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Some brutal snubs have had to be made as Foxfooty.com.au reveals its 2022 All-Australian side.
The 44-man squad was released on Monday, expanded from the usual 40, which we’ve cut down to just a 22-man team.
The All-Australian team, Rising Star and more will be revealed at tonight’s AFL Awards. Watch live on Fox Footy and Kayo from 7pm EST, and read our guide below!
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Among the key omissions are a couple of Sydney Swans stars in Callum Mills and Isaac Heeney.
Mills, 25, has put together a career-best season, thriving in the midfield and ranking elite for tackles and kicks.
Working against Mills was his rotation to different parts of the ground at times, including the wing and defence, where he wasn’t able to have the same impact that a fellow hybrid player like Mark Blicavs was able to for Geelong.
It was a tight selection squeeze between Mills and Melbourne gun Angus Brayshaw, but ultimately Brayshaw’s brilliant 2022 season proved the more impressive, with the 26-year-old re-establishing himself as a gun midfielder and also acting as a superb intercept defender earlier in the year.
Heeney ran a close second to Charlie Cameron, with both hitting the scoreboard with impressive figures throughout the year.
Inaccuracy in front of goal worked against Heeney in the end, while Cameron has this year been the standout reason for some of Brisbane’s wins, while Heeney has performed well in a team far more well-rounded than the Lions this season.
Speaking of the Lions, Hugh McCluggage continues to be desperately unlucky not to make the final 22 of an All-Australian side.
The harsh reality is it’s hard to know who he’d replace, with both Andrew Brayshaw and Rory Laird – the others considered – incredibly hard workers who cover significant ground during games. And the fact is, the All-Australian selectors have never picked pure wingmen for those two spots.
Gold Coast Suns ruckman Jarrod Witts made a brilliant return from injury in 2022 and was leading the All-Australian race at the halfway point of the season, but like the Suns he was slightly below his best during the back-end of the season, relinquishing the spot to Melbourne stalwart Max Gawn.
In defence, Sam Docherty was one of the standout surprise omissions from the squad of 44, but picking the key defensive posts in his absence was relatively straightforward.
Rounding out the 22 is Tom Barrass, who put in a phenomenal season in a side regularly conceding an enormous amount of inside 50s and did it in large part without partner-in-crime Jeremy McGovern.
If the selectors agree with our team there will be 11 first-time All-Australians.
Fox Footy’s 2022 All-Australian side
B: James Sicily, Steven May, Tom Stewart
HB: Adam Saad, Sam Taylor, Jack Sinclair
C: Andrew Brayshaw, Clayton Oliver, Angus Brayshaw
HF: Jeremy Cameron, Tom Lynch, Shai Bolton
F: Tyson Stengle, Charlie Curnow, Charlie Cameron
FOL: Max Gawn, Lachie Neale, Touk Miller
INT: Mark Blicavs, Patrick Cripps, Christian Petracca, Tom Barrass
WHEN ARE THE AFL AWARDS?
The 2022 AFL Awards take place on Wednesday 24 August at Centrepiece in Melbourne, beginning at 7pm AEST.
HOW CAN I WATCH THE AFL AWARDS?
The awards show will be broadcast live on Fox Footy from 7pm AEST and can be followed via Foxfooty.com.au.
HOW DOES THE ALL-AUSTRALIAN SIDE WORK?
The 2022 All Australian selection panel is Gillon McLachlan (chairman), Jude Bolton, Nathan Buckley, Kane Cornes, Andrew Dillon, Glen Jakovich, Gerard Healy, Chris Johnson, Cameron Ling, Nick Riewoldt and Brad Scott. Kevin Sheehan is also a selector for the AFL Rising Star Award.
The final All-Australian team, which will be selected as if to play a match, will be revealed at the AFL Awards, along with the Rising Star winner and AFLPA awards such as the MVP, from 7pm AEST on Wednesday August 24. The event will be broadcast live on Fox Footy.
WHAT ARE THE AFL AWARDS?
The AFL Awards will consist of:
– The 2022 NAB AFL Rising Star
– The 2022 Therabody All-Australian Team
– The Coleman Medallist presentation
AFL Players’ Association awards:
– Leigh Matthews Trophy for the Most Valuable Player
– Robert Rose Most Courageous Player
– Best First Year Player Award
– Best Captain
AFL Coaches Association awards:
– Champion Player of the Year
– Best Young Player
WHO WILL WIN THE OTHER AWARDS?
Collingwood’s Nick Daicos is an almost unbackable favourite to claim the Rising Star award, while Carlton’s Charlie Curnow will be presented with the Coleman Medal.
Three players from every club have been nominated for the AFLPA MVP crown with plenty of strong candidates.
The AFL Coaches Association’s Champion Player of the Year award released its votes publicly until the end of Round 21.
With two rounds left Gold Coast’s Touk Miller and Brisbane’s Lachie Neale (88 votes) led from Melbourne pair Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca (86) meaning a thrilling reveal looms.
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