The Meta-All-Australian Team and B&F results are virtually here!

(Originally printed in THE ROAR, August 23rd)

With one week to go in the season, and undoubtedly with more important things to consider next week once the finals lineup is set, let’s jump to conclusions and say that the patterns established over the first 96% of the season hold up over Round 23, and the results that present themselves right now after 22 rounds of footy don’t change much this coming weekend.

Everyone agreed? 

Great! Here are the “meta-results” for the All-Australian team for 2017, based on as many weekly honors as possible: in-game highlighted players, Best-On-Grounds from multiple sources, weekly top 18’s, 22’s, and 25’s, AFLCA and AFLPA votes, Brownlow predictors, and even two rating posts, from AFL fantasy and Supercoach, among others. Altogether we track a dozen or more sources each week to come up with the likely “best players” as recognized by the AFL community. Finally, with me being an American, I’m going to present the results the way we do here: no “top 22” or anything, but rather the starters and the entire second string at each position:

First Team:

Backs:

Alex Rance, RICH (312 points); Rory Laird, ADEL (309 points); Sam Docherty, CARL (271 points); Michael Hurley, ESS (246 points); Michael Hibbard, MEL (213 points); Jeremy Howe, COL (200 points).

Midfielders:

Patrick Dangerfield, GEEL (646 points); Dustin Martin, RICH (641 points); Rory Sloane, ADEL (478 points); Josh Kelly, GWS (386 points); Tom Mitchell, HAW (352 points); Dayne Zorko, BRIS (349 points).

Forwards & Ruck:

Lance Franklin, SYD (382 points); Robbie Gray, PORT (336 points); Elliot Yeo, WCE (318 points); Josh J Kennedy, WCE (312 points); Patrick Ryder, PORT (287 points); Joe Daniher (250 points).

Second Team:

Backs:

Jeremy McGovern, WCE (188 points); Jason Johannisen, WBD (178 points); Dylan Roberton, STK (176 points); Zac Williams, GWS (173 points); Tom McDonald, MEL (172 points); Zach Tuohy, GEEL (162 points).

Midfielders:

Marcus Bontempelli, WBD (341 points); Joel Selwood, GEEL (331 points); Zach Merrett, ESS (323 points); Scott Pendlebury, COLL (299 points); Gary Ablett, Jr, GOLD (288 points); Clayton Oliver, MEL (278 points).

Forwards & Ruck:

Sam Jacobs, ADEL (227 points); Taylor Walker, ADEL (226 points); Toby Greene, GWS (226 points); Jeremy Cameron, GWS (219 points); Eddie Betts, ADEL (218 points); Chad Wingard, PORT (216 points).

            If you ignore the MRP, there’s still a tight fight for the top of the list, with the defending Brownlow medalist having just retaken the lead over his presumptive heir this week on our list. But the five-point margin makes it too close to call before next week’s final game.

            As for positions, I tried to stick with where the coaches are saying the players play. Wingard, for example, has started at half-forward recently, so I’ve included him in the forward list. The same is true with Robbie Gray and Elliot Yeo. Others may be listed as “midfield-forward”, but if they’re starting as midfielders, I count them as midfielders.

            And as of Round 22, here are the “Meta-Best-and-Fairest” top five for each team from the same sources (so the point totals should look familiar) –

Adelaide:

Rory Sloane (478), Rory Laird (309), Matt Crouch (249), Sam Jacobs (227), and Taylor Walker (226).

Brisbane:

Dayne Zorko (349), Dayne Beams (275), Tom Rockliff (172), Lewis Taylor (141), and Daniel Rich (121).

Carlton:

Sam Docherty (271), Matthew Kreuzer (258), Bryce Gibbs (233), Marc Murphy (231), and Patrick Cripps (131).

Collingwood:

Scott Pendlebury (299), Taylor Adams (248), Adam Treloar (233), Jeremy Howe (200), and Steele Sidebottom (189).

Essendon:

Zach Merrett (323), Joe Daniher (250), Michael Hurley (246), Dyson Heppell (216), and David Zaharakis (171).

Fremantle:

Nat Fyfe (265), Lachie Neale (227), Michael Walters (205), Bradley Hill (148), and David Mundy (125).

Geelong:

Patrick Dangerfield (646), Joel Selwood (331), Mitch Duncan (224), Zach Tuohy (162), and Lachie Henderson (115).

Gold Coast:

Gary Ablett, Jr. (288), Tom Lynch (176), Steven May (133), Aaron Hall (125), and Jarryd Lyons (117).

Greater Western Sydney:

Josh Kelly (386), Dylan Shiel (236), Toby Greene (226), Jeremy Cameron (219), and Callan Ward (188).

Hawthorn:

Tom Mitchell (352), Shaun Burgoyne (186), Jack Gunston (157), Ryan Burton (122), and ben McEvoy (113).

Melbourne:

Clayton Oliver (278), Michael Hibbard (213), Tom McDonald (172), Jack Viney (171), and Nathan Jones (167).

North Melbourne:

Ben Cunnington (227), Ben Brown (208), Shaun Higgins (178), Robbie Tarrant (135), and Jack Ziebell (120).

Port Adelaide:

Robbie Gray (336), Paddy Ryder (287), Ollie Wines (243), Chad Wingard (216), and Charlie Dixon (214).

Richmond:

Dustin Martin (641), Alex Rance (312), Trent Cotchin (244), Jack Riewoldt (164), and Brandon Ellis (103).

Saint Kilda:

Seb Ross (276), Jack Billings (213), Jack Steven (200), Dylan Roberton (176), and Nick Riewoldt (129).

Sydney:

Lance Franklin (382), Josh P Kennedy (258), Luke Parker (246), Dan Hannebury (209), and Jake Lloyd (136).

West Coast:

Elliot Yeo (318), Josh J Kennedy (312), Jeremy McGovern (188), Luke Shuey (168), and Andrew Gaff (148).

Western Bulldogs:

Marcus Bontempelli (341), Jack Macrae (206), Jason Johannisen (178), Luke Dalhaus (134), and Lachie Hunter (119).

One of the things that needs to be “disclaimed” up front: when the team itself decides on its own “best and fairest”, it looks at different factors than these voters do. Nobody has been voting for leadership, for strong character, for perseverance, or any of the other qualities that truly “make the man”, as we say. And who knows those qualities better than the teammates and coaches themselves? If the teams come out with lists completely different from mine, it’s not an error on either of our parts – it’s the different criteria we were using. 

Looking through those top fives, a couple of things stand out: Adelaide’s fifth place score (Walker at 226) would be as high as second on six other teams’ lists, and above fifth on all of them. In fact, Adelaide’s tenth place is Rory Atkins at 125 points, which would make top five on eight lists. It’s the Crows’ depth that’s given them the presumed minor premiership, and which makes them my favorite for the title.

It’s odd that the team with the lowest scoring fifth place is Richmond; the implication is that they have the least depth, at least at the star level. Is it really Dusty and Alex doing all the work? It doesn’t feel like it, but when push comes to shove, perhaps if an opponent shuts them down they’ve shut the Tigers down. (Shutting Dustin Martin down this year is easier said than done, if you needed that clarified.)

Certain placements make for interesting stories… Jack Riewoldt falling to fifth on the St. Kilda ladder as they transition to life without him…Paddy Ryder moving up to second on Port’s list as the year progressed, displaying how critical he is to the Power’s success…the gap between Bontempelli and the rest of his Bulldog team… or Mitchell and his Hawks teammates…despite our prejudices, Fyfe should still win the B&F in Fremantle, unless you pro-rate Michael Walters’ work…

With one week to go, most of these placements won’t change, and at most there might be one player moving in or out of the starting eighteen for the Meta-All-Australian team. If you want to move the ruck into the middle, that’s fine; I like to reward the higher-point-total midfielders whenever I can. But I’d take on any team with the eighteen on that list. (And four subs off the second team, of course!)