2024 All Australian Team

[Rusty12]

2024 All Aus Team, based on my own adjusted player ratings and selecting players on weighted values for what the preliminary final teams usually needed from each position.
Can't wait for the feedback on this.

Backs:
Sinclair - Collins - Flanders
Holmes - McGovern - Blakey

Outside:
Gulden - Kelly

Inside:
Gawn - Bont - Heeney - Cripps

Forward:
Rankine - Jez Cameron - Daniels
Moore - Hogan - Stengle

INT:
Dale - Neale - Daicos - Serong - Curnow

[Bulldog Joe]

I would really like to have enough knowledge to debate this, but unfortunately I don't have enough knowledge.

Looks a pretty good side and I get a sense that you may know a lot more about this stuff than the media people who actually make up the selection panel.

[GVGjr]

2024 All Aus Team, based on my own adjusted player ratings and selecting players on weighted values for what the preliminary final teams usually needed from each position.
Can't wait for the feedback on this.

Backs:
Sinclair - Collins - Flanders
Holmes - McGovern - Blakey

Outside:
Gulden - Kelly

Inside:
Gawn - Bont - Heeney - Cripps

Forward:
Rankine - Jez Cameron - Daniels
Moore - Hogan - Stengle

INT:
Dale - Neale - Daicos - Serong - Curnow

It's an impressive side, plenty of run and dash. Perhaps it's a bit small in the back line without a lot of flexibility or coverage.

[mjp]

Let's face it - that's a bloody good footy side. It's hard to argue the toss with much of it...

I guess my fascination comes in a couple of spots:

1/. That's 4x starting defenders + 1x rotator who basically don't defend.
2/. Thats a few inside mids who wouldn't know who they're playing on. Bont DOES push back to help to be fair to him.
3/. That's 4x small forwards who are goal first vs pressure first (though maybe you could argue to toss with Daniels?).

Do you think you could go all 'Malcolm Blight and roll out a footy team like that or would you need to balance it out?

[Rusty12]

Yep, all good points that were considered.
Although undersized, Blakey filled that 3rd tall role for the Swans for a lot of the year, and squared off pretty well vs taller players.
His 1v1 win/break-even percentages in that situation were more than reasonable.
If you start with what the opposition doesn't want to see, it is the additional run and dash for that payoff with Blakey.

I am probably a bit off with the lack of defensive skills from the 3 general defenders, though; maybe one of these needed more lockdown.

Have definitely gone a bit Space Jam with the inside mid group, and yep, not too concerned about the defensive run, there, just best on best and backing it in.

I have Daniels as elite on the defensive side of the game, and covering on transition D, with Moore under-rated on that side of things also.
Stengel has the inside pressure 50, but less of the transition running, so was happy with that balance.

Serong and Neale probably a bit same/same on the bench, they both had just super seasons and deserved to be there, but it impacts the balance for sure.

[NAUGHTY100]

Let's face it - that's a bloody good footy side. It's hard to argue the toss with much of it...

I guess my fascination comes in a couple of spots:

1/. That's 4x starting defenders + 1x rotator who basically don't defend.
2/. Thats a few inside mids who wouldn't know who they're playing on. Bont DOES push back to help to be fair to him.
3/. That's 4x small forwards who are goal first vs pressure first (though maybe you could argue to toss with Daniels?).

Do you think you could go all 'Malcolm Blight and roll out a footy team like that or would you need to balance it out?

I think and only as a avid watcher of football, not an expert, that side would be horrendous to play against , but i think it could be beatable if you picked a really well balanced side to play them , meaning playing players in their desired positions as opposed to choosing players in any position just to get them into your squad , a little bit of the a champion team as opposed to a team of champions .

[Rusty12]

For sure mate, that's what makes team sport interesting.
I would love someone to put a team together that would Kryptonie this squad; absolutely doable.
Except for Bont, he will BOG either way.

[NAUGHTY100]

For sure mate, that's what makes team sport interesting.
I would love someone to put a team together that would Kryptonie this squad; absolutely doable.
Except for Bont, he will BOG either way.

Challenge accepted Rusty12. BACKS.
Stewart Weitering Ridley
Whitfield Harris Andrews Saad
OUTSIDE.
Butters Merrett
INSIDE.
Marshall Tom Green Rowell Necombe
FORWARDS.
Toby Green Sicily Rozee
Charlie Cameron Larkey Darcy
INTERCHANGE.
Holmes Dawson Jackson Richards
Im guessing this side would more then hold their own with that all aust side, what do you guys think?

[Rusty12]

Good Stuff.
Darcy to kick 6, and, Bont BOG.
u can pick the final score.

[jazzadogs]

2024 All Aus Team, based on my own adjusted player ratings and selecting players on weighted values for what the preliminary final teams usually needed from each position.
Can't wait for the feedback on this.

Backs:
Sinclair - Collins - Flanders
Holmes - McGovern - Blakey

Outside:
Gulden - Kelly

Inside:
Gawn - Bont - Heeney - Cripps

Forward:
Rankine - Jez Cameron - Daniels
Moore - Hogan - Stengle

INT:
Dale - Neale - Daicos - Serong - Curnow

2024 All-Australian teamB: Nick Blakey (Syd) Jacob Weitering (Carl) Luke Ryan (Frem)
HB: Dayne Zorko (BL) Jeremy McGovern (WC) Dan Houston (Port)
C: Errol Gulden (Syd) Marcus Bontempelli (WB) (capt) Nick Daicos (Coll)
HF: Chad Warner (Syd) Jeremy Cameron (Geel) Isaac Heeney (Syd)
F: Jake Waterman (WC) Jesse Hogan (GWS) Dylan Moore (Haw)
Foll: Max Gawn (Melb) Patrick Cripps (Carl) (v.c) Caleb Serong (Frem)
Int: Lachie Whitfield (GWS) Lachie Neale (BL) Adam Treloar (WB) Zak Butters (Port)

Interesting to compare to the actual team...

Weitering out for Collins - splitting hairs, I like Collins 1v1 but probably underselling Weitering.

Luke Ryan out for Flanders - I thought Ryan was lucky to make the team, and Flanders had a great season (although played a few roles, not strictly halfback?)

Zorko out for Holmes - I think this is a big call. I don't like Zorko as a person but think he had a great season as a player and on field leader. Not sure Holmes quite had an a+ season?

Houston out for Sinclair - again, splitting hairs. Similar players, similar roles although Sinclair probably got pushed through the midfield more often. I think I'd keep Houston because I really value his kicking.

Warner out for Rankine - Rankine only 15 games doesn't cut it for me. I think Warner and Brent Daniels were the best in that role.

Waterman for Stengle - I agree with the extra small, and Stengle was the best of them, but then Curnow is on the bench. Is Jesse Hogan the 2nd ruck in your team?

Bench:
Whitfield out for Dale - I think most neutrals would lean to Whitfield despite Dale's great season. Whitfield averaged more disposals and I don't think he missed a game. It's a coin toss.

Treloar and Butters out for Brent Daniels and Curnow - two mids for more specialist roles - can't argue with that, although I think Curnow should be more of a second ruck type.

I'll come up with my own team at some point. It's a good discussion - I like the teams where each position is a leader in a stat category e.g. FB is whoever had the best 1v1 win rate, half back is most intercepts, half forward most score involvements etc.

[mjp]

I would love someone to put a team together that would Kryptonie this squad; absolutely doable.

The hard part about 'kryptoniting' (not a word I know) a team like that is you aren't going to beat them 9 goals to 7. They are going to score somewhere in the range of 13-14 goals no matter WHAT...so you need to try and pick a team that can cope with that.

Any form of kryptonite would have to be:

- Mids who can force them out of their comfort zone by winning at the stop.
- A couple of defenders who can catch it and get it going the other way quickly/turn your blokes around.
- Forwards who are threatening enough to keep those defenders honest...

It would almost be like selecting the same 'type' of side but finding a different spin.

Challenge #1: You've already pinched Hogan/Curnow/J. Cameron...so choosing tall forwards is going to be tough (particularly with Daniher out).

Potential solution: Zig where you Zag. We need an uncomfortable match-up for both Collins and McGovern (I'll come to Blakey in a minute).
So the two x 'key' forwards would need to be:
1/. Toby Greene - Needs to be an anchor
2/. Josh Treacey - Can play high and will hit up on McGovern/separate him from the contest.
I strongly considered Larkey here (in the Treacey spot) but he likes to start close to goal...I don't want Collins to be able to get off Greene and take him...we want Collins in the cage vs Greene.

Next:
Other forwards who will be important:
Ben Keays (work-rate will create havoc vs those defenders);
Tom Papley (no match-up in the AA team for a player like him - if he gets Sinclair, look out - he might kick 5)
Willie Rioli (Smart - demands one-on-one attention and creates scores)
Shai Bolton (Brilliant one-v-one and at f50 stops, will also be our 5th mid)
Bobby Hill (coming off a down-ish year but genuine leg speed and will be a nightmare for that defensive group - if he and Papley are 'on', goals will happen).

Challenge #2: Max Gawn

Potential (and only) solution: Make him pay
Gawn is the best ruckman in it but he's been left on an island in the AA team. I guess Jesse Hogan will turn back the clock and take a shift? No idea...Well, we're going to get after him.
Kieren Briggs will take his angry pills from 2023 and lead the ruck. He will be assisted by Rowan Marshall - Marshall will do double duty forward and ruck to help provide a secondary target AND to provide some problems for Blakey when he is on the ground together with Treacey and Greene...if Collins comes to Marshall - GREAT! Let's see Larkey defend Greene. I'm all for it.

Challenge #3: The rolled gold mids.

Not much we can do here - we are going to be be piecemeal all of the way BUT we MUST win the ball at the source. To do this, we will select 2x inside mids who will hunt:

- Tom Green
- Matt Rowell

We will supplement the group with a pair renowned for their ability to link play together and above all, RUN: Zac Butters and Andrew Brayshaw. Bolton (as already mentioned) is there to help.

Challenge #4: Outside

We COULD (and SHOULD) just assign a lock-down to Gulden but in the interests of playing fair, we wont. We need to make both he and Kelly wary of their opponents - so it's going to be like this:
- Zac Merrett turns back the clock, moves back to the outside and shows again that he is a runner/link player the equal of any - he is on Gulden's wing.
- Across on Kelly, we also turn the clock back and use Lachie Whitfield up high. His natural instinct is to play defensive side and we're happy to let him play WIDE of Kelly and work as a defensive release player...he's smart enough to understand the balance.

Both Keays and Hill will spend time in the outside mid role a 3-minute stint each per quarter oughta be enough to balance out the fact we have 8x forwards (if you include Marshall).

Challenge #5: Holy shit - how do we cover those forwards?
Well...we probably can't. It's gonna start like this though:

Andrews, Sicily and Sam Taylor all play - they are best equipped to deal with the 3-headed beast on the other side - we have 2x club captains in that group as well so leadership wont be an issue down this part of the ground. From there we simply MUST pick two x defend first small-mediums and two x creators.

The creators really pick themselves here with Luke Ryan and Harry Sheezel still on the board. We then need two x lockdowns which is NOT easy in 2025...we'll start with Tom Atkins and Darcy Wilmot will be the other...we need two strong contested ball players who put WE before ME and those two will do that.

Backs - Lock downs: Wilmott, Atkins.
Backs - Creators: Luke Ryan, Harry Sheezel.
Key Backs: Andrews, Sicily, Taylor,
Rucks: Briggs, Marshall
Outside: Merrett, Whitfield.
Inside: Green, Rowell, Butters, Brayshaw
Forwards: Greene, Treacey, Keays, Papley, Rioli, Bolton, Hill

Sub: My rule is simple - choose an experienced player who can play in multiple roles....my lone selection from the Western Bulldogs: Ed Richards.

[jazzadogs]

I use the coffee react to mean 'thanks, imagine I'm buying you a coffee in appreciation'. That was great to read. Love the tactics and that it's not necessarily the best AFL players of 2024...but some great role players. Wilmot, Atkins, Briggs, Tracey, Keays, Rioli weren't making any best sides last year, but their reasoning to be in your side is spot on.

[soupman]

Awesome post MJP, and as JazzaDogs stated it's really refreshing and cool to see a side employ what are ostensibly role players instead of just blindingly picking the next best 23.

[Rusty12]

2024 All-Australian teamB: Nick Blakey (Syd) Jacob Weitering (Carl) Luke Ryan (Frem)
HB: Dayne Zorko (BL) Jeremy McGovern (WC) Dan Houston (Port)
C: Errol Gulden (Syd) Marcus Bontempelli (WB) (capt) Nick Daicos (Coll)
HF: Chad Warner (Syd) Jeremy Cameron (Geel) Isaac Heeney (Syd)
F: Jake Waterman (WC) Jesse Hogan (GWS) Dylan Moore (Haw)
Foll: Max Gawn (Melb) Patrick Cripps (Carl) (v.c) Caleb Serong (Frem)
Int: Lachie Whitfield (GWS) Lachie Neale (BL) Adam Treloar (WB) Zak Butters (Port)

Interesting to compare to the actual team...

Weitering out for Collins - splitting hairs, I like Collins 1v1 but probably underselling Weitering.

Luke Ryan out for Flanders - I thought Ryan was lucky to make the team, and Flanders had a great season (although played a few roles, not strictly halfback?)

Zorko out for Holmes - I think this is a big call. I don't like Zorko as a person but think he had a great season as a player and on field leader. Not sure Holmes quite had an a+ season?

Houston out for Sinclair - again, splitting hairs. Similar players, similar roles although Sinclair probably got pushed through the midfield more often. I think I'd keep Houston because I really value his kicking.

Warner out for Rankine - Rankine only 15 games doesn't cut it for me. I think Warner and Brent Daniels were the best in that role.

Waterman for Stengle - I agree with the extra small, and Stengle was the best of them, but then Curnow is on the bench. Is Jesse Hogan the 2nd ruck in your team?

Bench:
Whitfield out for Dale - I think most neutrals would lean to Whitfield despite Dale's great season. Whitfield averaged more disposals and I don't think he missed a game. It's a coin toss.

Treloar and Butters out for Brent Daniels and Curnow - two mids for more specialist roles - can't argue with that, although I think Curnow should be more of a second ruck type.

I'll come up with my own team at some point. It's a good discussion - I like the teams where each position is a leader in a stat category e.g. FB is whoever had the best 1v1 win rate, half back is most intercepts, half forward most score involvements etc.

Great Response, and all good points.

I hadn't looked at it like this, compared to the actual team. Interestingly, I thought my team lacked any general defenders who actually defend, and then the actual team, might be even worse in that space.

Agree, Rankine was only 15 games, he was just so much better than everyone else in that role, so I kept him, but can agree with leaving him out for sure (Kelly the same).

Weitering and Collins were close; Collins helped rebound and set up scores more, so they got the nod. 1V1, as pure defenders, were splitting hairs.

I am a big Homes fan, and being a Geelong player, that is nearly impossible for me to admit, especially when looking at impact over possessions.

I didn't bother with 2nd ruck, the plus/minus of having a specific player in that role or just getting by for 20% game time doesn't;t justify it. I really hope Darcy can be a huge POD for us in that role this year.

[Rusty12]

The hard part about 'kryptoniting' (not a word I know) a team like that is you aren't going to beat them 9 goals to 7. They are going to score somewhere in the range of 13-14 goals no matter WHAT...so you need to try and pick a team that can cope with that.

Any form of kryptonite would have to be:

- Mids who can force them out of their comfort zone by winning at the stop.
- A couple of defenders who can catch it and get it going the other way quickly/turn your blokes around.
- Forwards who are threatening enough to keep those defenders honest...

It would almost be like selecting the same 'type' of side but finding a different spin.

Challenge #1: You've already pinched Hogan/Curnow/J. Cameron...so choosing tall forwards is going to be tough (particularly with Daniher out).

Potential solution: Zig where you Zag. We need an uncomfortable match-up for both Collins and McGovern (I'll come to Blakey in a minute).
So the two x 'key' forwards would need to be:
1/. Toby Greene - Needs to be an anchor
2/. Josh Treacey - Can play high and will hit up on McGovern/separate him from the contest.
I strongly considered Larkey here (in the Treacey spot) but he likes to start close to goal...I don't want Collins to be able to get off Greene and take him...we want Collins in the cage vs Greene.

Next:
Other forwards who will be important:
Ben Keays (work-rate will create havoc vs those defenders);
Tom Papley (no match-up in the AA team for a player like him - if he gets Sinclair, look out - he might kick 5)
Willie Rioli (Smart - demands one-on-one attention and creates scores)
Shai Bolton (Brilliant one-v-one and at f50 stops, will also be our 5th mid)
Bobby Hill (coming off a down-ish year but genuine leg speed and will be a nightmare for that defensive group - if he and Papley are 'on', goals will happen).

Challenge #2: Max Gawn

Potential (and only) solution: Make him pay
Gawn is the best ruckman in it but he's been left on an island in the AA team. I guess Jesse Hogan will turn back the clock and take a shift? No idea...Well, we're going to get after him.
Kieren Briggs will take his angry pills from 2023 and lead the ruck. He will be assisted by Rowan Marshall - Marshall will do double duty forward and ruck to help provide a secondary target AND to provide some problems for Blakey when he is on the ground together with Treacey and Greene...if Collins comes to Marshall - GREAT! Let's see Larkey defend Greene. I'm all for it.

Challenge #3: The rolled gold mids.

Not much we can do here - we are going to be be piecemeal all of the way BUT we MUST win the ball at the source. To do this, we will select 2x inside mids who will hunt:

- Tom Green
- Matt Rowell

We will supplement the group with a pair renowned for their ability to link play together and above all, RUN: Zac Butters and Andrew Brayshaw. Bolton (as already mentioned) is there to help.

Challenge #4: Outside

We COULD (and SHOULD) just assign a lock-down to Gulden but in the interests of playing fair, we wont. We need to make both he and Kelly wary of their opponents - so it's going to be like this:
- Zac Merrett turns back the clock, moves back to the outside and shows again that he is a runner/link player the equal of any - he is on Gulden's wing.
- Across on Kelly, we also turn the clock back and use Lachie Whitfield up high. His natural instinct is to play defensive side and we're happy to let him play WIDE of Kelly and work as a defensive release player...he's smart enough to understand the balance.

Both Keays and Hill will spend time in the outside mid role a 3-minute stint each per quarter oughta be enough to balance out the fact we have 8x forwards (if you include Marshall).

Challenge #5: Holy shit - how do we cover those forwards?
Well...we probably can't. It's gonna start like this though:

Andrews, Sicily and Sam Taylor all play - they are best equipped to deal with the 3-headed beast on the other side - we have 2x club captains in that group as well so leadership wont be an issue down this part of the ground. From there we simply MUST pick two x defend first small-mediums and two x creators.

The creators really pick themselves here with Luke Ryan and Harry Sheezel still on the board. We then need two x lockdowns which is NOT easy in 2025...we'll start with Tom Atkins and Darcy Wilmot will be the other...we need two strong contested ball players who put WE before ME and those two will do that.

Backs - Lock downs: Wilmott, Atkins.
Backs - Creators: Luke Ryan, Harry Sheezel.
Key Backs: Andrews, Sicily, Taylor,
Rucks: Briggs, Marshall
Outside: Merrett, Whitfield.
Inside: Green, Rowell, Butters, Brayshaw
Forwards: Greene, Treacey, Keays, Papley, Rioli, Bolton, Hill

Sub: My rule is simple - choose an experienced player who can play in multiple roles....my lone selection from the Western Bulldogs: Ed Richards.

Unreal MJP!
Reckon you hit the nail on the head, Papley, Hill and Bolton could absolutely help you get 15, if you can get enough ball, that is the way.