The AFL has announced its 40-man All Australian squad for the 2014 season, featuring just six players from last year’s team of 22.
2014’s squad is heavy on players from standout teams Hawthorn and Sydney and also features a whopping 26 fresh faces including Tom Rockliff, Brandon Ellis, Tom Liberatore, Robbie Gray, Jordan Lewis, Eric Mackenzie and Luke Parker.
Named as potential back-to-back selections are Gary Ablett, likely to make his eighth appearance in the final team, Travis Boak, Scott Pendlebury, Jarryd Roughead, Joel Selwood and Harry Taylor.
Hawthorn featured five players, including forwards Roughead, Luke Breust and Jack Gunston, as does Sydney.
Among the questionable omissions were Adelaide Crows Patrick Dangerfield and Rory Sloane, Jarrad McVeigh, Pearce Hanley, Nathan Jones, Paddy Ryder and Todd Goldstein.
The 10th placed Crows were among the biggest winners from Tuesday’s announcement with four players selected on the back of an 11-11 season.
31-year-old Hawk Shaun Burgoyne is a chance to make his first return since 2006 with Brent Harvey (2008) and Nick Riewoldt (2009) are veterans hopeful of breaking long All Australian droughts.
Seasoned stars Nick Malceski (30-year-old), Jay Schulz (29), Matt Priddis (28), Jordan Lewis (28) and Eddie Betts (27) are all possibilities to make maiden appearances on the final squad.
2014 All Australian 40-Man Squad
Adelaide: Eddie Betts, Sam Jacobs, Brodie Smith, Daniel Talia
Brisbane: Tom Rockliff
Carlton: Bryce Gibbs
Collingwood: Dayne Beams, Scott Pendlebury
Essendon: Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker
Fremantle: Hayden Ballantyne, Nat Fyfe, Aaron Sandilands
Geelong: Tom Hawkins, Tom Lonergan, Joel Selwood, Harry Taylor
Gold Coast: Gary Ablett
GWS Giants: Callan Ward
Hawthorn: Luke Breust, Shaun Burgoyne, Jack Gunston, Jordan Lewis, Jarryd Roughead
Nth Melbourne: Brent Harvey
Port Adelaide: Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Jay Schulz
Richmond: Brandon Ellis, Dustin Martin, Alex Rance
St Kilda: Nick Riewoldt
Sydney: Lance Franklin, Josh Kennedy, Nick Malceski, Luke Parker, Nick Smith
West Coast: Eric Mackenzie, Matt Priddis
Western Bulldogs: Tom Liberatore
Photo: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images
