Mark Robinson names his 2017 All-Australian team
THE job of All-Australian skipper requires a player who can lead from the trenches against enormous odds. In 2017, one player stands out. SEE ROBBO’S TEAM
Mark Robinson
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THEY are comebacks of vastly different sorts, but similar success.
One is Michael Hibberd who, after being suspended for 12 months and who on return requested a trade from Essendon to Melbourne, has played the best football of his career.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ROBBO’S EXPLANATION OF EVERY PICK
He deserves a back flank in the All-Australian team.
The other is Sydney’s Josh Kennedy.
He deserves the captaincy of the All-Australian team.
Both players set about proving doubters wrong, before the season started for Hibberd and after a withering first six weeks for Kennedy and his Swans.
Kennedy’s season, as has his team’s, has been remarkable.
He accepted the captaincy from Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack and the first six weeks read LLLLLL.
Through this time Kennedy’s form was consistent, but his mindset was wonky.
“Absolutely I questioned myself, and I still am,” he said on the eve of his 200th game against Hawthorn.
“There was a lot going through my head, obviously a pretty tough start, baptism of fire, the first six rounds.’’
Kennedy’s form boomed as Sydney’s did. Through Rounds 8-12 he had 37, 35, 33 and 37 disposals and there’s little point describing how he won the ball.
Through Rounds 14-18, it was 36, 28, 28 and 25, and then last week, in the game of the Goliaths at Adelaide, it was another 31 disposals, once again built on contested ball,
There are midfield players with better disposal numbers, such as Gary Ablett, Zach Merrett, Matt Crouch, Adam Treloar, Seb Ross, Clayton Oliver and Marc Murphy. But Kennedy cannot alone be judged by numbers.
As skipper in a diabolical situation, he had to guide this team through a resurrection with little room for error.
Through all those tight wins — Essendon (Round 14), Western Bulldogs (Round 12), GWS (Round 17) and the Crows (Round 22) — Kennedy led from the trenches.
Numbers don’t describe Kennedy’s inspiration and his ability to win the ball in a big moments. His contested ball numbers are for all to see, but at the same time they don’t show his willingness to get to contest after contests, how we won it, how congested was the play. The same with his clearances. In clutch moments, he wins the ball.
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The All-Australian selectors mostly always plug for a captain of his team to be the All-Australian captain.
The last non-captain to earn the honour of being AA captain was Andrew McLeod in 2007.
This year, the selectors might opt for Patrick Dangerfield over his teammate Joel Selwood, even though both players could be in the official team.
Still, Kennedy has epitomised what being captain is about — leadership, challenge his teammates, play high-level football himself and never give up.
How important is that final quality.
Hibberd would know all about that.
He is a freakish player because he is the absolute defender. His one-on-one skills don’t let him down, he’s brave in the air and on the ground, he rebounds, he runs, he’s the playmaker from the back half. He ranks No. 1 in the competition for metres gained with 558m per game.
Every knew he could play, no one knew he could deliver this level of football.
The back group of mid-sized players were the most difficult to select. GWS’s Zac Williams is the best running defender in one of the best teams in the competition and Adelaide’s Rory Laird will be in everyone’s team. Hibberd, Williams and Laird held out Sam Docherty and Elliot Yeo.
Jeremy McGovern got his spot because he has been beaten four times in one-on-one contests, and he kept out Collingwood’s Jeremy Howe and Adelaide’s Jake Lever.
The ruck spot went to Sam Jacobs, which also was a lottery select because there are six ruckman who could be selected. Jacobs beating Patty Ryder in the Showdown was the clincher.
The mids pick themselves, Dayne Zorko deserves a flank, so does Toby Greene despite playing only 16 games and Robbie Gray and Eddie Betts are definites.
The bench has four spots and 30 players vying for them. Went with Tom Mitchell, Ben Brown (who has been superb in a poor team), Dylan Shiel and Joel Selwood, the three mids beating out Gary Ablett, Zach Merrett and Marcus Bontempelli.
EVERY PICK EXPLAINED
Rory Laird — ranks No. 1 among all defenders for disposals and second for intercept possessions of any general defender.
Michael Hurley — ranks No. 1 for key defenders in disposals, metres gained, uncontested possessions, and rebound 50s.
Jeremy McGovern — best one-on-one defender in the competition, losing just four of 61 contests. Second for intercept marks per game.
Zac Williams — rates above average for disposals, metres gained, intercept marks, intercept possessions and pressure.
Alex Rance — ranks second in the league for intercept possessions, and ranks fifth for intercept marks.
Michael Hibberd — ranks No. 1 for metres gained, averaging 558m per game. Ranks third of all general defenders for disposals.
Josh Kelly — only midfielder to rate elite for uncontested possessions, goals and score involvements.
Josh Kennedy — ranks fifth for contested possessions, fourth for groundball-gets, and third for clearances.
Rory Sloane — one of only two midfielders to rank elite for pressure and goals.
Toby Greene — ranks No. 1 of any small forward for marks inside 50 and goals per game. Also second for score involvements.
Lance Franklin — league’s best for score involvements and third for key forwards in disposals and goals.
Dayne Zorko — ranks third in the competition for metres gained. Only midfielder to rate elite for pressure, goals and score involvements.
Robbie Gray — second for score assists and rates elite for goals, score involvements, disposals, and marks inside 50.
Josh Kennedy — averaging more than a goal per game better than any other player. Ranks No. 1 for marks inside 50 per game.
Eddie Betts — ranks second for goals per game of any small forward and No. 1 for groundball-gets inside 50.
Sam Jacobs — rates above-average for disposals, second for uncontested possessions among ruckmen, and third for score involvements.
Patrick Dangerfield — No. 1 for contested possessions and clearances, and has kicked more goals than any other midfielder.
Dustin Martin — second-best in AFL for metres gained, No. 1 for inside-50s, and fourth among midfielders for goals.
Tom Mitchell — has broken the record for most disposals in a season, The only midfielder to rate elite for contested and uncontested possessions.
Ben Brown — second for goals per game and third for marks inside 50 per match.
Dylan Shiel — elite for clearances, and above-average for disposals, contested possessions and metres gained.
Joel Selwood — rates above-average for contested possessions, clearances and inside 50s, and elite for score assists.
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