Lions in contention for All Australian

[Alef]

Hi all,

I know All Australian teams are usually dominated by the teams with the most wins, especially those that come from the big Victorian clubs such as Collingwood, Geeolong, Essondon, Cartlon, Hawthorne, Richmond etc but does anyone think any Lions players are a chance of making the squad, if not the starting 22 based on individual performances this year?

The Lions players I believe will be considered include:

1) Tom Rockliff... been in career best form, regularly ammassing highest possession on ground and highest tackler in the game at present...if he gets overlooked again this year than it will be a joke! Should at least make the bench in the starting 22!

2) Joel Patful... Been unlucky not to be named in an All Australian team in the last 2 seasons. Reigning 2 time club champion and although started the season a little scratchy has regained his form from last 2 seasons... as Voss stated once on SEN... Patful is the one player you can ALWAYS rely on to play his role week in week out

3) Pearce Hanley... I thought he was another Lions unlucky not to be named in the squad last year and although he has been inconsistent at times this year he may have had enough solid performances to be at least considered for the squad

4) Dayne Zorko... Zorks is my roughy for being selected but may have a slight chance at getting named in the squad due to his consistent form over the entire year... love the way he takes the game on and sets up the play

What are everyone's thoughts?

Any obvious contenders that I have not considered?

Go Lions!

 

[Nunez]

Rocky and stef to make the extended AA list with Rocky to get his first jumper

 

[Schache It Off]

Any chance for Stefan Martin?

 

[patfullfankezz]

Patfull for mine - Stef missed a fair chunk of the year and Rocky seems to be public enemy number 2 after Merrett in Victoria.

 

[Rivanwarder]

Any chance for Stefan Martin?

You'd certainly hope so. If he keeps this up the remainder of the season it would be hard to overlook him.

 

[Alef]

Any chance for Stefan Martin?

Ofcourse! I think because he has only been in the team since round 12 it might be hard to get AA honours but we'll see!

 

[jackess]

I think Rocky will definitely make the squad and maybe make the team and Hanley might make the squad but won't make the team but that's it. This is including the non-Victorian handicap.

 

[Ironmonger]

Sam Jacobs has the AA ruckman spot sewn up, I reckon.

Martin might have a sneaky chance for a squad spot, though.

 

[PTizzle]

Would love Rocky to get his first gig and think he deserves it + has the public recognition now.

I feel like Patfull may never get one, fair or not. If we were playing finals it might be a different story, but I'm not sure if his season this year has been enough to elevate him in the eyes of the selectors. Has been excellent this year but maybe not as good as the past couple and he didn't manage to get one then. Would love it if he got a nod in the 40-man squad at least, he deserves some outside praise.

Stef hasn't played enough games, as good as he's been. Think Ironmonger is right in that Jacobs has it sewn up, then there's Sandilands to consider as well. Mumford's impact to GWS has been huge and if he plays the last 4 games will end on 17. Just can't see it happening, but no doubt a new contract will be reward enough!

Hanley's another maybe. Has been flying in our last 5 games and gets a lot of outside recognition. Hard to tell.

I think Rocky will get a jumper and we might squeeze one other bloke into the 40 if we're lucky.

 

[Caiphus]

If Stef comes out well against Jacobs this weekend he might just get the squad spot.

 

[paulige]

I think Stef hasn't got a hope in hell having only played half the season.

Has anyone ever made it playing less than 16 games, let alone just 11??

Rocky should be a lock, and Patfull and Hanley maybe for the squad... maybe not Hanley as his start wasn't great. But a strong finish could change how he's seen overall.

 

[pulpdriver]

Rocky will be there. Hanley very good chance to make the squad and perhaps get squeezed into the team on the half back flank. Patfull deserves at least one throughout his career but I'm not expecting him to be noticed by the vic centric panel this year. Stef Martin a chance but missing the start of the season wouldn't have helped his chances.

 

[luthor]

I think Stef hasn't got a hope in hell having only played half the season.

Has anyone ever made it playing less than 16 games, let alone just 11??

Much as it hurts me to say it, I think you're probably right.

Recent "form" would seem to suggest that Stef should come under serious consideration, especially if he has another blinder against Jacobs. Yet, the AA selectors over the years have shown a remarkable propensity to be stodgy and conservative when picking their AA side.

Remember when Simon Goodwin was practically un-seatable for years on the HBF in the AA side? Even when his form was ordinary?

Or when Mitch Clark absolutely dominated in the ruck for us that year when Luey went down early in the season (was that 2009?) but couldn't even get a look in on the bench?

Rocky's proabably our only genuine hope but don't be shocked if he doesn't make the final cut, even on the interchange.

Patfull deserves a spot for years of consistent excellence but I feel he's next to no hope as he just doesn't have the glamour profile that carries so much weight, particularly in Melbourne.

 

[Dylan12]

Joel Patfull is one that should be named.

The AA panel have a habit of rewarding players for their body of work over a number of years, much like the Rising Star panel that tend to reward players for multiple games.

In saying that, I'm still not expecting Joel to be named.

 

[scott_the_man]

stef will be a good chance if he can continue his dominance for the next 4 games

 

[Dylan12]

Remember when Simon Goodwin was practically un-seatable for years on the HBF in the AA side? Even when his form was ordinary?

I still haven't recovered from Mal Michael not being named in 01 or 02 when he was by far and away the premier full back of the comp and the AA selectors opted for Pavlich at full back despite not having played in the position all year.

 

[luthor]

I still haven't recovered from Mal Michael not being named in 01 or 02 when he was by far and away the premier full back of the comp and the AA selectors opted for Pavlich at full back despite not having played in the position all year.

Yeah, but that's the sort of silly crap they've been carrying on with for years.

They want someone in..... they pick them , even if the position in which they name them bears no semblance to reality where they actually play.

Remember when Dane Swan was named on a HFF when he 'd played nothing but on-ball all season?

AA has become a bit of a joke IMO.

 

[Swanny10]

Rockliff & Hanley are good chances and Rocky should be a cert.

If Stef had played more games then definitely but he missed half the season.

Patfull I think deserves it but he seems anonymous to wider footy media

 

[Rally]

Rockliff is a lock - he has the profile now. I'm not sure if the panel will remember back to the first half of the season, because Hanley was fairly anonymous early on. His last couple months might be enough to grab some attention though.

Patfull deserves to make the team at least once in his career.

 

[Kevvo]

I wonder if it will help Stef that he missed half a season due to injury, as opposed to not being picked then finding form. It just seems to me that if he beats Jacobs this week and carries on his form to the end of the season, he could just be a sneaky chance despite the improbability of it.

I'd love Patfull to make it and I think he'd deserve it, but he just doesn't grab enough headlines. Rocky's ascent into the elite may be a widely reported enough story to get him there.

During a game earlier this year in commentary, Lynch was prodding Ricciuto about Hanley not making AA last year. Ricciuto responded that he was certainly in the discussions, but the gap between his best and his worst was too wide. Valid point or not, I assume that will stand as the impression the selectors have of him, though Ricciuto is no longer a selector. I'm not sure I'd see this season as noticeably more consistent than last from him, so I don't love his chances either.

 

[knaf]

I know this is unlikely to happen.. but imagine the delicious irony if Martin features significantly in the Brownlow count on the basis of his second half of the year, but wasn’t in the preliminary squad of 40 for AA. Rocky and Hanley are going to get a lot of votes in the second half of the year, so I guess the best Martin can do is pick up 6 or 7 votes. Still has the potential to highlight the weakness in the AA process.

PS - AA slection would be a nice acknowledgement of Patfull's body of work. I dont expect it to happen though.

 

[Grimlions]

Surely Mitch Golby makes the squad?

 

[patfullfankezz]

AA is nothing more than a popularity contest, unfortunately.

 

[Panthera]

Rocky and stef to make the extended AA list with Rocky to get his first jumper

+1

 

[Panthera]

Ofcourse! I think because he has only been in the team since round 12 it might be hard to get AA honours but we'll see!

I think there would be a criteria, but games played may be one they can stretch a little.

For example, if Tippett came back last year after his suspension and kicked 60 goals, he'd have made it.

If Martin smashes Jacobs, Sandilands & McIntosh in the run home, he'd have to get the bench spot

Just on Tippett, only the 12 games last year and probably the same again this year...definitely wouldn't have been a great fit for our young team. 28 next season and only a tick over 120 games played