Imagine a starting 18 team of players with one player from every AFL team.
Stop imagining – it could come to fruition now, albeit hypothetically.
There’s a sole captain for the purpose of this exercise: Marcus Bontempelli.
All-AFL starting 18
Adelaide Crows: Rory Sloane
Brisbane Lions: Daniel Rich
Carlton Blues: Sam Docherty
Collingwood Magpies: Jack Crisp
Essendon Bombers: Zach Merrett
Fremantle Dockers: Michael Walters
Geelong Cats: Patrick Dangerfield
Gold Coast Suns: Jarrod Witts
Greater Western Sydney Giants: Jeremy Cameron
Hawthorn Hawks: James Sicily
Melbourne Demons: Clayton Oliver
North Melbourne Kangaroos: Ben Brown
Port Adelaide Power: Travis Boak
Richmond Tigers: Dustin Martin
St Kilda Saints: Jack Billings
Sydney Swans: Dane Rampe
West Coast Eagles: Jeremy McGovern
Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli (captain)
Marcus Bontempelli (AAP Image/Scott Barbour)
Backs
Sam Docherty is a fantastic leader and a talented player. He was back from injury in Round 1 of season 2020, amassing 26 disposals.
Dane Rampe was a part of the 2019 AFL All Australian squad of 40. Rampe won the 2019 Sydney Swans best and fairest and is one of three co-captains.
Jack Crisp finished third in the 2019 Collingwood Magpies best and fairest. Crisp is a pivotal part of the Magpies back six.
Dane Rampe (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Halfbacks
Daniel Rich finished fifth in the best and fairest in 2019 for the Brisbane Lions – not bad for a player in a team that finished second on the ladder is 2019.
Jeremy McGovern was selected at centre halfback in the 2019 AFL All Australian team. McGovern is such an integral part of the Eagles structure.
James Sicily is extremely mobile and capable of playing as either a key defender or on a halfback flank. He’s a pivotal part of the Hawthorn team.
Jeremy McGovern (Ryan Pierse/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Centres
Jack Billings is a pivotal part of the St Kilda team. He showed what he’s capable of in Round 1 with two goals. He is extremely underrated as it stands, but won’t be for long if he can continue his form from Round 1 of season 2020.
Clayton Oliver was equal first in the 2019 Melbourne best and fairest. Oliver is an important part of the Demons midfield.
Zach Merrett won the 2019 Essendon best and fairest. Merrett goes about his job with little fuss despite the fact he is probably the Bombers best player.
Half-forwards
Patrick Dangerfield won the 2019 Geelong best and fairest and was selected on a half-forward flank in the 2019 AFL All Australian team.
Jeremy Cameron won the 2019 AFL Coleman Medal and was selected at centre half-forward in the 2019 AFL All Australian team.
Michael Walters was selected on a half-forward flank in the 2019 AFL All Australian team. He’s capable of playing consistent good footy as he showed in 2019.
Jeremy Cameron (Robert Cianflone/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
Forwards
Marcus Bontempelli was selected in the 2019 All Australian squad on a wing but for the purpose of this exercise has been selected in a forward pocket.
Ben Brown kicked 64 goals in 22 games and was a part of the AFL All Australian squad of 40 in season 2019.
Dustin Martin should play as a permanent forward as he is extremely dangerous in the forward 50. He’s probably Richmond’s most important player.
Followers
Jarrod Witts won the 2019 Gold Coast best and fairest by a big margin. He’s captain of the Suns and a pivotal part of their line-up, playing in the ruck.
Travis Boak won the 2019 Port Adelaide best and fairest and is a key part of the Power midfield.
Rory Sloane is probably Adelaide’s best player despite finishing second in their 2019 best and fairest. He has been elevated to captain of the Crows for 2020, which is an indicator of how highly he is rated within the footy club.
Unnamed
Guest
Jack Billings, swap with danger or martin or bont
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
I wouldn't refer to yourself as a footy nerd, rather a footy genius! Only question is why is David Swallow on the half back flank? Fair enough given I picked Bontempelli in the forward pocket! Also, who's your Captain? Pendlebury or Fyfe I assume.
Scott
Guest
Haha wasn’t that quick actually, I’m just a footy nerd and dropped life for 40 minutes whilst getting properly stuck into it. Im actually still thinking of changes all the time. It’s a really cool little puzzle. You should do one of these every year. It’s more fun then trying to pick an all Australian team that’s for sure. It’s really hard to not instantly wanna pick the star midfielder from each team hey. For mine by picking those 5 gun midfielders it sort of helped the rest out. Gawn or Grundy was gonna be ruck and it helps that Gawn is the standout player at Melbourne, as opposed to quite a few guns at Collingwood. It was just luck really, that the 2 best key defenders and perhaps the 2 best key forwards were on different sides (I still consider Buddy the best when up and running). From then on there are still so many combos I can think up.
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
All of your changes make sense; it's an extremely subjective exercise! There's no right or wrong.
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
Thanks, was tough to leave Fyfe out of my team; it was like a Jigsaw Puzzle, which made it a challenge and an enjoyable exercise!
Doran Smith
Roar Guru
Your team is fantastic! How did you make the team so quickly?
Scott
Guest
Actually I forgot about the Brad Hill trade in that team. I prob would swap Pendles for Brad Hill and swap Billings for De Goey. Geez this is hard. I’m gonna waste my day on this now
Scott
Guest
Such a good idea Doran. It’s actually a real brain tease trying to make a team. It’s hard to not overload with midfielders. I’ll offer my 1st crack FB) Michael Hurley - Harris Andrews - Rory Laird HB) James Sicily - Jeremy McGovern - David Swallow C) Scott Pendlebury- Patrick Dangerfield - Marcus Bontempelli HF) Dustin Martin - Lance Franklin - Shaun Higgins FF) Jack Billings - Jeremy Cameron - Robbie Gray Foll) Max Gawn -Nat Fyfe - Patrick Cripps I had to name the superstar midfielders in Cripps, Fyfe, Martin, Bontempelli nd Dangerfield and then try and work from there. I was really throwing up whether to replace St Kilda and Collingwoods player, by putting Seb Ross on the wing instead of Pendles and replacing Billings with De Goey. That would make an all star forward line. Awesome article, so many different combos to come up with
Scott
Guest
This is a cool idea. I’m gonna try make one
Jorge of Brisvegas
Roar Rookie
Good exercise Doran - tricky to do and you have done it well. The only changes I would make are both parochial and principled. Boak is a deserved inclusion and so is Daniel Rich who last year fulfilled the promise of a decade playing in poor teams. So loathe as I am to remove either player, for overall team balance I will. Port fans will probably disagree but they they still can remember 2004. I would play the Captain and arguably league’s best player in HIS position, follower. Replace Boak with Darcy Byrne Jones , B& F runner up and most improved player, to replace Rich. I would then place Charlie Cameron in forward pocket, he mad All Australian, was one position behind Rich in B & F and was clearly one of not THE best small forward in league. As I said, tricky exercise. Not a bad team though. 80% of supporters would be happy / hard to do that.
Brian
Guest
Yeah Fyfe should be there. I'd also consider Grundy instead of Witts with a Weller replacing Crisp. Gray instead of Boak. Then throw in Cripps instead of Sloane and replace Docherty with Laird
Mr Right
Roar Rookie
Excellent team, but I am just waiting for everyone to contribute their opinions as to what players should have been selected. Obviously, you are limiting your selections to one player per club so I get that. Inline with this process, if I could replace one player from within a club, Walters out, Fyfe in. More than capable of playing in the half forward line.