Mark Robinson names his All-Australian side for 2024

There’s no right or wrong answer, but there are plenty of tough calls to be made about this year’s All-Australian side. Mark Robinson presents his team and the captain of footy’s best side.

Not sure which is the most arduous decision for the All-Australian selectors.

One is who of Marcus Bontempelli or Patrick Cripps will be named captain.

The other is whether Massimo D’Ambrosio is named on a wing.

There’s no right or wrong answer in regards to the captaincy, for Cripps and Bontempelli have delivered everything that is required: Performance, consistency and inspiration.

Cripps’ past two matches have elevated him narrowly over Bontempelli.

With Carlton’s season at the cliff, Cripps’ wide shoulders carried his team over the line against West Coast. And last weekend, his third-quarter efforts inspired the depleted Blues, only for them to be beaten by Jack Higgins’ goal with a minute to play.

Leadership is mostly about action and Cripps for all of the season has been Carlton’s action man.

Patrick Cripps is Robbo’s All-Australian captain. Pic: Michael Klein

The same can be written of Bontempelli, who people in the know at the Bulldogs say has surpassed Ted Whitten as the club’s greatest captain.

Think about that. Whitten was named captain of the Team of the Century, a team which contained the names of Leigh Matthews, Haydn Bunton, Dick Reynolds and Ron Barassi, yet Bontempelli is now regarded by some as the greatest ever Bulldog.

That accolade was probably bestowed on him after his 38 touches, two goals, nine tackles and 10 clearances against Collingwood in Round 13. Or maybe it was after his 30 and three goals against Fremantle the week after.

The five-time All Australian certainly rocked the stats sheet. He kicked 31 goals, averaged 26 disposals, 6.4 clearances, 2.8 centre clearances, 5.5 tackles, 8.3 score involvements.

Robbo's All-Australian team for 2024.

When Cripps, a three-time All Australian, went big he went nuclear. He had back-to-back 40-possession games against Geelong and Richmond and had 14 clearances in both those games.

Overall, he kicked 16 goals, averaged almost 29 touches, eight clearances and seven score involvements.

Unquestionably, Cripps and Bontempelli are the captain and vice-captain, unless the selectors opt for another legacy choice.

Lance Franklin and Tom Hawkins have previously been named AA captain, but other than Max Gawn, who was captain of the team in 2021, there’s no legacy-type players this year.

That’s presuming Gawn earns his seventh jacket. He’ll probably get the nod, but North Melbourne’s Tristan Xerri is also in the 44-man squad and he had a stellar year.

Massimo D'Ambrosio has been a remarkable success for the Hawks. Photo by Phil Hillyard

Xerri and Hawthorn’s D’Ambrosio are special stories.

D’Ambrosio must get a wing position. He’s every chance of winning the club best and fairest in a team that has captivated the competition.

Let’s hope he is rewarded and the selectors don’t shuffle a midfielder to the wing, which while tempting because of the dearth of on-ball talent, won’t represent an All Australian team with players in their true positions.

It’s wrong that D’Ambrosio has to fight for his spot against mids such as Zach Merrett, Zak Butters and Isaac Heeney for example.

Butters gets an interchange position because it’s unfathomable that Port Adelaide, which finished second on the ladder, won’t be represented.

Dan Houston is also in the squad, but he’s up against Nick Blakey, Dayne Zorko, Lachie Whitfield and Luke Ryan for the mid-sized halfback roles.

North Melbourne’s Harry Sheezel would cap a remarkable first two years of his career with AA selection. He’s the youngest player in the squad – at 19 – and will likely miss this year. But his turn will come soon enough.

Originally published as Mark Robinson names his All-Australian side for 2024