Adelaide captain Taylor Walker is the most notable omission from this year’s new-look AFL All-Australian team.
Half the team of 22 players are first-time selections.
Western Bulldogs skipper Bob Murphy is captain of the team, while Hawthorn midfielder Sam Mitchell and Adelaide star Patrick Dangerfield boast the most selections in this year’s lineup with three apiece.
West Coast’s Coleman Medallist Josh Kennedy, one of the 11 first timers, is the All-Australian vice-captain.
The widespread prediction was that Walker would be named centre half-forward this year, but instead the selectors went for Richmond’s Jack Riewoldt.
Former Richmond key forward Matthew Richardson, one of nine selectors, said it was a tough call.
“If you have a look at their seasons, they were both very, very similar,” Richardson said at Tuesday night’s All-Australian function in Melbourne.
“They both spent a lot of time outside 50m.
“One thing in the end that we looked at with Jack is that he was the No.1 score assist player for a key forward in the competition.
“‘Tex’ (Walker) had an outstanding year as well.”
It is understood the two biggest debates at the last selection meeting were whether to pick Walker or Riewoldt and whether to name a second ruckman.
The selectors named North Melbourne’s Todd Goldstein, one of the first-time picks, as the sole ruckman.
Murphy, who made his second All-Australian team, has enjoyed an outstanding debut year as Bulldogs captain.
The Bulldogs were one of the stories of the season, rocketing up the ladder and making an elimination final.
The All-Australian team is missing regulars such as Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett and Collingwood pair Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan.
Fremantle’s Brownlow Medal favourite Nat Fyfe, Richmond key defender Alex Rance and Port Adelaide forward Robbie Gray are the only players from last year’s 22 to make this selection.
The first-time picks in defence are Josh Gibson (Hawthorn), Heath Shaw (GWS), Easton Wood (Bulldogs) and Michael Hurley (Essendon).
West Coast’s reigning Brownlow Medallist Matt Priddis and teammate Andrew Gaff earned their first All-Australian selections in the midfield, along with Goldstein.
Livewire Adelaide goalsneak Eddie Betts, Kennedy and Jake Stringer (Bulldogs) are the new All-Australian forwards.
Fremantle onballer David Mundy is the other newcomer and he was named on the interchange bench.
Apart from Walker’s omission, the team was largely as expected.
Sydney onballer Josh Kennedy, West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui and Adelaide defender Rory Laird are the other most unlucky exclusions among the original squad of 40.
Two-time defending premiers Hawthorn (Gibson, Mitchell and Cyril Rioli), the Bulldogs (Murphy, Wood and Stringer), West Coast (Priddis, Gaff and Kennedy) and Richmond (Riewoldt, Dustin Martin and Brett Deledio) shared the most selections with three apiece.
2015 ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM
B: J Gibson (Haw) A Rance (Rich) H Shaw (GWS)
HB: E Wood (WB) M Hurley (Ess) R Murphy (WB, capt)
C: D Hannebery (Syd) M Priddis (WC) A Gaff (WC)
HF: C Wingard (PA) J Riewoldt (Rich) C Rioli (Haw)
F: E Betts (Adel) J Kennedy (WC) J Stringer (WB)
R: T Goldstein (NM) N Fyfe (Fre) P Dangerfield (Adel)
I: S Mitchell (Haw) B Deledio (Rich) D Mundy (Fre) R Gray (PA)
Arky
Guest
Yes. "All-Australian" is just a title, it has nothing to do with the nationality of the players. We've definitely had Irish in the AA team before.
Arky
Guest
Yet Deledio made it, which just makes the whole thing weird. Deledio wasn't so amazing that he just HAD to be in despite the missed games.
wanderingkooka
Guest
Have tried to find an answer to this question but haven't found one. As this team is effectively an AFL team of the year is it.open to non-australians playing in the AFL ?
Anonymous
Roar Pro
Agreed, I do like the debate it creates, as I said in another comment, but I don’t think having an A and B team devalues anything. Going back to the NBA example being named in the All NBA first team holds much more prestige then the second or third teams. And if anything, imagine the debate it would create trying to fill a B team. The A team pretty much fills itself (with the exception of 5 of 6 spots). But a B team could be made up of so many more players, with opinions even more diverse as it isn’t as clear cut.
Anonymous
Roar Pro
So Jake Stringers a forward pocket?
Rod
Guest
Is the AA selection panel made up of too many ex-Richmond players/coach?
Si Chewy
Guest
LMac as you call him also participated in a lot less one-on-one contests needed Dawson and Johnson etc to affect contests that he was involved in mate
Katfish
Roar Guru
I think they'll go Taberner just because he has more potential and could become a solid forward. Keep in mind Ryder in 196cm so there is potential for Taberner to pinch-hit in the ruck. I will admit I am confused by the Naitanui-Sinclair combination with the pair halving the ruck load. My initial explination for this set up was that Naitanui perhaps wasn't fit enough to play in the ruck for the majority of the game like Goldstein or Jacobs considering he's such a burst athlete (I highly doubt I'm correct here though). Whatever the reason behind the Eagles ruck set-up is clubs dont seem to want to replicate it.
13th Man
Guest
Nah it kind of devalues the whole thing a little bit if you double the amount of players that can get in. Everyone is going to disagree about someting. Thats whats good about it, it creates debate.
13th Man
Guest
I still think we will go with two ruckmen. Taberner is not tall enough to play backup ruckman and Griffo offers just as much up forward as Tabs does. Should Pav play on next year the forward line would be Pav, McCarthy (i hope) and Griff. And that doesn't explain why WC play two ruckmen, they already have a tall forward line with JK and Darling, by your reasoning they shouldn't play Sinclair even though he has been so valuable to them?
13th Man
Guest
Honestly, i don't see what anyone else sees in Clarke, he looks disinterested and is slower than Sandi. Can't mark the ball. Trade bait in my opinion. At least Griffo gives 100% every game.
Simoc
Guest
Maybe because he changes games in his teams favor when he comes on. He is the most exciting player to watch apart from Franklin. And he wins games. Probably that is what the selectors like over the run of the mill plodders having a good season.
Perry Bridge
Guest
Once again the midfielder centric mindset is fully exposed with the bench. Another point is the dominance of players from sides that were in the middle six of the fixture bands based on last year. Doggies, Tiges, Crows, Eagles - all had slightly easier draws and their players have benefitted.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
I respectfully disagree, but just be thankful you have 3 good ruckman, Some clubs don't even have one!
Anonymous
Roar Pro
I actually don’t mind the idea of an A and B side, much like the NBA has an All NBA first, second and third team.
Dean N
Guest
I agree. If exciting was a criteria then surely Nic Nat would have made the team too? Neale had a far better year than Rioli as did Chris Masten. I'll take their consistency over flashes of brilliance.
Wilson
Roar Guru
I do and Shaw has had a great year in defence and is worth the the AA nomination. Gibson I will agree even with the Stats was a surprise to me as well as it was not his best year. but Stats do come into it when they are doing the AA and Ibbotson was not in the top of that.
David
Guest
McGovern wouldn't have been considered. Didn't play enough games.
Katfish
Roar Guru
Freo go with the 2 ruckmen because of a lack of height in the forward line. If McCarthy comes in i doubt they will go with that same set up (more likely a Pav/McCarthy/taberner with Taberner the back-up ruckman). Griffen or Clarke offer little forward and with Sandi spending the majority of the game in the ruck, thats where a forward-ruckman (such as tippett or Jenkins) is much better than a ruckman-forward
David
Guest
Yeh, should have been Rance