The All-Australian selectors get it right, mostly

St Kilda’s Lenny Hayes deserved to be in the 2010 All-Australian team. Other than that oversight, you have to say this year the selectors have done a pretty decent job at picking the AFL’s team of the year. There really wasn’t too much else to complain about.

Hayes, of course, was instrumental in St Kilda not falling apart after Nick Riewoldt’s injury, both in terms of his performance and his leadership. Beyond that, he’s easily one of the toughest midfielders in the competition (if not the toughest midfielder in the competition).

This year he’s averaged 6.6 tackles per game – a figure way ahead of every single player selected last night (Luke Hodge was the closest with 5.7).

He’s also averaged 27.5 disposals – a figure three of the midfielders selected didn’t reach (Chris Judd, Scott Pendlebury and Hodge).

He was even ranked sixth in the competition for clearances this season.

To be fair, though, there wasn’t another truly glaring omission. Maybe Shane Mumford could’ve ousted Mark Jamar for that second ruck spot (surely at least one Sydney player could’ve made it?) or maybe there wasn’t a need for a second ruck at all. Maybe Collingwood and Geelong, with ten team members, were over-represented.

On the whole, however, most of the players selected seemed worthy.

FB: James Frawley, Brian Lake, Corey Enright
HB: Brendon Goddard, Harry Taylor, Harry O’Brien

Lake and Goddard are the indisputables of the back six, both are very much worthy of selection and have had huge years. Enright and O’Brien, in playing big roles in two of this year’s genuine contenders, also can’t be faulted.

Frawley was a topic of debate in pre-announcement discussions, but finishing a close second in Melbourne’s best and fairest count is a decent effort for a 21 year-old key defender. Taylor has arguably benefitted from there being few other standout centre half backs, but in fairness to him his stats do suggest he was the pick of the bunch.

C: Leigh Montagna, Luke Hodge (c), Joel Selwood
R: Aaron Sandilands, Dane Swan, Gary Ablett (vc)

Anyone who can find fault with the Sandilands-Swan-Ablett line did not watch any football this season – all would’ve been automatic selections. Same with Hodge, with the only debate around him being whether to place him along the half back line or in the middle (with Goddard down back that debate ended pretty quickly).

Of the others, you could argue whether Montagna or Selwood should be swapped for one of the midfielders on the interchange – or Hayes, for that matter, but I digress – although both have at least had strong years in very strong teams.

HF: Alan Didak, Lance Franklin, Paul Chapman
FF: Barry Hall, Jack Riewoldt, Mark LeCras

Going for three talls is perhaps the most controversial aspect of this forward line, although Riewoldt and Hall both deserved their spots thanks to their Coleman Medal shootout late in the season.

LeCras was unlucky to miss out last year, and you get the sense playing for the wooden spooners wouldn’t have helped his case this year, but those 12 goals against Essendon probably sealed it for him. Chapman and Didak are by no means surprise selections in this team.

I/C: Mark Jamar, Chris Judd, Steve Johnson, Scott Pendlebury

This is where the “Insert player from my team” suggestions start flowing. Before all that begins, let it be said Johnson might’ve been a bit lucky despite racking up a decent goal tally. Jamar, Judd and Pendlebury, as mentioned earlier, might’ve been a bit lucky too.

Outside the team announcement, Liam Jurrah was given mark of the year and Buddy Franklin goal of the year.

Jurrah’s mark was a beauty and a deserving winner, although the mark of his chief rival Goddard wouldn’t have looked out of place as a winner either. As for Franklin’s goal, it was good (and kind of surprising) to see a great running goal get rewarded, although strong build-up play has been a feature in a few winners over the past couple of years.

By the end of last night, it was easy to get the feeling the selectors, and those in charge of mark and goal of the year, had made the right calls.

Just as long as you forget about Lenny Hayes.