Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield has made a record-equalling eighth appearance in the All-Australian team and been selected as captain for the first time.
The 30-year-old continued his perfect streak of being named in the AFL’s best 22 every year since his high-profile move to the Cats from Adelaide in 2016.
Dangerfield joined elite company with Robert Harvey (St Kilda), Mark Riccuito (Adelaide), Gary Ablett Snr, Gary Ablett Jnr (Geelong) and Lance Franklin (Sydney) as the only other players to have earned eight All-Australian blazers.
Despite playing mostly in the midfield, the 2016 Brownlow medallist was named in the team on a half-forward flank after kicking 11 goals.
Dangerfield said he was proud to put together an accomplished season on the field, while juggling his role as AFL Players Association president off it.
“The most important thing is playing well, that’s the most important facet of any leader,” he said.
“From a PA perspective just being a sounding board for other players. All along I was confident in the work the PA and the AFL had done to get a season away.”
Port Adelaide midfielder Travis Boak was handed the vice-captaincy, with the 32-year-old in the team for a third time – and first since 2014.
The former Power captain is joined in the midfield by the Brisbane Lions’ Brownlow Medal favourite Lachie Neale, Melbourne ace Christian Petracca and West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui, whose second All-Australian appearance comes eight years after his first.
Explosive Demon Petracca is one of 12 debutants in the team, with the entire half-back line all first-timers – but Carlton tall Jacob Weitering missed out.
Collingwood’s Darcy Moore has been slotted into centre half-back, while GWS’ Nick Haynes and the Power’s Darcy Byrne-Jones are on either side of the Magpies tall.
Eleven clubs are represented with Geelong, Port, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs leading the selections with three players each.
Despite Richmond having three players included in the 40-man squad on Tuesday, selectors decided to only pick superstar Dustin Martin from the reigning premiers after the dual Norm Smith medallist’s shock omission last year.
If it was not for the 2019 snub, this would have been Martin’s fifth-straight selection after being one of the first players picked from 2016 to 2018.
Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury didn’t add to his six appearances as Magpies teammate Taylor Adams surprisingly grabbed his first.
2020 ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM
B: Brad Sheppard (WC) Harris Andrews (Bris) Luke Ryan (Fre)
HB: Nick Haynes (GWS) Darcy Moore (Coll) Darcy Byrne-Jones (Port)
C: Jack Macrae (WB) Travis Boak (Port, vice-capt) Cam Guthrie (Geel)
HF: Patrick Dangerfield (Geel, capt) Charlie Dixon (Port) Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
F: Liam Ryan (WC) Tom Hawkins (Geel) Dustin Martin (Rich)
R: Nic Naitanui (WC) Christian Petracca (Melb) Lachie Neale (Bris)
I: Jack Steele (StK) Taylor Adams (Coll) Caleb Daniel (WB) Max Gawn (Melb)
Dangersphere 10
Roar Rookie
ahh tis true, and its actually the way I thought it would go.. but alas i didn't have the heart to drop poor old Guthrie after the season he has had, being his maiden AA jumper and all.. I'd rather drop one of Macrea/Adams/Gawn :silly:
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
So the theory of the byes is that we can rest the stars without losing prestige. Prestige lost by the gosh forbid ugly sight of second rate AFL players running around falling over each other. Sounds like non ratings period on SEN. The reality is that nobody gets to play or watch any footy at all. Meanwhile we wait for our elite warriors to be prettied up. The practicalities of no footy versus the practicalities of tactical resting. The practicalities of no footy are the dead waste of a weekend just as are gathering round our finalists. It's an unnecessary bad feeling of loss for the footy follower. At least Kane Cornes had the guts to admit he just liked having the weekend off. Is there self interest at board level in the AFL. There may well be. Something stinks. Then there's the coach's versus the admin culture clash. Tactical resting is earned by good management. Once a week football is the bare minimum the footy loving public will stand for. Any less I doubt the competition would survive. Taking games away so we might see our team only once in a month is way too thin. Dwayne Russell talks about these practicalities like some people talk about what they watched on TV last night or what they had for lunch. Footy is more than that.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
It was great to see full-length quarters. No fatigue,good chases and marks even later on. And another Rioli going around for SF..
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
no Gawn shoul be 1st ruck.Goldstein looks like dopey.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Drats.
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
Souths much better. Anyone but the Tigers. Claremont of course????
ScottD
Roar Guru
Ha she really done enough in 2020 to deserve that honour?? mmmm
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
I thought Pedro was Graham Cornes' pseudonym.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
oh ok,so i understand where his hatred from port comes from now :laughing: :laughing:
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Pedro barracks for the Bays.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
huh
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I like Glenelg, how any team can still suit up after so much GF disappointment gets a vote in my book. ----- In other news, how are you going Pedro?
Maxy
Roar Rookie
anyone but glenelg then
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Ya got me there. Redlegs must’ve lost focus with no Maggies to beat. —– Falcons to beat SF
Maxy
Roar Rookie
who is looking the goods in the sanfl Rowds....redlegs?
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
It was when the generation of kids who were born with Pluto in Scorpio came of age who sport, pun-intended, the tattoo stuff.
DTM
Roar Rookie
Sounds a bit like a singer my Dad used to listen to! Perhaps Nathan Dusty Dangerfield? (after all, Fyfe has won two) Actually funny when you look back at previous winners - Dusty, Dane Swan and Aker were tattooed, all others back to about 2000 were quite clean cut and appeared pretty much inkless. Maybe someone could do a story for the Roar with two teams - tattooed versus clean skins?
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Might help changing his name to Dusty Dangerfield. That's actually a pretty cool name
Sir Luttinen
Roar Rookie
He does a show with Mick Warner on 3aw aswell, I listen to it during week as a podcast for obvious reasons ;) each to his own I reckon, wish they got rid of Robbo from the one with bartel and Harford
Slane
Guest
Strange how Dustin Martin managed to poll more coaches votes than any of those Fremantle players. Almost like none of the coaches know anything about the game.