Herald Sun Dream Team: Ultimate 2020 AFL team features best player in all 18 positions
The All-Australian team features the game’s biggest names, in whatever position they can be squeezed in. But what would a team look like if you picked the best player in 18 specific positions?
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Just another version of the 2019 All-Australian team, or one with as many as 10 selection differences?
Try the latter, a 22 I arrived at after nominating the five best current players for 18 different positions.
That criteria ensures against selecting the 10 leading midfielders running around and then finding unfamiliar spots for them, rather than choosing specialists.
For instance, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti may not make some teams as a small forward, but when the category is titled “pressure forward”, then the man they call “Walla” rises to the top.
This team ticks every box, with run out of defence thanks to Adam Saad and Zac Williams, intercept marking courtesy of the best in the business in Jeremy McGovern, two keys in Harris Andrews and Dylan Grimes, plus defensive leadership and elite disposal from Shannon Hurn, who is my choice as captain with Jack Riewoldt his deputy.
Matt de Boer, despite having never made an All-Australian squad and polling just two Brownlow votes in his 187-game career, is one of my first chosen in his role as a lockdown onballer. He allows the midfield guns to strut their stuff.
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Unlike most All-Australian sides, this outfit features six forwards who play healthy minutes in that area of the ground. It’s also an extremely agile group of six.
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The quality of this team is also highlighted by the starting interchange, with all of Marcus Bontempelli, Jeremy Cameron, Max Gawn and Patrick Cripps legitimate challengers for the title as best of their type in the game.
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FANS’ TEAM
Key defender: Harris Andrews (Brisbane)
Lockdown defender: Adam Saad (Essendon)
Second tall defender: Dylan Grimes (Richmond)
Intercept defender: James Sicily (Hawthorn)
Rebound defender: Bachar Houli (Richmond)
Utility: Shane Edwards (Richmond)
Ruckman: Brodie Grundy (Collingwood)
Goalkicking midfielder: Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
Wingman: Andrew Gaff (West Coast)
Outside midfielder: Adam Treloar (Collingwood)
Inside midfielder: Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
Tagger: Matt De Boer (Greater Western Sydney)
Tall forward: Tom Lynch (Richmond)
Second tall forward: Jack Riewoldt (Richmond)
High forward: Kane Lambert (Richmond)
Midfielder-forward: Dustin Martin (Richmond)
Small forward: Charlie Cameron (Brisbane)
Pressure forward: Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (Essendon)
* selected by voting in polls on heraldsun.com.au over past 18 days