The All-Australian Team — The AFL’s Best 22 Of The Year
Making the All-Australian team is the surest sign you’ve had a top-shelf AFL season. The annual best-22 selected by a panel of AFL legends, the team represents the best players from each position over the home-and-away season. Captaining it (the unofficial All-Australian captaincy) is the highest individual honour outside the Brownlow. The All-Australian team has been picked annually since 1991; the modern selection process is one of the most-watched evenings on the AFL calendar.
The History: From Carnival Teams to Annual Selection
The “All-Australian” concept has roots in mid-20th-century interstate carnival football. The first All-Australian teams were picked from carnival performances — players selected as the best at each position from the various state representative teams. These teams operated occasionally from the 1950s through the 1980s.
The modern annual All-Australian team began in 1991, when the AFL formalised the selection. Since then, the team has been picked at the end of each home-and-away season by a panel of AFL legends and former players. The All-Australian Awards Night is held in early September, with players walking the red carpet, partners’ fashion making headlines, and TV coverage attracting major audiences.
The team comprises 22 players in the 18-on-the-field plus 4-bench format. Selection is by position; the panel must pick the best ruckman, the best key forward, the best small forward, and so on across the field. Captaincy of the All-Australian team is awarded by panel vote.
The All-Australian Captains
Captaining the All-Australian team is the highest individual honour available outside the Brownlow Medal. Recent captains:
- 2024: Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
- 2023: Patrick Cripps (Carlton) — back-to-back captaincy is rare
- 2022: Patrick Cripps (Carlton) — three in a row, an extraordinary feat
- 2021: Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
- 2020: Travis Boak (Port Adelaide)
- 2019: Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
- 2018: Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn)
- 2017: Dustin Martin (Richmond)
- 2016: Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
- 2015: Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
- 2014: Gary Ablett Jr (Gold Coast)
- 2013: Joel Selwood (Geelong)
- 2012: Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
- 2011: Chris Judd (Carlton)
- 2010: Chris Judd (Carlton) — second time
Players With Multiple All-Australian Selections
Multiple All-Australian selections is one of the AFL’s most prestigious individual achievements. The all-time record-holders include:
- 10+ All-Australian selections: Nathan Buckley (Collingwood, 7), Dustin Fletcher (Essendon, 7), Wayne Carey (North Melbourne/Adelaide, 8), Lance Franklin (Hawthorn/Sydney, 8+).
- Wayne Carey’s 8 selections are an all-time record despite never winning a Brownlow.
- Lance Franklin’s 8+ selections include centre-half-forward and key-forward berths.
- Nick Daicos’s debut season selection in 2023 was the youngest All-Australian since the 1990s.
The Selection Controversies
Every All-Australian selection produces media firestorms:
- 2017 — Tom Hawkins’s omission despite leading the Coleman Medal.
- 2015 — Brendon Goddard’s controversial inclusion over higher-vote getters.
- 2010 — Nick Riewoldt’s omission from the team after a 100-goal-pursuit season.
- The annual “snubs” debate that Twitter (X) lights up immediately after the team is announced.
The Pre-1991 All-Australian Heritage
Pre-1991, All-Australian teams were picked occasionally from interstate carnivals. Notable picks include:
- 1953 carnival All-Australian — included Bob Skilton (3-time Brownlow)
- 1969 carnival All-Australian — included Polly Farmer (Geelong)
- 1979 carnival All-Australian — included Wayne Harmes (Carlton, 1979 Norm Smith)
Trivia for the Pub
- The modern All-Australian team has been selected annually since 1991.
- The panel is made up of former AFL legends.
- The team is announced at the AFL Awards ceremony in early September.
- Patrick Cripps’s three consecutive captaincies (2022, 2023, 2024) are an extraordinary modern record.
- Wayne Carey’s 8 All-Australian selections are all-time record material despite no Brownlow.
- The All-Australian carries a blazer presentation — winners receive a personalised blazer.
- Pre-1991 All-Australians were picked from interstate carnivals.
- Selection is by position: best ruckman, key forward, small forward, etc.
- The All-Australian’s significance has grown in modern times as the AFL has expanded.
- Marcus Bontempelli’s multiple selections (5+) place him in the modern elite.
The Rumours
The persistent rumour: player vote for All-Australian. Currently panel-only; some have suggested adding a player vote. The AFL has resisted.
The other rumour: extending the All-Australian to 30 players. Has been canvassed periodically; the 22-player format is preserved.
The Verdict
The All-Australian team is the AFL’s most prestigious team-of-the-year honour. Selection is the surest sign of an elite season; captaincy is the highest individual honour outside the Brownlow. The annual snubs debate, the position-by-position selections, and the captain’s announcement all combine to make the All-Australian one of the most-watched non-game ceremonies on the AFL calendar.
