The All-Australian

[DeezMan 4]

I am an avid reader of the Herald Sun. Love the newspaper as a whole. Sometimes they urk me and I think this All-Australian selection by Scott Gullan is one reason why...

His team:

B: C Enright, B Lake, H O'Brien

HB: L Hodge (capt), H Taylor, B Goddard

C: S Pendlebury, D Swan, J Selwood

HF: P Chapman, B Hall, S Johnson

F: A Didak, J Riewoldt, M LeCras

R: A Sandilands, A Cooney, G Ablett

INT: M Pavlich, L Hayes (v-capt), L Montagna, D Cross

I have made itialics those players who I seriously question should be All-Australian.

NO DEMONS PLAYERS!!!

- Harry O is not better than James Frawley. 'Nuff said.

- J Riewoldt played 5 good games in a row and that's it. His first 11 games were shizen. Ditto LeCras.

- Not sure Stevie J has had the stellar year that he had last year? Who would I replace him with...? Maybe D. Thomas for starters??? Even Brad Green???

- Just the one ruckman for Mr Gullan??? Idiot.

- Um, why the heck is the vice-captain on the bench??? :/

I'm taking this fool's selections with a grain of salt but am pretty disappointed Melbourne didn't get a look in.

Discuss.

Edit: All of Jamar, Frawley and Green were in Gullan's potential candidates for ruck/mifield, backmen and forwards respectively.

Edited August 16, 2010 by DeezMan

[Dr. Mubutu 856]

Not surprised, per se, with the exception of LeCras. Realistically only had one really good game against the worst defence in the league. Riewoldt is leading the Coleman, and to not see him in the AA team would raise quite a few questions.

If you look further into it, there are only 5 players from teams outside the top 4: LeCras, Riewoldt, Pavlich, Hodge, Sandilands. The only one I'd challenge is LeCras, and even then, I'm not sure that Green would be included at his expense.

I did also read into it that it was not solely based on this year's form, which strictly speaking is not the way this should be judged, but realistically, it's only one journo's opinion, which in the grand scheme really means next to nothing.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,079]

I have to say, the only one of our players I see as a chance at the AA team is Frawley. Green has been outperformed by a couple of other small forwards, as good as he has been, and The selectors only ever take one ruck, which is always going to be Sandilands. That leaves Green and Jamar our in the cold. I agree that the backline he has selected is dodgy. For a start he admits that they are not the best defenders, but has chosen them for their attacking ability. For that alone he needs to change things.

[DeezMan 4]

Re Jamar... the thing is, he adds versatility up forwards AND down back. Yes Sandi gets moved forward at times but not often because they need him in the middle ALWAYS!!

Jamar would be a very handy bench ruckman for the All-Aus team this year...

[Jaded No More 68,967]

Laughable to think that a team which will finish 10th or 11th, will have 3 or 4 players in the AA squad.

Frawley is the only player who absolutely 100% deserves to make the squad, as he is definitely in the best 6 defenders in the league in season 2010. Plus given the range of forwards he has played on, he could quite easily be slotted in as a back pocket. If he doesn't make the team it's because the selectors are biased towards the "old heads" and won't reward a player after one good season, even if at 22 Frawley has been nothing short of outstanding this year.

Green is the only other player who may sneak into the side, possibly on the bench. He's top 10 in goal kicking in the league and probably the highest possession winner of them all. But there is tough competition for half forward spots, as usually they end up filling that line with midfielders

Jamar won't get in because it's unlikely they'll select 2 ruckman, and Sandilands has had a better year statistically. Not even injuries will sway the selectors towards Jamar IMO.

Nobody else at Melbourne is even a remote chance, and rightly so. A more consistent year from Davey, Sylvia and Grimes (the last two have obviously suffered from injuries), and they may have been a chance.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,079]

Green is the only other player who may sneak into the side, possibly on the bench. He's top 10 in goal kicking in the league and probably the highest possession winner of them all. But there is tough competition for half forward spots, as usually they end up filling that line with midfielders

Absolutely agree that Green could be a good call on the bench. The fact that he has played as a half-back playmaker and as a winger could count in his favour here. However, the selectors have in the past shown a strong bias for midfielders, so I think it more likely that they will name the four biggest ball-winners who didn't make the starting 18. The fact that the team will never have to take the field means that they can throw balance out the window.

[hrob 2]

its written in the herald sun - enough said

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Laughable to think that a team which will finish 10th or 11th, will have 3 or 4 players in the AA squad.

Frawley is the only player who absolutely 100% deserves to make the squad, as he is definitely in the best 6 defenders in the league in season 2010. Plus given the range of forwards he has played on, he could quite easily be slotted in as a back pocket. If he doesn't make the team it's because the selectors are biased towards the "old heads" and won't reward a player after one good season, even if at 22 Frawley has been nothing short of outstanding this year.

Green is the only other player who may sneak into the side, possibly on the bench. He's top 10 in goal kicking in the league and probably the highest possession winner of them all. But there is tough competition for half forward spots, as usually they end up filling that line with midfielders

Jamar won't get in because it's unlikely they'll select 2 ruckman, and Sandilands has had a better year statistically. Not even injuries will sway the selectors towards Jamar IMO.

Nobody else at Melbourne is even a remote chance, and rightly so. A more consistent year from Davey, Sylvia and Grimes (the last two have obviously suffered from injuries), and they may have been a chance.

Disagree. Green is the only one who absolutely 100% should be there. He's waaay up in the possessions and has kicked a lot of goals. It'll probably get him on the bench as he's too versatile to be given a spot on field.

Frawley they might overlook because 2 demons for a 10th placed side is pushing it.

And why is it unlikely that they'll pick 2 ruckmen? They do every other year? Have they mentioned not picking two this year? If so I'll pay that.

[Great_little_footy_team 8]

I think the thing that makes Frawley really stiff is that this bloke has selected a back six made up of pinch-hitters in the midfield (Hodge and Goddard) and then has no back up defenders whatsoever. That would make a pretty imbalanced side. Bench made up of a fwd/mid and 3 midfielders. Surely there would be another spot for a key defender.

[DeezMan 4]

You know what really urks me?? The fact that players must pretty much be in a Top 6 side to be given an All-Australian spot.

"Ohhhh no, 10th placed Melbourne has a whole 2 players up for selection!! No that can't happen."

Each player should be taken on their own individual merits and NOT be based upon the side in which they play for!! It's all a sham. How else would Harry O, Cross and even Pendlebury get a look in??

[beelzebub 23,380]

Frawley was a bit stiff and the HUn all but says that too. Green been in sparkling form but will be elbowed out by others with a little better and more consistent performances.

Those rosey glasses can be a lilttle distorting at times hey !!

[H_T 3,049]

I am of the opinion now that Frawley is the only legitimate show for the All Australian side from the Mfc. I think he has been so consistently good all season.

Just not sure on Brad Green, slim chance for the interchange at best. Jamar only a slight chance for the interchange, I just don't think they will pick a ruckman on the bench.

[beelzebub 23,380]

The Russian would have greater cause for feeling unlucky compared to Brad.

[Kiss of Death 755]

Lol. Attacking defenders hey. Some of my favorite pieces of play for the entire year have started with Chip tearing through CHB and leaving forwards and midfielders in his wake. There was one coast to coast goal on Sunday that was just like that.

Chip for AA. Anything else is poor.

[No16 1]

Green needs to be BOG or close to it in the final two rounds to make the AA team. 50 goals was the early target set by many here that would get him across the line but realistictly needs 55+.

Frawley will be playing against two forwards in the next two weeks that have been pretty dangerous, especially Hansen from north. Shut both of them out and he should be a very very good chance to win a spot.

One thing I noticed in the stats provided on the potential ruckman was the amount of goals some of the others have kicked, especially Jolly. Unfortunately I don't think it is a case of Jamar's ability holding him back from being elite but the ability to have a good enough ruckman to relive so that he can push forward and be that big bodied crashing packs forward. The flow of the game changes so much when Jamar is either off the ground or up forward. If they put a ruckman on the bench then Jamar has to get the nod. To those that say they only ever take 1 ruckman, think back to robbo's 75+ goal season but couldn't get a place in the team because they put a relieving ruckman in the forward pocket. From memory it was spider everit.

In the end, you would think that it would be a certainty that all three will make the squad at least which is a massive improvement from the last couple years where not one player was close to even making the squad let alone the final 22.

[Red Sox 2]

10th or 11th don't deserve 3 players? Is this a rule? What a load of carp. If an individual deserves a spot for a great season, then end of story. Same for the argument that a player needs to play 2 good seasons to get a spot, this is not a summer of cricket that goes over two different years.

This is an individual 'achievement' for players and there should be no bearing on where the team finishes.

I like my 'world' sport and in the US one of the rare things they do well is reward the individuals in All-Star teams, rather than just picking from the best teams.

Green, Frawley & Jamar would and do deserve a spot. There should always be a second ruck man picked and in 2010 that 2nd ruck man is the Russian.

Hodge on a half back flank? Give me a break. If this is how the cards fall it is weak. Selectors that cannot decide on which midfielders to include so they start to stack them in the back line. Goddard I can accept but Hodge has rarely played here in the past 18 mths. Frawley has been as good as any defender in the game in 2010 and deserves a spot.

Green is fighting LeCras for a spot - as a pure goal kicker I can see why LeCras would get the nod but Green has been better across the ground. I watched the Port/Eagles game last Saturday and LeCras played up the ground with little effect.

[jayceebee31 761]

I think Jamar, Green & Frawley have a great chance to get a guernsay.

[Al`s DEMONS 0]

I have to say, the only one of our players I see as a chance at the AA team is Frawley. Green has been outperformed by a couple of other small forwards, as good as he has been, and The selectors only ever take one ruck, which is always going to be Sandilands. That leaves Green and Jamar our in the cold. I agree that the backline he has selected is dodgy. For a start he admits that they are not the best defenders, but has chosen them for their attacking ability. For that alone he needs to change things.

Green`s mark over J Gibson on the weekend summed it up. he`s all class. i dont need a list to tell me that.i love my club but dont care who makes AA. whole system has been flawed for years. if i was to break into Lecra`s house, there would be posters of Green all over his bedroom walls. Lecra can play, but can only dream to be as good as Green.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

i love my club but dont care who makes AA.

Of course. From what we are told, the clubs don't spend even a second thinking about this and the Rising Star. And rightly so.

But what they are is another layer of interest in the game. I don't think Green could give a flying stuff about it. It really is just bragging rights for us. But then, within a footy forum, that's one of the things that brings us back. As you say it's not "important" strictly speaking, but it's all good fun. When players don't get nominated I don't lose sleep. I just call the panel a few choice names, laugh about it and move on with my day. The only times I've genuinely felt dismay and loss was in finals matches, and the odd close H&A match.

[Grand New Flag 3,227]

Past AA teams have always had 2 ruckman. The second one on the bench.

This being the case I expect Jamar to get the nod on the bench. Frawley is an even money bet and Green an outside chance of selection.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

I don't know why, besides having a week where he "only" kicked 2 goals, people suddenly say Green is the outside chance. Also... since when will another player who was more "consistent" beat him to that spot? He would be probably the most consistent player in the AFL! Certainly in his position. His weakness is that he hasn't kicked a bag of 12, or 10, or even 6. He's scored 0 goals once and 1 goal 4 times. That's pretty amazing. He's also been one of, probably, 3 main players that can be considered chiefly responsible for a team that nearly missed the finals.

The HUN putting Stevie J in there is wrong IMO, despite the fact he's kicked a few more. How much help does he want, and how much footy has he missed? Also, Green has averaged more disposals, marks and tackles.

But then... I guess Stevie J. has kicked more. At the moment, I think he's his main competition. Brad won't catch LeCras, I don't think.

[Eth 4]

Great call, if Stevie J gets in then there are real problems. Did a bit of investigating on why it is I feel like he's had an ordinary year despite kicking so many goals and found out a couple of interesting stats.

In the 9 games the Stevie J has played in where the Cats have won by more than 50 points this season, he has kicked 40 goals, in the other 8 games he has played in, he has kicked 14 goals.

Been very, very ordinary when it counts this season but has managed to kick big multiple goals in the Cats demolition jobs...I dont think that could be all that hard considering the supply. If he gets in over LeCras or Green it will be an injustice.

From BF

Edited August 18, 2010 by eth38

[RalphiusMaximus 6,079]

Past AA teams have always had 2 ruckman. The second one on the bench.

This being the case I expect Jamar to get the nod on the bench. Frawley is an even money bet and Green an outside chance of selection.

Interesting. I was under this impression that this was rarely the case, but over the last three seasons there has been a ruck on the bench twice (three times if you count Goodes last year). Now I'm wondering where I got the notion that they don't pick a reserve ruck?

[Red&BlueBlood 61]

I got money on Chip making the side!!!

Cmon Chipper!!!

Harry O is a good pick as is Jack R is second in the coleman & def IMO ahead of Green...

Jamar should get in but they never pick 2 ruckman, Lets remember a few years back they picked Pav as full back just to fit him in...

[DeezMan 4]

Jamar should get in but they never pick 2 ruckman...

BULLDUST!!!! Sandilands and Cox ring a bell???