Sydney’s Lance Franklin could become the first AFL star to win a ninth All Australian blazer after being named in the 40-man squad alongside seven players from minor premiers Melbourne.
Reigning premiers Richmond are one of three clubs without a nominee this year, along with bottom sides North Melbourne and Collingwood.
The final 22-man team will be named on Thursday.
Franklin is one of six players who did not play in the carnival era to earn All Australian honours in eight separate AFL/VFL seasons.
Gary Ablett Sr, Gary Ablett Jr, Patrick Dangerfield, Robert Harvey and Mark Ricciuto are the others.
Geelong midfielder Dangerfield has missed out this year for just the second time in a decade.
Franklin has kicked 48 goals in 17 games this season to spearhead Sydney’s rise into the top-eight and will be key to their chances of toppling GWS in Saturday’s elimination final.
The 34-year-old is also closing in on becoming the sixth man to reach the 1000-goal milestone, needing just another eight majors to achieve the feat.
Unsurprisingly, Melbourne stars Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca were picked in the All Australian squad, which was released on Monday night, with ruckman Gawn a chance to claim his fifth blazer.
Fellow Demons Jake Lever, Steven May, Christian Salem and Bayley Fritsch are also in the squad.
Brisbane had five players selected – Charlie Cameron, Jarryd Lyons, Hugh McCluggage, Daniel Rich and Dayne Zorko – while Franklin was one of four Sydney players picked alongside Callum Mills, Tom Papley and Luke Parker.
Seven players from the 2020 All Australian team – Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Hawkins, Jack Macrae, Nic Naitanui, Jack Steele, Gawn and Petracca – were named again in this year’s squad.
A total of 21 players were nominated for a potential maiden All Australian selection, including Gold Coast ball magnet Touk Miller and Port Adelaide defensive recruit Aliir Aliir.
Fremantle games record holder David Mundy, 36, was the oldest player picked, while Carlton’s third-year onballer Sam Walsh, 21, was the youngest.
“Selectors were not asked to nominate the leading players in each section of the field – forwards, defenders and midfielders/rucks – but simply to name the best players of the season,” the AFL said in a statement on the 40-man squad.
“However, the final team of 22 … is selected as if to play a match.”
Among the unlucky omissions were Power veteran Travis Boak, Geelong midfielder Cam Guthrie and Richmond spearhead Jack Riewoldt, who finished third on the Coleman Medal leaderboard.
Adelaide: Rory Laird, Paul Seedsman.
Brisbane: Charlie Cameron, Jarryd Lyons, Hugh McCluggage, Daniel Rich, Dayne Zorko.
Carlton: Harry McKay, Sam Walsh, Jacob Weitering.
Collingwood: Nil.
Essendon: Zach Merrett, Darcy Parish, Jake Stringer.
Fremantle: Sean Darcy, David Mundy.
Geelong: Tom Hawkins, Tom Stewart.
Gold Coast: Touk Miller.
GWS: Toby Greene, Jacob Hopper.
Hawthorn: Tom Mitchell.
Melbourne: Bayley Fritsch, Max Gawn, Jake Lever, Steven May, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Christian Salem.
North Melbourne: Nil.
Port Adelaide: Aliir Aliir, Karl Amon, Ollie Wines.
Richmond: Nil.
St Kilda: Jack Steele.
Sydney: Lance Franklin, Callum Mills, Tom Papley, Luke Parker.
West Coast: Nic Naitanui.
Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli, Bailey Dale, Jack Macrae.
Valentino
Roar Rookie
Something appears very wrong when Shai Bolton doesn't even make the squad with the season he put together - compared to buddy merely plugging away until round 23.
Alfred
Guest
Riewoldt has had a better year than Franklin in pretty much every stat that counts for key forwards, doing this while playing in a worse team. There's no way that Franklin should have been selected in the squad in front of Jack. Neither of them deserve to make the final team though, that's clearly McKay and Hawkins.
Windrince
Roar Rookie
Seedsman, Amon
.kraM
Roar Rookie
Love Parker but Boak should have his place.
SteveC
Roar Rookie
I can’t fit Laird into the midfield- can I pick him in the back pocket?
SteveC
Roar Rookie
McCluggage and ….. Who are the others?
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
I didn't intend to name anyone, because I don't feel the need to justify my opinions to randoms strangers on the internet.
The PTA has disbanded
Guest
And yet, you've named no one... Franklin has been one of the top 3 forwards this year. He finished the season with the second highest goal average.
CloudRunner
Roar Rookie
As I said, there are always those stiff to miss. Last year it was May and Whitfield, this year Boak seems to be the choice. You could likely form a second 22 of those deserving a spot.
Windrince
Roar Rookie
Smith from the cats should have been in the squad if those other wingers were
CloudRunner
Roar Rookie
That’s largely how I had it. There’s always a few stiff to miss. Thought Hickey, Libba and Selwood might’ve been there, not for the final team though. Certain though the selection of three wingers will be tokenism and we won’t see them in the final cut. Happy to be proven wrong though.
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Was surprised to see both Franklin and Luke Parker in there. I think there's several other midfielders who have had better seasons than Parker and there's several forwards who have been just as good as Franklin, some better.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
No Travis Boak - unbelievable!