Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson pens his All-Australian team

USUALLY, it's the midfielders who do your head in when choosing an All-Australian team. Live chat with Robbo from 11.30am

Scott Pendlebury

USUALLY, it's the midfielders who do your head in when choosing an All-Australian team.

It might just be when it's time to pen the best at the end of Round 22, but right now it's the defensive spots which are the most difficult to select.

Trying to separate the Sydney pair of McVeigh and Malceski was just too hard, so I decided to play them both off the back flanks.

They were probably No.1 and No.2 best players for the Swans yesterday, Malceski probably shading his mate with 10 rebounds.

RIP Shinboner Spirit

As Paul Roos would say (every week), he's a terrific story, Malceski.

He leads the league in rebounds, while McVeigh's move to defence is close to the ''move'' of the year.

Have gone three talls and three mid-sized players for the back six, and I'm not thinking anyone would agree.

Those who missed out include Luke McPharlin, Heath Shaw, Steve and Dale Morris, Michael Johnson, Corey Enright, Pearce Hanley, Garrick Ibbotson, Josh Gibson, Rory Thompson, and Michael Hibberd, and I probably left out others on that list.

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Of course, happy with Harry Taylor, Scott Thompson and Jake Carlisle as the talls, and can be debated on Andrew Walker.

The Blues speedster has been a consistent ball-winner out of the back half, and probably with Malceski and Pearce, has been the player to turn defence into attack.

The mids are plentiful.

Gone with Ryan Griffen, Kieren Jack, Scott Pendlebury, Patrick Dangerfield and Gary Ablett at this point.

Dangerfield (shoulder) could miss several games and might struggle at Round 22, but at Round 16 he has earned his spot. Same with Jobe Watson on the bench.

Filled the interchange bench with midfielders because most teams do and Michael Barlow is a must, so is Dane Swan, and Sam Mitchell never walks off the field with less than 25.

Dan Hannebery was probably the unluckiest, Joel Selwood was close, while David Mundy, Travis Boak and Brett Deledio are probably first or second in their best and fairest counts.

Have tried to pick a team on feel without looking at statistics because sometimes, in a competition which has plenty of one-sided games, stats can be misleading.

If I was to include a defender on the pine, I would've leant towards the Irishman from the Lions.

Coach of the year at this stage? Toss up between James Hird and Ken Hinkley. If it was only about exceeding expectation, would have to go Hinkley.

ROBBO'S ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM

Backs: Jake Carlisle, Scott Thompson, Andrew Walker
Half-backs: Jarrad McVeigh Harry Taylor, Nick Malceski
Centre: Ryan Griffen, Scott Pendlebury,  Keiren Jack
Half forwards: Chad Wingard, Travis Cloke, Steve Johnson
Full-forward: Lindsay Thomas, Josh Kennedy, Jarryd Roughead
Ruck: Will Minson, Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett
Inter: Michael Barlow, Sam Mitchell, Dane Swan, Jobe Watson