2024 Rolling ALL-Australian Team

[WalshistheGOAT]

McGovern would have got his 9th straight AA this year if not for injury. The defender of the generation. Happy to see him back in the side.

One of the best to ever do it. Prime Gov in 2016-2018 was one of the most ridiculous players I've ever seen. A fat muffin top who single handedly destroyed teams offenses no matter how much they tried to stop him. You just couldn't kick it to a contest without him flying over the top and clunking it.

 

[SSSSSS]

Happy for Moore. Was hoping for Mass but secretly knew deep inside it would never happen. Still a squad selection is something he can be very proud of. Only 21 so a lot of room for improvement.

Surprised with no Sheezel. Also Jake Waterman

2

Jake Waterman

Age

26

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

7.9

3star

HB

3.4

3star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

1.0

4star

D

9.8

2star

K

7.8

3star

HB

2.0

1star

M

5.8

5star

T

0.3

1star

G

1.5

5star

D

12.2

3star

K

7.6

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

4.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

? Had a good year but not sure if he's AA worthy.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

Low effort troll. Andrews is a great player and every knows it.

He's a decent player but he's not a generational defender like Gov. Harris has openly admitted to basing his playing style around McGovern.

We've got special people calling McGovern a stat padder when he's averaging less marks and more intercepts than Harris Andrews. So Andrews is the one getting a lot of horizontal ball and not doing much with it.

Unfortunately for Andrews, Weitering has been the best lock down defender this year.

 

[stallon]

One of the best to ever do it. Prime Gov in 2016-2018 was one of the most ridiculous players I've ever seen. A fat muffin top who single handedly destroyed teams offenses no matter how much they tried to stop him. You just couldn't kick it to a contest without him flying over the top and clunking it.

Lucky for west coast he can offset his age by losing some of that puppy fat hes held all these years

 

[HairyO]

Happy for Moore. Was hoping for Mass but secretly knew deep inside it would never happen. Still a squad selection is something he can be very proud of. Only 21 so a lot of room for improvement.

Surprised with no Sheezel. Also Jake Waterman? Had a good year but not sure if he's AA worthy.

This year is the Naicos show. Sheezel gets his turn next year.

 

[Ross]

Hope someone has this stat, would be interesting

Going back through the sides a little bit

Some I found were: Naitanui (8yrs, 2012-2020), Hawkins (7yrs, 2012-2019), Richardson (9yrs, 1999-2008)

I'm sure there is got to be some real long ones though

Only others I've been able to find so far are Salmon also at nine years, Mark Harvey at eight and then Fletcher and Aussie Jones at seven. First two had selections in the 80s that were selected differently than the AA team is now though.

 

[9874123]

He's a decent player but he's not a generational defender like Gov. Harris has openly admitted to basing his playing style around McGovern.

We've got special people calling McGovern a stat padder when he's averaging less marks and more intercepts than Harris Andrews. So Andrews is the one getting a lot of horizontal ball and not doing much with it.

Unfortunately for Andrews, Weitering has been the best lock down defender this year.

Yeah fair, all three are clearly the top 3 tall defenders in the league in my opinion. Supporters of the one who missed out are always gonna pot the two who did make it.

 

[p4p1]

Merrett not making it is jaw dropping.

For a large part of this year he was one of the best players in the league.

He’s been in the Top 5-6 in outright Brownlow betting all year.

He’s a 3x AA and this was by far his best season.

Staggering - I can’t think of a worse omission.

Lachie Neale last year.
Matt Pridis 2014
Scott Cummings the year he won’t the Coleman

 

[Snarls Barkley]

Only others I've been able to find so far are Salmon also at nine years, Mark Harvey at eight and then Fletcher and Aussie Jones at seven. First two had selections in the 80s that were selected differently than the AA team is now though.

Brilliant! Love your work.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

More than Moore

So it's about goals only? Pity this wasn't the case in 2020 when Dangerfield was selected with 17 goals

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

Was interviewing every player selected except Dan Houston

9

Dan Houston

Age

27

Ht

186cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.2

5star

K

11.8

4star

HB

6.4

4star

M

4.9

5star

T

3.0

5star

MG

289.2

4star

D

17.6

4star

K

11.6

4star

HB

6.0

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

3.4

4star

MG

319.9

5star

D

16.6

4star

K

12.4

5star

HB

4.2

4star

M

7.0

5star

T

2.6

4star

MG

279.8

5star

intended by the AFL?

 

[bungalow_bill]

Imagine not sticking Curnow or McKay in the forward line. What a joke.

 

[speedy]

What a joke of a comment.

Sheezel couldn’t tie Daicos shoes

You have NFI. Try following lawn bowls instead of AFL.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Surely if you have two AAS in your team you’d win more than 5 games ?

Not if they're surrounded by

 

[BloodRet]

Not sure what the uproar is about Merrett not making it. Bang average, not damaging.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Andrews absolutely is an awesome player. But Gov is another level.
Gov is in the greatest defender of all time conversation, and thats no exaggeration. Its been a ****ing cheat code having him in the backline all these years(bar the last 3 or so when hes been injured)

McGovern is a great defender but if we're talking greatest among all defenders I am not picking him ahead of Scarlett or Enright. Blues fans would also say Doull.

 

[stallon]

McGovern is a great defender but if we're talking greatest among all defenders I am not picking him ahead of Scarlett or Enright. Blues fans would also say Doull.

Its not an unpopular opinion to have Scarlett and Gov as the top 2 over the last 25 years. I dont think its incorrect either

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Its not an unpopular opinion to have Scarlett and Gov as the top 2 over the last 25 years. I dont think its incorrect either

Scarlett was an all time great and still not even the best on his team. Enright was another level.
From beating prime Buddy in 2009 to routinely keeping Cyril almost touchless.

 

[DocSholl]

Not sure what the uproar is about Merrett not making it. Bang average, not damaging.

I've thought that in the past but this season he felt a lot more impactful.

Re: Sheez, reckon if you didn't watch a lot of North this year (and who could blame anyone for that) it's easy to miss just how good he has been. A remarkable season amongst a shower of shit.

 

[HTPunter]

Ultimately the big issues seem to be:

-D’Ambrosio not making it. 19 coaches voted across 4 games, with 16 coming in the last 3 weeks of the season…not enough. By round 10 he was averaging 18 disposals, 1.2 inside 50s, 0 goals & 0.1 goal assists a game. Best 22? Yes. Decent for his trade value? Yes. AA form? No. Easy no. He won’t be in his sides top 5 B&F I suspect. Moore, Newcombe, Meek, Sicily, Worpel, Nash (3rd last year, obviously does a good coaches job), Scrimshaw (post spray), Impey, maybe even Hardwick will be up there with him.

-Ryan/Gov over Andrews. Honestly, coin toss every year for the 1-4 KPD spots. No ViC BiAs when it’s 2 WA players. Weitering has been in the mix 4 years in a row and missed out. It’s always line ball. You could argue both ways but it’s not a shocker by any means

-Gawn over Xerri. Gawn was the a 10 player and top ranked ruck by a country mile around round 14. He slid from there, before steaming home in the last month. Played one of the all time great games v Rowan Marshall

19

Rowan Marshall

Age

29

Ht

201cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.4

4star

K

8.8

3star

HB

6.6

4star

CL

3.4

5star

HO

20.2

5star

D

12.9

3star

K

9.3

4star

HB

3.6

2star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

17.8

5star

D

10.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

7.8

5star

- it was billed as a potential AA ruck decider at the time and Gawn went 27 disposals 34 hitouts 1 goal amongst other standout stats v Marshall 13 disposals 16 hitouts. It was a complete statement game and from there it was only a matter of Gawn playing out the year. He did that. Xerri was not catching him. I love Xerris endeavour, chases & his bullocking work - but he is no Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

32

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

who simply shredded the competition this year.

There is simply nothing more frustrating on this forum than everyone declaring themselves a genius because they picked 2 wingers, but then falling for the most obvious recency bias claims of all time.

Additionally, picking 2 wingers, and then loading the midfielders on the bench. Which brings me to my next discussion - Zach Merrett.
Ultimately, I suspect the locks were Bont, Heeney, Cripps, Naicos, Gulden & Neale. Probably standing out as a clear top 6 across most awards I suspect.
The probable next cab off the ranks were likely Warner & Serong. As it were, the selectors had Serong ahead of Neale, but either way both were always going to be in the final team.

From there - raffle off 1-2 of Butters, Treloar, Merrett & then Sheez & JHF behind them…theoretically there should have only been room for 1, but they picked 2. Still means 1 of the first 3 were going to be unlucky. You can pick and choose arguments and what they did well etc but ultimately all 3 were deserving, and that doesn’t work when there’s only 2 spots.

Overall a great team where the selectors didn’t fall for recency bias like fans did, and some hard decisions as always where a midfielder in the 8-11 group doesn’t get picked and a defender in the 2-4 group doesn’t get picked…sounds normal to me

 

[bungalow_bill]

Bit rusty at the start but by golly I do enjoy him surprisingly

commentated a Lions game and came across as a likeable guy. incredible as that may sound

 

[stallon]

Ultimately the big issues seem to be:

-Ryan/Gov over Andrews. Honestly, coin toss every year for the 1-4 KPD spots. No ViC BiAs when it’s 2 WA players. Weitering has been in the mix 4 years in a row and missed out. It’s always line ball. You could argue both ways but it’s not a shocker by any means

Take Govs name out of this

 

[Coasters7]

Not sure what the uproar is about Merrett not making it. Bang average, not damaging.

Thats why he gets tagged every week and is the Bombers most influential player in the games he’s not

 

[Mr Meow]

If Stengle had a good enough year to make AA, he would have made it. Gotta have standards for positions

61 total direct goal involvements (goals/assists), while going at 13.5 disposals and 6.1 score involvements per game from a forward pocket is worthy of making the AA side. He's not the first small forward to be ripped off though, and he won't be the last.

 

[JasRulz63]

We've got special people calling McGovern a stat padder when he's averaging less marks and more intercepts than Harris Andrews. So Andrews is the one getting a lot of horizontal ball and not doing much with it.

Not sure how you conflated these two when Andrews averages more marks as well as intercept marks. I think McGovern was statistically better at ground level, whereas Andrews nearly doubled the amount of spoils while losing defensive contests at half the rate McGovern was.