The AFL named its All-Australian team on Thursday night with a host of contentious selections.
The final team of 22 is a hotly debated topic and it was no exception this time with the wing position once again questioned.
Western Bulldogs champion Marcus Bontempelli was named captain as Melbourne ruck star Max Gawn joined an elite group of players with his seventh selection in the team of the year.
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Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps was named vice-captain to fellow Brownlow Medal contender Bontempelli, who earned his sixth All-Australian blazer.
Minor premiers Sydney are well represented with four players — Errol Gulden, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner and Isaac Heeney — in the side, which was selected on the basis it was going to play in a match.
No other club had more than two representatives.
Gulden and Collingwood midfield star Nick Daicos were picked on the wings with the latter selection immediately raising eyebrows.
There’s no doubt Daicos deserved his spot in the team, but he rarely lines up on the wing during a match.
His inclusion meant there was no room for Hawthorn’s specialist wingman Massimo D’Ambrosio to complete his rags to riches tale with a first blazer.
Even Gulden commented on Daicos’ lack of wing time during his on-stage interview.
“It’s definitely a spot of contention every year, I’d argue the wing is one of the hardest spots,” Gulden said.
“It’s good to see Nick (Daicos) on the other wing – he played the last five minutes of that game (there) against the Demons and he went pretty well.”
Fans were quick to call out the selection.
“Nick Daicos on a wing? What? The bloke attended 75% of Collingwood’s CBA’s. What sort of wingman attends 75% of their team’s CBA’s? Not saying Nick shouldn’t have been selected because he 100% should be, but on a wing? Come on,” one fan said.
“Nick Daicos is a winger. Who knew,” another said.
“D’Ambrosio should be on the wing, never seen Daicos play on the wing in my life,” a third said
“Famous winger Nick Daicos,” another added.
Aside from Daicos on the wing, fans were also quick to name Brisbane defender Harris Andrews, North Melbourne duo Harry Sheezel and Tristan Xerri, Carlton forward Charlie Curnow and Essendon midfielder Zach Merrett as unlucky omissions.
Carlton defender Jacob Weitering finally broke through for his first selection, named at full-back.
Weitering was one of seven players picked for the first time alongside Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Jake Waterman, Jesse Hogan, Dylan Moore and Adam Treloar.
Hogan was named at full-forward after a career-best season in which he kicked 69 goals from 23 games and was a clear winner of the Coleman Medal.
Waterman also had a career-best campaign in 2024, recovering from serious illness which threatened to derail his career before starring for West Coast with 53 goals in 20 games.
Gawn edged out North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri for the ruck position and is now one of 10 players in the history of the game with at least seven All-Australian selections.
Gawn matches Wayne Carey, Stephen Silvagni and current All-Australian selector Nathan Buckley with seven blazers each.
The record is eight, held jointly by Gary Ablett Snr, Gary Ablett Jnr, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey and Mark Ricciuto.
Six players retained their All-Australian places after being named in last year’s team: Dan Houston, Caleb Serong, Zak Butters, Daicos, Gulden and Bontempelli.
Port Adelaide defender Houston was named despite receiving a five-match suspension for his high bump on Adelaide’s Izak Rankine during this month’s fiery Showdown.
Earlier, Bontempelli and Daicos split two of the AFL’s prestigious individual honours in a pointer to how tight one of the most highly anticipated Brownlow Medal counts in recent memory could be.
Bontempelli claimed the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFL Players Association’s MVP, ahead of Carlton star Patrick Cripps and Sydney’s Isaac Heeney.
But the AFL Coaches Association champion player of the year award went to Daicos, also ahead of Cripps and Heeney.
– With AAP