2024 Rolling ALL-Australian Team

[Art Vandelay_]

Yes, we're talking about his 2024. Dear Lord. It's the friggin AA team discussion for 2024....Literally the thread title.

2. You still can't grasp the concept that we're not judging entire careers here, we're discussing the 2024 AA team.

Can you grasp it? You keep talking about D'Ambrosio in comparison to a player that is retired in 2024 so how can it be purely about 2024. You even reference Smith from a decade ago.

'Better seasons'.

Except he's a more complete player than any of those guys. If you take the best of what all three has to offer, he's close to that package in 2024.

Wins more contested ball than Smith did. Is more highly skilled than Duncan and McLuggage, and covers the ground better than both.

Is a better kick under pressure than all three, especially Smith.

Massimo is also not getting tried in our midfield any times soon because a) he's elite in his position and we'd lose more than we'd gain even if he out performed the guys in there. And b ) with Newcombe, Day, Nash and Worpel, and a supporting cast smashing through opposition our midfield doesn't need him any way.

Plus, why the FU%$ would you take a Ferrari and see if it could go mudding?

Riiiiiight. I'm being silly.

I'll go after your first comparison because it's the dumbest.

Are you really telling me about Isaac Smith's 2014-15 seasons?

I was there, watching. You were flogging off to the AA team sheet every time some of your bog average players snuck in somehow. There's a few of them too.

Isaac was almost exclusively an outside player. He was the best runner in the comp along with Hill. He was a beautiful kick of the ball, and could break lines and games open.

He kicked goals from the wing. That's a petty rare bird in any side.

This year Massimo is a contest ball winning, highly skilled winger with pace to burn, probably not far off or equal to peak Smith. He is also a beautiful kick of the football, and can do it with guys in his face or hanging off of him.

He kicks goals too.

But he's got more of a defensive side than Isaac ever did.

He also was arguably playing some of his best footy when our team was playing some of its worst early in the year.

Could Isaac do that at Hawthorn, and impose himself physically in contests when things weren't going our way?

No, that wasn't his game. Smith is the better endurance runner, and obviously performed close to his maximum for pretty much his entire career.

But he could not do what Massimo does. Smith is the outside cream in a good side. He did play two monster Grand Finals too, which is not to be taken lightly. But we're talking home and away here.

Nothing D'Ambrosio has done in 2024 comes close to the other 3.

 

[rye]

cripps cant make the team surely? bloke struggles to have any impact when hit with half the tag the likes of neale and serong play through every week.

 

[lizard man]

Finn Callahan

 

[Back One Out]

With Buckley and Cornes on the selection committee it’s hard not to see D’Ambrossio in the team. They both gush over him.

I noticed Cornes nodding in affirmation when Brad Johnson was reading out his All Australian team and Johnno said D’Ambrosio would be in if they were picking specialist wingmen, but questioned whether Massimo had enjoyed an “All Australian season” and that maybe a midfielder such as Zach Merrett could be fitted in on a wing.

Cornes then said something about how they’d discussed this very issue in the selection meeting and how they were determined to pick someone who could play on the wing, someone with the necessary fitness, quickness and skill set.

I reckon they’ll pick Nick Daicos or Merrett on one wing with Errol Gulden on the other wing.

Then choose your favourite trio from Heeney, Cripps, Serong, Neale or Bontempelli for the centre square midfield slots.

They just chop & change the ‘rules’ in order to pick their favourites.

Are we picking specialist wingmen or not? If we’re not picking D’Ambrosio as a specialist wingman, then why does Gulden receive automatic selection for the other wing? He should be competing on equal footing for a spot in the midfield against Daicos, Serong, Heeney, Warner, Neale, Merrett, Butters, Treloar etc

Or what about the specialist small forwards?

If we’re ignoring specialist role players and we’re making selections based on whether or not they’ve had an “All Australian year” then how does Tyson Stengle make the team?

He’s been pretty good this year, but not that great. Not exactly banging the door down with stellar performances every weekend. Probably the worst-performed player in everyone’s AA22. Has he been Geelong’s best small forward? I reckon Gryan Miers and Oliver Dempsey have been more prominent this season for the Cats.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

Mass better skilled than Duncan. My lord that's a doozy.
Where's Damon_3388 at these days when you need him.

Watch football sometime then if you can.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Watch football sometime then if you can.

When he's referring to Isaac Smith in 2014 it is fair to assume he's talking over careers. Duncan in 2024 sure.
Duncan in his prime I'd take for field kicking over all bar a very select few. Brilliant user of the footy for close to a decade.

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

When he's referring to Isaac Smith in 2014 it is fair to assume he's talking over careers. Duncan in 2024 sure.
Duncan in his prime I'd take for field kicking over all bar a very select few. Brilliant user of the footy for close to a decade.

I’ll repeat the line then.

If you think Duncan is a better user of the footy than Mass you’re either got one eye closed, or you’ve not even been watching.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I’ll repeat the line then.

If you think Duncan is a better user of the footy than Mass you’re either got one eye closed, or you’ve not even been watching.

And I'll repeat mine. Is he now.. No.
But I wasn't assuming the moron above was talking about this year.

Over his career I ain't taking your fella over Duncan. In his prime not many had better foot skills.

 

[HirdsTheWord]

The point is though, you don't know how they'd go playing the whole season on the wing because they don't play there.

If those two were elite wingmen, you'd have seen them pushed out there at some stage.

Maybe actually watch Massimo play for a few weeks, and form an opinion based on his ability to play that position.

It's not a role for plodders or inside midfielders to hack mungs forward any time they win the ball.

Neither of those guys are as good a kick as D'Ambrosio, one in particular wouldn't be putting laser beams into the path of teammates upfield with guys hanging off of him. The other is not as quick.

He'd torch those two if they went out to man him up.

But we won't see that, because the idea that you'd ever send either out there is just plain dumb.

lol wtf

Ambrosio would torch Merrett?

Mass is a gun young player and, but jesus..........i remember my first beer.

 

[HTPunter]

Mass definitely deserves AA consideration and is a gun but **** Hawthorn fans are now acting like none of us watch all the games and that no other team has decent players.

He’s been great but as said before - if Smith & Duncan couldn’t make AA for the wing then no, he’s not a lock on the wing. Has he been a top 2 wing this year? Yes. Does that mean automatic selection? No. Does being a top 2 wing this year mean he is all of a sudden way better than any other wing to have existed? No.

Part of it is Hawks fans thinking that getting him for a steal also contributes to him more deserving of a spot.

 

[HTPunter]

His first 10 rounds won’t even have him in the top 10 of his B&F either. A season goes for the whole year. Sure he’s starred 2nd half of the year - but he wasn’t starring early.

 

[Mr Meow]

RonnieRaven Serong, Brayshaw, Jackson, Young, Clark, Ryan, Sharp and Amiss locks I reckon.

 

[Shaucob_Burjan]

Zak Butters

9

Zak Butters

Age

24

Ht

181cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.3

4star

K

7.7

3star

HB

6.7

4star

M

3.0

3star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.8

3star

D

14.7

4star

K

8.9

4star

HB

5.9

3star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.1

3star

D

17.0

5star

K

9.0

4star

HB

8.0

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.6

4star

CL

0.6

3star

and Jason Horne Francis locks now

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

At the conclusion of the season the team ends up as such...

Holmes Weitering Dale
Zorko Andrews Whitfield
Gulden Cripps Merrett
Moore Curnow Heeney
Stengle Hogan Cameron
Gawn Bontempelli Daicos

Neale Butters Treloar Serong

Only ones that are a bit 50/50 for me are:

Gawn/Xerri/Marshall
Weitering/Mcgovern/Collins
Curnow/Waterman/Daniher
Holmes/Houston/Clark

The rest pick themselves imo.

 

[adammania9]

Stengle with the same number of goals as Jake Stringer

25

Jake Stringer

Age

30

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.9

3star

K

8.5

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

3.3

3star

T

2.5

4star

G

1.8

5star

D

8.5

2star

K

7.0

3star

HB

1.5

1star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.8

4star

G

2.5

5star

D

7.2

2star

K

4.8

2star

HB

2.4

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

1.4

4star

G

1.4

5star

. Is he really in the side? Been a dreadful year for smalls.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Stengle with the same number of goals as Jake Stringer. Is he really in the side? Been a dreadful year for smalls.

Idk, can't see them picking 5 tall forwards. Maybe Warner on a flank instead or something

 

[STPer18]

Hawthorn supporters trying to denigrate Geelong Norm Smith medalist Isaac Smith

7

Isaac Smith

Age

35

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

8.4

5star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

19.4

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.3

4star

D

19.2

5star

K

10.6

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

7.6

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.6

3star

...grrrrr!

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

JHF clear lock now. Amazing for his third year

 

[Judd2Sewell]

There are going to be several very unlucky players that will miss out the year.

I'd say the only certainties are:

Weitering - FB
The Bont - midfield
Cripps - midfield
Heeney - mid or maybe forward?
Gulden - wing
Daicos - mid or maybe wing?
Warner - HFF
Moore - HFF
Hogan - FF

 

[Judd2Sewell]

my issue with massimo is that his first half of the year was weak. the gun mids who are competing with massimo have all had good first and second half of the years. the likes of merrett,serong,butters, neale and trelor.

His first half of the season was great. Not to say the others weren't better or more impressive, but it's absolutely laughable to suggest it was weak.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

JHF is far from a lock.

 

[Mr Meow]

Stengle with the same number of goals as Jake Stringer. Is he really in the side? Been a dreadful year for smalls.

61 goals/assists, 140+ score involvements and 6 games in the coaches votes from a forward pocket is a strong return for Stengle. He was on 57 goals/assists at the end of the Home and Away season in 2022 in a much stronger side.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Mass definitely deserves AA consideration and is a gun but **** Hawthorn fans are now acting like none of us watch all the games and that no other team has decent players.

He’s been great but as said before - if Smith & Duncan couldn’t make AA for the wing then no, he’s not a lock on the wing. Has he been a top 2 wing this year? Yes. Does that mean automatic selection? No. Does being a top 2 wing this year mean he is all of a sudden way better than any other wing to have existed? No.

Part of it is Hawks fans thinking that getting him for a steal also contributes to him more deserving of a spot.

Gulden is the only lock for a wing position.

Players like Daicos, Zerrett, Treloar, Butters, Sheezel, Flanders, etc. have had better seasons than D'Ambrosio, and one of them will ultimately get picked over him for the wing position.

The obvious issue is do they really play on a wing in reality? Are the selectors picking the best performed players in general, or the best performed players per position?

If it's the latter then D'Ambrosio would be deserving of that second wing position.

 

[SC_Power]

JHF is far from a lock.

Agree.

Might make the squad but not really going to challenge the established stars with some the years they’ve put up in midfield.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

neutral fans seriously underrate wilkie, does not get beaten, never makes a bad mistake, intercepts, kills any dangerous ground ball by taking possession at the perfect time right before getting tackled, absolutely mauls opponents with death by a thousand cuts style that doesn't give away a free - ever... best KPD the saints have had in 30 years easily

Wilkie is brilliant. He's an A+ KPD, alongside Weitering, Andrews and Taylor. They're the best four in the league at the moment (and have been for a while).