After my two-part article that broke down the key All-Australian chances from each AFL club, here is the ‘AFL 18’ – an All-Australian lineup comprised of one player from each of the 18 clubs.
Backs
Dean Terlich (Melbourne)
Terlich has been a SuperCoach hero, known for his high scores as a first year mature-age recruit, a small defender who works the ball out of defensive 50 very well.
Scott Thompson (North Melbourne)
Thompson has been known this year to keep big name full forwards quiet.
A clear example of this was keeping Jack Riewoldt to two goals, where the Tigers forward only kicked his two goals in the late stages of the game when the Tigers played Kangaroos in Round 15.
Nick Malceski (Sydney Swans)
It’s rare to see any other player kicking from full back from Sydney, as Malceski has one of the best kicks in the competition, and leads the AFL for rebound 50s.
Half-Backs
Pearce Hanley (Brisbane Lions)
The boy from Ireland is skillful and can dance around his opponents. Averages 21 disposals a game and is first at the Lions for inside 50s.
Luke McPharlin (Fremantle)
Fourth in the competition for rebound 50s and is known to be a very painful back man for opposition forwards, as Cameron Mooney has explained earlier this year on AFL 360.
Leigh Montagna (St Kilda)
With Goddard out of the side Montagna has been given a lot more room to run. He has stood up this year and is in the mix for St Kilda’s best and fairest. He’s first for most disposals at St Kilda.
Midfielders
Brett Deledio (Richmond)
His positioning around stoppages and behind the ball is near perfect. Deledio can read the play as an A–class midfielder should.
He’s a fast, dangerous player who is unstoppable if opposition coaches don’t place a tag on him.
Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
Mitchell is a main part to Hawthorn’s midfield steam train. He has a well-built body that can manoeuvre around players.
Mitchell averages 29 disposals a game. He was also second in last year’s Brownlow medal and should poll a lot of votes in 2013.
Brendon Goddard (Essendon)
A magnificent recruit for the Bombers, Goddard is arguably the most dangerous wingman in the competition.
Half-Forwards
Patrick Dangerfield
Dangerfield took a few games to get back into the stride of a raging bull. Dangerfield can run through a huge pack of players and is a king of contested possessions.
He’s been used as a forward more often than last year due to Taylor Walker’s knee injury. Dangerfield is dangerous in clearance work and going for goal.
Josh Kennedy (West Coast Eagles)
Kennedy is equal first for the Coleman medal and has been the most consistent full forward in 2013.
Andrew Walker (Carlton)
Walker started the season flying but hasn’t been a prolific ball receiver in the second half of the year. Andrew Walker has a great kick which can be used anywhere on the field.
He attracts the ball with his fast running and leads through the midfield. Walker is a very damaging player when he gets the chance.
Forwards
Chad Wingard (Port Adelaide)
No second year blues for Chad Wingard. He has been one of the Power’s most consistent players this season.
Wingard looks like he has been playing at the highest level for many years. You’ll see the young gun always involved in scoring chances. A big future is ahead for the rising Power star.
Jeremy Cameron
Cameron is not the best full forward in the league but it looks like he will be in coming years.
Not many GWS players have been more consistent than Cameron. Mid –way through the year, Cameron looked like he could’ve stolen the Coleman medal but since then; opposition backlines have focused on keeping the key position player quiet.
Chad Cornes believes Cameron is the best young player he’s ever played with. Cornes also said he can become better than Nick Riewoldt.
Steven Motlop (Geelong)
Like most small forwards, Motlop can play in the middle but a player his size can play the classic small forward role. Motlop is always collecting the ball off the ground or receiving from hitouts.
Motlop adds even more speed to the Cats. If Motlop isn’t kicking goals, he is setting them up.
Followers
Will Minson (Western Bulldogs)
Minson’s having a career best season; he’s averaging 41 hitouts a game and first in the competition for hitouts with a massive tally of 617.
Gary Ablett (Gold Coast Suns)
Ablett: the ball magnet, the wizard and the Brownlow medal favourite. Everyone knows who he is, the awesome Gold Coast captain. No other Gold Coast player has a higher priority than him in this AA team.
Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
The classy Collingwood midfielder racks up a heap of disposals every week. Pendlebury’s vision and awareness gives him the ability to always use the ball well.
Full All-Australian AFL 18
FB: Terlich S.Thompson Malceski
HB: Hanley McPharlin Montagna
C: Deledio Mitchell Goddard
HF: Dangerfield Kennedy Walker
FF:Wingard Cameron Motlop
FOLL: Minson Ablett Pendlebury
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