Three players selected in the inaugural AFL Players’ 22under22 team have been named in the AFL’s All Australian team.
Jeremy Cameron, Chad Wingard and Dan Hannebery each received their first All Australian selections, while Michael Walters and Steven Motlop were unlucky to miss, having been named in the initial 40-man squad.
Following on from a promising debut season in 2012, Cameron emerged as one of the game’s elite key forwards this year. He kicked 62 goals in2013 – just six more would have won him the Coleman Medal. It was a remarkable effort considering Cameron played a lone hand in the Giants’ forward line all year.
Though Greater Western Sydney won just one match for the season, Cameron was held goalless just once in 21 games. His seven-goal haul against Collingwood was the highlight of a very impressive year.
Though performances in finals aren’t taken into consideration when picking the All Australian team, it must have been difficult for selectors to omit Chad Wingard’s performance against Collingwood less than ten days ago. Once again, Wingard proved he was a big-game player, kicking three goals when the Power needed them most.
His match-winning ability was also on show against Adelaide in Round 19 – he had 24 disposals and kicked five goals. Port Adelaide is brimming with young talent; the silky number 20 might be the best of the lot.
Swan Dan Hannebery is likely to be leading the Brownlow Medal count after the early votes are counted and thoroughly deserves his inclusion on the bench. The 22-year-old backed up his outstanding performance in last year’s Grand Final with a career-best season. He averaged 25 possessions and three clearances per game in 2013 and looks set to become one of the game’s very best midfielders in years to come.
It would have been tough to keep Michael Walters out of the All Australian team had he not missed four matches through injury. The crafty small forward averaged more than two goals per game, and was ranked in the top ten in the league for goal assists per game this season.
Ditto 22-year-old Steven Motlop. Averaging 18 disposals and almost two goals per game, the creative forward-come-midfielder has become one of the Cats’ most important players and finished the home and away season in serious style.
The AFL Players’ Association congratulates all those selected in the final All Australian team, including delegates Will Minson and Patrick Dangerfield.
B: Corey Enright (Geelong Cats) Scott Thompson (North Melbourne) Michael Johnson (Fremantle)
HB: Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney Swans) Harry Taylor (Geelong Cats) Sam Mitchell Hawthorn)
C: Ryan Griffen (Western Bulldogs) Joel Selwood (Geelong Cats, captain) Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
HF: Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide Crows) Travis Cloke (Collingwood) Kieren Jack (Sydney Swans)
FF: Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn) Jeremy Cameron (GWS Giants) Chad Wingard (Port Adelaide)
Ruck: Will Minson (Western Bulldogs) Dane Swan (Collingwood) Gary Ablett (Gold Coast Suns, vice-captain)
Inter: Travis Boak (Port Adelaide) Dan Hannebery (Sydney Swans) Andrew Mackie (Geelong Cats) Jobe Watson (Essendon)