The AFL’s oldest player has snuck his way into my mid-season All-Australian team as part of a defence which includes two little-known players.
Essendon veteran Dustin Fletcher may be pushing 40, but his canny performances this season demanded I include him in my competition-wide best 22.
His run out of defence, which shows no signs of waning, combined with his penetrative kicking, sound decision-making and vast experience make him a lock as the third tall defender.
Alongside him, at full back, is Gold Coast greenhorn Steven May who I wrote about on Friday. May fought off strong challenges from the likes of Port’s Alipate Carlile and North Melbourne’s Scott Thompson to claim that spot.
The other relative unknown in my backline is Adelaide youngster Brodie Smith. Averaging 24 touches a game for the Crows, Smith covers a massive amount of ground off half back.
Not only is he second in the league for rebound 50s but he also delivers the ball inside Adelaide’s attacking 50m almost four times a game.
My other two running backmen are similarly constructive with their ball use. Nick Malceski has been running amok for Sydney, while the Bombers’ Michael Hibberd has backed up his stellar 2013 season.
Cale Hooker was an obvious choice at centre-half-back. Hooker has controlled the air in the Bombers’ back half this season, snaring nine marks a match thanks to his strong hands and ability to read the play.
Through the middle of the ground, many of the players picked themselves. There is little that needs to be said about the performances of Gold Coast kingpin Gary Ablett, Collingwood leader Scott Pendlebury or Adelaide game-breaker Patrick Dangerfield.
Joining that trio of established superstars in the guts of the ground are Fremantle goliath Aaron Sandilands, Collingwood dynamo Dayne Beams and Sydney warrior Josh Kennedy.
The latter of that trio is the only player to get more of the footy than Ablett this season. Kennedy is a monster in contested situations.
Beams, meanwhile, is pure silk. While he is more than capable of winning his own ball, it is in space where the Pies midfielder is most damaging. Beams hits the scoreboard more than any other on-baller bar Ablett.
However, given the calibre of this forward line his scoring input scarcely would be needed.
Classy Port Adelaide pair Chad Wingard and Robbie Gray both score and create goals. The same can be said of Hawthorn’s Luke Bruest, who is not just equal fifth on the goalkicking list this season but is also first for goal assists.
Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott may be diminutive but he is potent overhead while also displaying the ability to hoover up any loose balls.
The key forward posts went to the experienced pair of Nick Riewoldt and Tom Hawkins.
It seemed two years ago as though Riewoldt’s best was behind him. But his efforts in a struggling Saints’ side this year have been phenomenal.
Riewoldt is second on the goalkicking list but also regularly leads hard onto the flanks and the wings before turning back towards goals and setting up teammates.
In the goal square is the game’s best power forward, Geelong’s Tom Hawkins. The Cats spearhead has been manhandling defenders for fun this year.
On the bench are a quartet of players capable of either running through the middle of the ground or pinch hitting up forward.
Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe is a future Brownlow medallist, Travis Boak has been a monumental influence on the ladder leaders Port, Brent Harvey is playing as well as ever and Joel Selwood is a battering ram adorned with scintillating skill.
That’s my team Roarers. Now tell me, who have I left out?
B: Hibberd, May, Fletcher
HB: Malceski, Hooker, Smith
C: Dangerfield, Pendlebury, Beams
HF: Gray, N. Riewoldt, Breust
F: Elliott, Hawkins, Wingard
R: Sandilands, Ablett, Josh P. Kennedy
Int: Fyfe, Boak, Harvey, Selwood.
Breakdown by team
Adelaide: Two
Brisbane: None
Carlton: None
Collingwood: Three
Essendon: Three
Fremantle: Two
Geelong: Two
Gold Coast: Two
GWS: None
Hawthorn: One
Melbourne: None
North Melbourne: One
Port: Three
Richmond: None
St Kilda: One
Sydney: Two
West Coast: None
Western Bulldogs: None
Aransan
Guest
Johno, surely you have left out the most important statistic of all which is the ranking of the coach.
johno
Guest
Naitanui? Seriously .... the guys played one half decent game this season Last year Freo played in the GF with only 1 player in the top 100 ranked players (Hill). Which goes to show how much the rankings actually mean
kick to kick
Guest
Some forward and back picks here on sentiment rather than form or stats. Fletcher is currently number 220 in AFL official player ratings. Key defenders are admittedly rarely in the top few dozen but I'd have thought Michael Johnson (41), Harry Taylor (42), Lynden Dunn (110), Ted Richards (125) are all more consistent this year than Fletcher. Incidentally 2014 supercoach stats show much the same rankings. If you were having a team play for say an equivalent of the football World Cup tomorrow - for a real rather than theoretical contest - I'd be hard pressed to include Riewoldt (AFL ranking 101) at the expense of Franklin (14) , or even Hawkins (98) at the expense of Roughead (10). Can't argue too much with the midfield though Kieran Jack is hard to leave out. You have to think that Burgoyne is a potential as a running defender and McVeigh as well. Also not sure that in a real battle I'd go with Sandilands - though he is the solid choice. Mumford hasn't played enough in 2014 but in his last few matches indicates more overall grunt and Natanui ( the AFL's overall best ranked ruckman) has the flair.
Aransan
Guest
Fletcher in his best form would justify selection, but I would select a player more on the basis of their consistent form.
handles
Guest
Fletcher is surely there to boost the number of comments. And it is working! You certainly couldn't pick a form team at the moment and leave out Michael Johnson. Lynden Dunn is turning in a great season playing as a key defender, giving away height every week. In a more natural position as second or third defender, he would be worth considering. Jarryd Roughead would demand selection also.
Don Freo
Guest
They have to play better than the other guys.
Don Freo
Guest
You might need to look west a little more. Elliot over Ballantyne is crazy and Fletcher ahead of McPharlin and Johnson is comical.
Don Freo
Guest
Yes, Michael, you might have watched some games...but without any knowledge of football. Will have Brownlow votes in 5 Dockers games this year.
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
The one change I would make is Jarryd McVeigh ahead of Brodie Smith. Smith is an excellent emerging talent but McVeigh brings extra grit, experience, cleaner ball skills and can pinch hit in the midfield or forward line at need. For mine, versatility and a superb football brain trump raw talent and potential, especially with May also selected down back.
TomC
Roar Guru
Dustin Fletcher? Surely not. Looks great otherwise.
Moose
Guest
Ballas is the best pressure small forward I've seen all season. Any AA team needs to have Fyfe on the field - he is a gun!
Michael huston
Guest
It's partly not Fyfes fault. His two game suspension rattled him and he took a few weeks to get back into things. He could easily make the final AA team.
Sean Mortell
Roar Guru
What else could Jack Frost and Tom Langdon have done? Those two have barely put a foot wrong this season. Considering both are playing their first consistent season of AFL footy, they have surely got to be rewarded for a great season so far.
Docker&WAFLBulldog@Singapore
Guest
Don't know if I'd pick Beams, Boak, Rockliff or Selwood in front of him. But I do agree with you about Dangerfield.
Michael huston
Guest
I have. He's been outstanding for Fremantle, but theres six or seven others in the comp just a bit ahead of him. For example, Ablett, Kennedy, Pendlebury, Beams, Boak, Rockliff and Selwood have all been just that tad more consistent.
Docker&WAFLBulldog@Singapore
Guest
Fyfe hasn't quite been as outstanding as we know he can be? Have you actually watched any Freo games?
MFairPlay
Roar Guru
Bit rich pulling out the "barely played" line and suggest Zac Smith as a 3rd tall. Hope you are not getting mistaken for the Talia at Bulldogs, I believe he means the one at Adelaide.
Joel Erickson
Roar Guru
I reckon you'll find he's talking about Alipate, not Jake.
JKost
Guest
I reckon Ballantyne would almost be given the nod based on his current form, looks good otherwise.
samo
Guest
Jack and Darling getting honourable mentions? Talia's barely played, Carlisle has been forward most the year, Riewoldt has been far far superior to Kennedy. I think the team is ok, except there's no 3rd tall forward/2nd ruckman. Mumford? Zac Smith? Lynch? Need someone there, replace Elliot.