 22 players who excel in a position and creates its 22-man “Team of the Year”.
The Brownlow Medal is regarded as the greatest individual award, but when will a full back take home “Charlie” again? Richmond full back Alex Rance was the All-Australian captain last season, but with just eight Brownlow Medal votes was not in the count’s top-30.
The same can be said of club champion awards.
So the most meaningful individual honour — more so in how it relates to a team game — is All-Australian selection.
And the All-Australian captain this season most probably will be another defender who will not rate in Brownlow Medal predictions — West Coast skipper Shannon Hurn.
This is the 65th anniversary of the first All-Australian team (named after the 1953 carnival in Adelaide). It is 71 years since the football writers at the Sporting Life came up with their yearly All-Australian team honours with a panel vote across State borders.
And it is 27 years since the AFL decided the best line-up from the national competition each season would supersede All-Australian line-ups from those much-missed State-of-Origin games.
There is a great tradition, but All-Australian selection carries much more significance today.
In a tribute to South Australian football, the All-Australian honour board has three South Australians at the top with 10 selections each — Craig Bradley, Stephen Kernahan and John Platten.
Considering Platten’s achievements — that include Magarey and Brownlow Medals and premierships at Hawthorn — his rise to “Legend” status in the Australian Football Hall of Fame has to be considered.
Of more immediate concern, the All-Australian selectors will meet at the end of the home-and-away series in late August to debate the final line-up that — in a rare moment — could have no Sydney player. Not even power forward Lance Franklin.
The easiest call for the selectors is full forward — a position reserved for the Coleman Medallist as the league’s leading goalkicker, which is currently North Melbourne’s Ben Brown.
After the opening round — in which Franklin kicked eight goals and limped off the new hard deck at Perth Stadium — it seemed Buddy would easily claim his fourth Coleman Medal and eighth All-Australian honour.
Line by line, there will be great debate — and standout selections.
FULL BACK
Port Adelaide defender Tom Jonas deserves his first All-Australian honours. He does so much well — and stands out as the pivotal player in the Power’s assertive defence.
HALF-BACK
Lachie Whitfield is the surprise packet of the year. GWS coach Leon Cameron made the right call in putting Whitfield behind the ball. His run and his skilful use of the ball is as good as anyone in the game.
CENTRE
SCOTT Pendlebury is good enough to win the Brownlow Medal. Not since Greg Williams has there been a player who can hold the ball, mesmerise the opposition and put the ball where Collingwood needs it.
HALF-FORWARD
RICHMOND cannot win the flag without Jack Riewoldt. He has not only reinvented his image, but also his role by taking on all the tasks required of a centre half-forward and a full forward in a “different” Tigers attack. And Jack does not hold back in his eagerness to fly for the ball, either taking a great mark or bringing the ball to ground for his smaller teammates to feast on.
FULL FORWARD
BROWNLOW Medallist Dustin Martin set an incredible standard last season. How does one top perfection? There cannot be an All-Australian team without this Tiger, particularly when he can change the momentum in a game either in the midfield or in attack.
RUCK
COULD the Brownlow Medallist come from the last-ranked team with Patrick Cripps at Carlton. The first ruck — Max Gawn, Cripps and Tom Mitchell — could be the trifecta for the Brownlow Medal.
INTERCHANGE
RICHMOND premiership captain Trent Cotchin has taken Collingwood forward Jordan de Goey’s place on the bench. And there is a fair argument to be had in the next month with Franklin and Geelong key forward Tom Hawkins. Today, Hawkins has the nod — and Franklin is a concern, particularly when Swans coach John Longmire has counted “Buddy” for just 20 minutes in team training.
It is an impressive line-up made up of players from 11 clubs … and none of Joel Selwood, Patrick Dangerfield or Gary Ablett from Geelong.
Originally published as Malcolm Blight’s AFL team of the year for the All-Australian selectors