SportsNut2017
Rookie
- Jun 11, 2017
- 37
- 94
- AFL Club
- Essendon
After Round 8 and again following Round 16 we at Down The Guts put our heads together and came up with our All-Australian Teams to those points of the season.
Now that the home and away season is complete it is time again to take a look at our final All-Australian Team for 2017. As usual, we haven’t shied away from making the hard calls. We haven’t put midfielders on the flanks or picked players out of their natural positions. We’ve just picked the best players in the positions they play in.
Have we nailed it this time? Who’s most unlucky?
We’d love to hear your thoughts, the thoughts of the real footy fans out there.
B: Michael Hibberd (Melb), Alex Rance (Rich), Sam Docherty (Carl)
Hibberd arguably the recruit of the season whose rebound was important, Rance impenetrable as always and Docherty had his finest season to date orchestrating many Carlton attacks.
HB: Rory Laird (Adel), Michael Hurley (Ess), Elliot Yeo (WC)
Laird was the quarterback for the Crows averaging 30 touches a game, Hurley’s return to the AFL spectacular and Yeo provided drive and expert intercept marking for the Eagles. Collingwood’s Jeremy Howe the unluckiest defender to miss out.
C: Josh Kelly (GWS), Tom Mitchell (Haw), Matt Crouch (Adel)
Kelly had some monster games for GWS and kicked goals, Mitchell led the league in disposals and disposal average and Crouch was nearly first picked in this side in a real breakout year for him. Gary Ablett has cost himself a spot in this side by appearing in just the 14 games.
HF: Toby Greene (GWS), Joe Daniher (Ess), Robbie Gray (PA)
Greene had the best goal average of all small forwards, Daniher the only key forward to not go goalless and provides great roaming up the field and backup ruckwork and Gray was sensational all year either as a small forward or midfielder when required. Probably the hardest decision was leaving Ben Brown out of this side, but with his numbers so close to the other key forwards I went with the forwards who had a better goal average, more versatility and helped their side into the finals.
F: Josh Kennedy (WC), Lance Franklin (Syd), Eddie Betts (Adel)
Despite missing a chunk of matches Kennedy remained the forward with the best goal average, Franklin, as Coleman Medalist, picks himself at Full-Forward and Betts had the highest tally of goals for a small forward this season.
R: Patrick Ryder (PA), Patrick Dangerfield (Geel), Dustin Martin (Rich)
Ryder got better the longer the season went to assume the number one ruck role in this side, Dangerfield and Martin were simply extraordinary and are clearly the best two players in the game right now.
I/C: Sam Jacobs (Adel), Zach Merrett (Ess), Clayton Oliver (Melb), Dayne Zorko (Bris)
Jacobs led the league for hit-outs and the Crows sat second in average clearances, Merrett and Oliver belied their ages both averaging 30 possessions a game and Zorko was brilliant all season for the Lions getting touches, laying tackles and kicking a magnificent 34 goals. Rory Sloane and Seb Ross probably the two who came closest to sneaking onto the bench.
Check out Down The Guts for plenty of other AFL and real sport lover created content: http://bit.ly/2vzBlXJ
Now that the home and away season is complete it is time again to take a look at our final All-Australian Team for 2017. As usual, we haven’t shied away from making the hard calls. We haven’t put midfielders on the flanks or picked players out of their natural positions. We’ve just picked the best players in the positions they play in.
Have we nailed it this time? Who’s most unlucky?
We’d love to hear your thoughts, the thoughts of the real footy fans out there.
B: Michael Hibberd (Melb), Alex Rance (Rich), Sam Docherty (Carl)
Hibberd arguably the recruit of the season whose rebound was important, Rance impenetrable as always and Docherty had his finest season to date orchestrating many Carlton attacks.
HB: Rory Laird (Adel), Michael Hurley (Ess), Elliot Yeo (WC)
Laird was the quarterback for the Crows averaging 30 touches a game, Hurley’s return to the AFL spectacular and Yeo provided drive and expert intercept marking for the Eagles. Collingwood’s Jeremy Howe the unluckiest defender to miss out.
C: Josh Kelly (GWS), Tom Mitchell (Haw), Matt Crouch (Adel)
Kelly had some monster games for GWS and kicked goals, Mitchell led the league in disposals and disposal average and Crouch was nearly first picked in this side in a real breakout year for him. Gary Ablett has cost himself a spot in this side by appearing in just the 14 games.
HF: Toby Greene (GWS), Joe Daniher (Ess), Robbie Gray (PA)
Greene had the best goal average of all small forwards, Daniher the only key forward to not go goalless and provides great roaming up the field and backup ruckwork and Gray was sensational all year either as a small forward or midfielder when required. Probably the hardest decision was leaving Ben Brown out of this side, but with his numbers so close to the other key forwards I went with the forwards who had a better goal average, more versatility and helped their side into the finals.
F: Josh Kennedy (WC), Lance Franklin (Syd), Eddie Betts (Adel)
Despite missing a chunk of matches Kennedy remained the forward with the best goal average, Franklin, as Coleman Medalist, picks himself at Full-Forward and Betts had the highest tally of goals for a small forward this season.
R: Patrick Ryder (PA), Patrick Dangerfield (Geel), Dustin Martin (Rich)
Ryder got better the longer the season went to assume the number one ruck role in this side, Dangerfield and Martin were simply extraordinary and are clearly the best two players in the game right now.
I/C: Sam Jacobs (Adel), Zach Merrett (Ess), Clayton Oliver (Melb), Dayne Zorko (Bris)
Jacobs led the league for hit-outs and the Crows sat second in average clearances, Merrett and Oliver belied their ages both averaging 30 possessions a game and Zorko was brilliant all season for the Lions getting touches, laying tackles and kicking a magnificent 34 goals. Rory Sloane and Seb Ross probably the two who came closest to sneaking onto the bench.
Check out Down The Guts for plenty of other AFL and real sport lover created content: http://bit.ly/2vzBlXJ
