World Footy News

Gold Coast Suns’ captain Gary Ablett tonight became the first man in the game’s history to be selected as an All Australian in eight consecutive seasons when the Virgin Australia 2014 AFL All Australian Team was named in Melbourne tonight.

 

Ablett, who electrified the competition averaging 32 possessions a game before a season-ending shoulder injury in round 16, was named as first rover and has now equalled his father’s record of eight All Australian selections.

 

Ablett’s former Geelong Cats’ teammate Joel Selwood was named as All Australian captain for the second consecutive year – his fourth selection overall – while St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt was named at centre half-forward and as vice-captain for the team of the year.

 

Ablett and Selwood were joined by Collingwood and Port Adelaide captains Scott Pendlebury and Travis Boak respectively in retaining their place from the 2013 side, along with Hawthorn’s Jarryd Roughead.

 

The team was:

Backs:

Cale Hooker (Essendon); Daniel Talia (Adelaide Crows), Nick Smith (Sydney Swans).

Half Backs:

Nick Malceski (Sydney Swans); Alex Rance (Richmond); Brodie Smith (Adelaide Crows).

Centres:

Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle); Josh Kennedy (Sydney Swans); Dyson Heppell (Essendon).

Half Forwards:

Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide); Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda, vice-captain); Luke Breust (Hawthorn).

Forwards:

Hayden Ballantyne (Fremantle); Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans); Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn).

Rucks:

Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle); Joel Selwood (Geelong Cats, captain); Gary Ablett (Gold Coast Suns).

Interchange:

Travis Boak (Port Adelaide); Jordan Lewis (Hawthorn); Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), Tom Rockliff (Brisbane Lions).

 

The team featured 13 players selected in an All Australian side for the first time, the third-most debutantes in a single year since annual teams began being named separate to carnivals, behind only the 15 debutantes in 2012 and 14 in 1982.

 

Ablett’s eight separate selections in an All Australian side picked annually and NOT from a carnival now equal the record of Hall of Fame trio his father, Gary Ablett senior, Robert Harvey and Mark Ricciuto.

 

Hall of Fame quintet Craig Bradley, Stephen Kernahan, Simon Madden, John Platten and Paul Roos all had nine All Australian selections with a combination of carnival and team of the year selections, with Bradley, Kernahan and Roos each also having had selection in eight different years.

 

The AFL is pleased to announce also that Virgin Australia is the new naming rights partner of the 2014 AFL All-Australian Team.

 

Virgin Australia is the official airline of the AFL and in addition to All-Australian naming rights, Virgin Australia is also the naming rights partner for the Toyota AFL Grand Final Pre-Game Entertainment Show and the post-Grand Final Premiership Party.

 

The All Australian selection panel is Gillon McLachlan (chairman), Kevin Bartlett, Luke Darcy, Mark Evans, Danny Frawley, Glen Jakovich, Cameron Ling, Matthew Richardson and Warren Tredrea, while the All Australian selectors, along with Kevin Sheehan, also choose the winner of the NAB AFL Rising Star Award.

 

The key stats for the Virgin Australia 2014 AFL All Australian team from this season were as followers:

Backs:

Cale Hooker, Essendon. Never Previously All Australian. 22 games in 2014. 234 kicks, 170 marks (second in the AFL), 175 handballs, averaging 10.6 kicks, 7.7 marks, 8.0 handballs. Zero Goals, Zero Behinds. Four Clearances, 18 Inside 50m, 67 Rebound 50m. 33 Tackles.

 

Daniel Talia, Adelaide Crows. Never Previously All Australian. 22 games in 2014. 167 kicks, 105 marks, 93 handballs, averaging 7.6 kicks, 4.8 marks, 4.2 handballs. Zero Goals, One Behinds. Zero Clearances, 25 Inside 50, 52 Rebound 50m. 24 Tackles.

 

Nick Smith, Sydney Swans. Never Previously All Australian. 20 games in 2014. 165 kicks, 75 marks, 145 handballs, averaging 8.2 kicks, 3.8 marks, 7.2 handballs. Zero Goals, One Behind. 12 Clearances, Six Inside 50m, 53 Rebound 50m. 53 Tackles.

 

Half Backs:

Nick Malceski, Sydney Swans. Never Previously All Australian. 21 games in 2014. 390 kicks (first in the AFL), 84 marks, 130 handballs, averaging 17.6 kicks, 4.0 marks, 6.2 handballs. Eight Goals, Six Behinds. 24 Clearances, 80 Inside 50, 107 Rebound 50m. 64 Tackles.

 

Alex Rance, Richmond. Never Previously All Australian. 17 games in 2014. 146 kicks, 97 marks, 149 handballs, averaging 8.6 kicks, 5.7 marks, 8.8 handballs. Zero Goals, Zero Behinds. Seven Clearances, 14 Inside 50m, 54 Rebound 50m. 48 Tackles.

 

Brodie Smith, Adelaide Crows. Never Previously All Australian. 22 games in 2014. 287 kicks, 108 marks, 209 handballs, averaging 13.0 kicks, 4.9 marks, 9.5 handballs. 11 Goals, Eight Behinds. 18 Clearances, 76 Inside 50, 109 Rebound 50m (second in the AFL). 35 Tackles.

 

Centres:

Nathan Fyfe, Fremantle. Never Previously All Australian. 18 games in 2014. 239 kicks, 72 marks, 243 handballs, averaging 13.3 kicks, 4.0 marks, 13.5 handballs. 21 Goals, Nine Behinds. 121 Clearances, 64 Inside 50, 24 Rebound 50m. 80 Tackles.

 

Josh Kennedy, Sydney Swans. All Australian 2012. 20 games in 2014. 243 kicks, 63 marks, 336 handballs (second in the AFL in handballs and tenth in the AFL in total disposals), averaging 12.1 kicks, 3.1 marks, 16.8 handballs. 12 Goals, 18 Behinds. 126 Clearances (eighth in the AFL), 91 Inside 50 (tenth in the AFL), 16 Rebound 50m. 114 Tackles.

 

Dyson Heppell, Essendon. Never Previously All Australian. 21 games in 2014. 312 kicks, 111 marks, 280 handballs (fifth in the AFL in total disposals), averaging 14.9 kicks, 5.3 marks, 13.3 handballs. Six Goals, Five Behinds. 107 Clearances, 64 Inside 50, 34 Rebound 50m. 97 Tackles.

 

Half Forwards:

Robbie Gray, Port Adelaide. Never Previously All Australian. 22 games in 2014. 275 kicks, 91 marks, 276 handballs, averaging 12.5 kicks, 4.1 marks, 12.5 handballs. 34 Goals, 30 Behinds. 128 Clearances (seventh in the AFL), 76 Inside 50, 24 Rebound 50m. 64 Tackles.

 

Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda (vice-captain). All Australian 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 (captain). 22 games in 2014. 262 kicks, 191 marks (first in the AFL), 105 handballs, averaging 11.9 kicks, 8.7 marks, 4.8 handballs. 49 Goals (tenth in the AFL), 21 Behinds. Three Clearances, 72 Inside 50, 11 Rebound 50m. 31 Tackles.

 

Luke Breust, Hawthorn. Never Previously All Australian. 22 games in 2014. 176 kicks, 72 marks, 162 handballs, averaging 8.0 kicks, 3.3 marks, 7.4 handballs. 53 Goals (seventh in the AFL), 10 Behinds. 40 Clearances, 65 Inside 50m, Nine Rebound 50m. 69 Tackles.

 

Forwards:

Hayden Ballanytne, Fremantle. Never Previously All Australian. 19 games in 2014. 187 kicks, 83 marks, 49 handballs, averaging 9.8 kicks, 4.4 marks, 2.6 handballs. 49 Goals (Tenth in the AFL), 25 Behinds. 13 Clearances, 57 Inside 50, Seven Rebound 50m. 48 Tackles.

 

Lance Franklin, Sydney Swans. All Australian 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012. 19 games in 2014. 226 kicks, 116 marks, 86 handballs, averaging 11.9 kicks, 6.1 marks, 4.5 handballs. 67 Goals (first in the AFL), 44 Behinds. 10 Clearances, 76 Inside 50m, Two Rebound 50m. 60 Tackles.

 

Jarryd Roughead, Hawthorn. All Australian 2013. 20 games in 2014. 215 kicks, 93 marks, 108 handballs, averaging 10.8 kicks, 4.7 marks, 5.4 handballs. 62 Goals (second in the AFL), 37 Behinds. 27 Clearances, 47 Inside 50, Seven Rebound 50m. 60 Tackles.

 

Ruck:

Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle. All Australian 2008, 2009, 2010. 21 games in 2014. 68 kicks, 76 marks, 203 handballs, averaging 3.2 kicks, 3.6 marks, 9.7 handballs. 798 hit outs (first in the AFL), averaging 38.0 hit outs. Seven Goals, Five Behinds. 56 Clearances, 23 Inside 50m, 14 Rebound 50m. 41 Tackles.

 

Joel Selwood, Geelong Cats (captain). All Australian 2009, 2010, 2013 (captain). 22 games in 2014. 280 kicks, 100 marks, 279 handballs, averaging 12.7 kicks, 4.5 marks, 12.7 handballs. 21 Goals, 16 Behinds. 133 Clearances (fifth in the AFL), 89 Inside 50, 34 Rebound 50m. 130 Tackles (tenth in the AFL).

 

Gary Ablett, Gold Coast Suns. All Australian 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 (captain), 2012, 2013. 15 games in 2014. 254 kicks, 30 marks, 227 handballs, averaging 16.9 kicks, 2.0 marks, 15.1 handballs. 24 Goals, Seven Behinds. 119 Clearances, 77 Inside 50, 38 Rebound 50m. 91 Tackles.

 

Interchange:

Travis Boak, Port Adelaide. All Australian 2013. 21 games in 2014. 230 kicks, 79 marks, 331 handballs (third in the AFL), averaging 11.0 kicks, 3.8 marks, 15.8 handballs. 17 Goals, Five Behinds. 111 Clearances, 103 Inside 50 (fifth in the AFL), 19 Rebound 50m. 82 Tackles.

 

Jordan Lewis, Hawthorn. Never Previously All Australian. 21 games in 2013. 294 kicks, 121 marks, 295 handballs (ninth in the AFL in handballs and sixth in the AFL in total disposals), averaging 14.0 kicks, 5.8 marks, 14.0 handballs. 14 Goals, Nine Behinds. 120 Clearances, 76 Inside 50, 27 Rebound 50m. 82 Tackles.

 

Scott Pendlebury, Collingwood. All Australian 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. 21 games in 2014. 292 kicks, 75 marks, 304 handballs (sixth in the AFL in handballs and third in the AFL in total disposals), averaging 13.9 kicks, 3.6 marks, 14.5 handballs. 13 Goals, 10 Behinds. 113 Clearances, 72 Inside 50, 51 Rebound 50m. 116 Tackles.

 

Tom Rockliff, Brisbane Lions. Never Previously All Australian. 18 games in 2014. 309 kicks, 96 marks, 280 handballs (seventh in the AFL in total disposals), averaging 17.2 kicks, 5.3 marks, 15.6 handballs. 10 Goals, Three Behinds. 112 Clearances, 53 Inside 50, 64 Rebound 50m. 163 Tackles (second in the AFL).