All-Australian team

All-star team of Australian rules footballers

Official 2023 All-Australian logo

The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-performed players during the season, traditionally led by that season's premiership coach.

Despite the name's implication, the All-Australian team is usually ceremonial in modern times. Though the AFL played an All-Star match in 2020, it was the first in 12 years, and the difference in skill level between the All-Australian team and the nearest international competitor is currently too large for any contest to be competitive.^{[citation needed]} Despite this, some of these players have represented Australia in AFL Academy junior teams up to the age of 18, as more than two-thirds of all AFL Academy representatives have gone on to play at senior AFL level.^[1]

From 1998 to 2004, the Australian international rules team was mainly composed of All-Australians, and from 2005 to 2013 the team for the annual International Rules Series was selected according to the quite different requirements of International rules football.

This change was reverted ahead of the 2014 series, with any player who had been selected at least once in any All-Australian team being eligible for selection.

History

The earliest concept considered to be a precursor to the All-Australian team was an annual team selected by Sporting Life magazine between 1947 and 1955. A panel of sportswriters at the magazine selected a full team of eighteen from all ANFC-affiliated competitions. For a time, AFL historians considered these teams to be official All-Australian teams, but no longer recognises them as such.^[2]

The first official All-Australian team was selected in 1953, immediately after the Australian Football Carnival, which was held in Adelaide on that occasion. Based solely upon performances at the carnival, the All-Australian team was selected by representatives of the various state teams. This tradition continued at all subsequent interstate carnivals until 1988.

In 1991, following the VFL's conversion to a national competition and its renaming as the Australian Football League (AFL), an annual All-Australian team based on performances during the AFL premiership season was introduced.^[3]

Since 1999, the All-Australian coach is the coach of the premiership-winning side that year.

Prior to 2007, only the final selections in the All-Australian team were announced. Since 2007, the All-Australian selection committee has nominated the 40 leading players of the year in their playing positions at the conclusion of the home and away season, before announcing the final 22 at a later date during the All-Australian Presentation Dinner.^[4] The squad was increased to 44 in 2022.^[5] The 2023 All-Australian selection panel consists of chairperson Gillon McLachlan, Kevin Bartlett, Eddie Betts, Jude Bolton, Nathan Buckley, Kane Cornes, Andrew Dillon, Glen Jakovich, Laura Kane, Cameron Ling, and Matthew Pavlich.^[6]

In addition to the senior All-Australian team, each year an All-Australian is announced based on the AFL National Under 18 Championships and the AFL National Under 16 Championships. The following lists are for senior teams only.

Members of the All-Australian team are awarded a team blazer, reminiscent of the formal wear traditionally worn by travelling members of national sports teams. Blazers have become synonymous with the identity of the honour.^[7]

Teams

AFL era: 1991–present

2024

2023

Notes:

• Despite winning the Brownlow Medal for the second time, Lachie Neale was not selected in the team.

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

Notes:

• Despite winning the Brownlow Medal, Matt Priddis was not selected in the team, but was selected in the initial squad of 40 like Sam Mitchell and Jack Riewoldt were two years earlier.

2013

Notes:

Despite winning the Coleman Medal, Jarryd Roughead was not named at full-forward, the position he played all season.

2012

Notes:

• Despite being awarded the Brownlow Medal retrospectively alongside Trent Cotchin over four years later in November 2016, Sam Mitchell was not selected in the team, but was selected in the initial squad of 40.
• Despite winning the Coleman Medal, Jack Riewoldt was also not selected in the team, but he was selected in the initial squad of 40 as well.

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Notes:

• For the first occasion, a preliminary squad of 40 was announced.

2006

2005

Notes:

• Despite winning the Coleman Medal, Fraser Gehrig was not selected in the team.

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

Notes:

• Despite winning the Brownlow Medal and club best and fairest in a grand final year, Shane Woewodin was not selected in the team. Notably three Adelaide midfielders were selected despite that club missing the finals with a 9–13 win-loss record.

1999

Notes:

• Despite winning the Coleman Medal, Scott Cummings was not selected in the team.

1998

Notes:

• 1998 was the final season in which the coach of the All-Australian team was not necessarily the premiership coach.

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

Notes:

• Despite winning that season's Grand Final, Hawthorn did not supply one player in the team of the year.

VFL/AFL Team of the Year: 1982–1990

The AFL website recognises players who were named in the VFL/AFL Team of the Year from 1982 to 1990 as having All-Australian status. This was a team picked by Victorian selectors.

Australian Football Carnival era: 1953–1988

State of origin era

1988

1987

1986

1985

1983

1980

1979

Pre-State of Origin era

1972

1969

1966

1961

1958

1956

1953

Sporting Life Team of the Year: 1947–1955

Sporting Life magazine created the concept of an All-Australian team in 1947.

These teams were once considered to be equivalent to All-Australian selection, but are no longer recognised as such.

1955

1954

1953

1952

1951

1950

1949

1948

1947

Records

Most times selected overall

Most times selected in Carnivals era

Most captaincies

See also

• Sports portal
• Australia portal

• AFL Women's All-Australian team

References

1. Selection to the AIS/AFL Academy
2. John Devaney (2008), Full Points Footy's SA Football Companion, Full Points Publications, p. 483
3. Football Record 16–18 August 1991 p3
4. Official Website of the Australian Football League > News Article > Fresh faces aplenty as AFL names 40-man All Australian Squad
5. "AA SQUAD REVEALED: Cats, Demons dominate as breakout Pie snubbed". afl.com.au. 22 August 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
6. Whiting, Michael (28 August 2023). "AA SQUAD REVEALED: Five Pies in, stars miss, young guns named". AFL.com.au. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
7. Martin Smith (29 August 2024). "ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM: Seven new faces, Bontempelli captain". Australian Football League. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
8. Sydney Morning Herald: 2013 AFL All-Australian team
9. "A number of surprise inclusions and omissions in the 2012 All Australian team, named in Melbourne". 17 September 2012.
10. "Six Pies named in All Australian team". 19 September 2011.
11. Gleeson, Michael (14 September 2010). "Excellence a certain selection". The Age. Melbourne.
12. Lovett, Michael, ed. (2010). AFL Record 2010 Season Guide. p. 536. ISBN 978-0-9806274-5-9.
13. The Age 15 Sept 1998, Sport p. 3
14. The Age 15 Sept 1997, p. 12
15. The Age 2 September 1996, p. 12 "Silvagni selection raises eyebrows"
16. The Age 18 Sept 1995, p. 48
17. Football Record 23 Sept 1995, p. 50
18. The Age 14 September 1993, p. 32
19. "NATIONAL RESULTS". The Canberra Times. 16 September 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 15 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
20. Sydney Morning Herald 16 Sept 1992, p. 48
21. "Dogs 'in for tight game'". The Canberra Times. 17 September 1992. p. 24. Retrieved 15 September 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
22. Football Record 28 September 1991, p. 17
23. "Boos Greet Salmon's Medal" The Australian, 7 March 1988 p. 25
24. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3CtWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cOQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3986%2C5261843 Sydney Morning Herald, 7 March 1988 p. 53
25. "Croweaters Rewarded For Title Success" The Australian, 24 July 1987, p. 24
26. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qCtWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c-QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2576%2C6223256 Sydney Morning Herald 24 July 1987, p. 26
27. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=A8wnAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9JIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2187%2C5981059 The Age, 10 July 1986, p. 30
28. VFL Football Record 12 July 1986 p. 19
29. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gVBVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iJUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6254%2C1398581 The Age, 18 July 1985, p. 30
30. "AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL". The Canberra Times. 13 July 1983. p. 1 Section: SPORTS SECTION. Retrieved 23 June 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
31. Football Record 16 July 1983, p. 3
32. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eftUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cZIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6540%2C7001658 The Age, 14 October 1980, p. 46
33. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UPZUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oJIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3921%2C4126639 The Age, 9 October 1979, p. 36
34. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=MDQ-9Oe3GGUC&dat=19720626&printsec=frontpage&hl=en The Age, 26 June 1972, p. 20 "$5100 from Perth Victory"
35. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GRdVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cpMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5619%2C2955911 The Age, 16 June 1969, p. 20
36. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Iq9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WJMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1516%2C3347038 The Age, 20 June 1966, p. 18
37. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sqZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hLoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3767%2C3572071 The Age, 24 July 1961, p. 20
38. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IEkRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JpUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3385%2C2074797 The Age, 14 July 1958, p. 16
39. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3DlVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3699%2C3632261 The Age, 25 June 1956, p. 16
40. https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7gdFAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TsMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2244%2C2354781 The Age, 20 July 1953, p. 14

External links

• All-Australian Team on official AFL website
• Sporting Life Teams 1947–1955: fullpointsfooty.net
• All-Australian Teams 1953–1988: fullpointsfooty.net
• All-Australian Teams 1991–2004: Official AFL website