One selection away from joining the game's rarest air
Each year, as the AFL season draws toward its close, the game pauses to ask a quiet but consequential question: who, among all who played, rose highest? The naming of the 44-player All Australian squad is that moment of collective reckoning — a panel of former champions and administrators sifting through a season's worth of effort to identify 22 who will be remembered. This year, the list carries the weight of history, with Melbourne's Max Gawn standing one selection away from joining only six others who have worn the blazer eight times, while 18 players appear in an All Australian squad for the very first time, suggesting the game's next generation is already arriving.
- Max Gawn needs just one more selection to join Gary Ablett Snr, Lance Franklin, and four others in the rarest company the game offers — players named All Australian eight times.
- Eighteen players have never appeared in any All Australian squad before, signalling a genuine generational shift rather than a cosmetic refresh of familiar names.
- Four clubs — Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and the Western Bulldogs — dominate the squad with five representatives each, while Carlton, Essendon, North Melbourne, and West Coast are entirely absent, a stark ledger of the season's winners and losers.
- The selection panel, chaired by Andrew Dillon and including Nathan Buckley and Eddie Betts, must now compress 44 names into 22 — not by ranking individuals, but by constructing a balanced, position-by-position team capable of taking the field.
- Thursday's announcement will settle the question for all 44 players, but for now, two days of uncertainty remain — the particular tension of having done enough to be considered, but not yet enough to be certain.
The AFL has named 44 players in contention for the 2025 All Australian Team, with the final 22 to be announced on Thursday, August 28. The selection panel — chaired by AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and including Nathan Buckley and Eddie Betts — assessed the season's leading performers across every position before arriving at a squad that is both a celebration of excellence and a map of the competition's current landscape.
Four clubs claimed the most ground: Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and the Western Bulldogs each placed five players in contention. Fremantle and GWS follow with four apiece, while Carlton, Essendon, North Melbourne, and West Coast were left without a single representative — a quiet but pointed verdict on their seasons.
The squad is notably youthful in its ambitions. Twenty-eight players are chasing a first All Australian selection, and 18 of those have never appeared in any squad before. Among the newcomers are Gold Coast's Ben King, who kicked 62 goals across 22 games, and Geelong's Bailey Smith, who averaged 31.7 disposals per match. Collingwood's Jamie Elliott booted 52 goals in 23 games, while Hawthorn's Jack Gunston — last selected in 2018 — has kicked 62 goals in just 20 matches this season.
The story with the most historical weight belongs to Max Gawn. The Melbourne ruckman has already been named All Australian seven times, and a final selection on Thursday would place him alongside only six others — Gary Ablett Snr, Gary Ablett Jnr, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto — who have reached eight. Close behind him, Marcus Bontempelli of the Western Bulldogs is pursuing a seventh honour, having captained the All Australian side as recently as 2024.
Elsewhere, the squad rewards sustained brilliance. Jeremy Cameron kicked 83 goals in 23 matches for Geelong; Harris Andrews averaged 7.7 marks and 3.0 intercept marks per game for Brisbane; Isaac Heeney contributed 37 goals while carrying midfield duties for Sydney. The final 22 will be chosen not simply as the best individuals, but as a balanced team capable of taking the field — a constraint that has shaped All Australian selections since 2007, and one that ensures the announcement on Thursday will carry both recognition and, for some, the particular sting of being left just outside.
The AFL has named its 44-player squad in contention for the 2025 All Australian Team, a roster that will be trimmed to 22 players when the final selections are announced on Thursday, August 28. The selection panel, chaired by Andrew Dillon and including former players and current AFL figures like Nathan Buckley and Eddie Betts, was tasked with identifying the leading performers across all positions—forwards, defenders, and the midfield and ruck stocks—from the season just completed.
Four clubs have claimed the most representation in the squad: Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and the Western Bulldogs each placed five players in contention. Fremantle and GWS follow with four apiece, while Collingwood, Geelong, and Hawthorn have three. The distribution is notably uneven at the bottom—Carlton, Essendon, North Melbourne, and West Coast have no representatives named at all, a reflection of their seasons relative to their peers.
The squad contains a significant cohort of first-time contenders. Twenty-eight players are chasing their first All Australian selection, with eighteen of those making their debut appearance in any All Australian squad. This infusion of fresh talent suggests a competition in transition, with emerging stars earning recognition alongside established names. Among the newcomers are Gold Coast's Ben King, who kicked 62 goals across 22 matches, and Geelong's Bailey Smith, who averaged 31.7 disposals per game despite playing only 20 matches. Collingwood's Jamie Elliott, another squad debutant, booted 52 goals in 23 games, while Hawthorn's Jack Gunston—a returning All Australian from 2018—has kicked 62 goals in just 20 matches this season.
Max Gawn stands on the threshold of history. The Melbourne ruckman, who has been named All Australian seven times already (2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 as captain, 2022, and 2024), is in line for an eighth selection. Should he make the final team, he would join an exclusive group: Gary Ablett Senior, Gary Ablett Junior, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto—the only six players in competition history to reach that milestone. Close behind him is Marcus Bontempelli of the Western Bulldogs, who is pursuing his seventh All Australian honor. Bontempelli has already captained the All Australian team in 2024 and served as vice-captain in previous years, cementing his status among the game's elite midfielders.
The squad reflects the season's standout individual performances. Jeremy Cameron of Geelong, a four-time All Australian, kicked 83 goals in 23 matches—a remarkable tally that underscores his continued dominance as a forward. Isaac Heeney of Sydney, a two-time All Australian, managed 37 goals in 23 games while maintaining his midfield responsibilities. On the defensive end, Harris Andrews of Brisbane, a two-time All Australian from 2019 and 2020, averaged 7.7 marks and 3.0 intercept marks per game, showcasing the defensive craft that has defined his career.
Several players are making their return to All Australian contention after previous selections or extended squad appearances. Dayne Zorko of Brisbane was named All Australian in 2017 and 2024 and appears again. Caleb Serong of Fremantle, selected in both 2023 and 2024, continues his rise as a contested ball winner and clearance specialist. Andrew Brayshaw, also of Fremantle and an All Australian in 2022, rounds out a strong showing from the Dockers.
The final team of 22 will be selected according to criteria established in 2007, meaning the panel will construct a balanced side as if fielding a competitive match—not simply naming the 22 best individual performers. This constraint often creates tension between recognizing statistical excellence and building positional balance. The announcement comes as part of the broader AFL Awards ceremony, a night that celebrates the season's achievements across multiple categories. For the 44 players named today, two days remain to wonder whether their season's work will be immortalized with a blazer.
Citações Notáveis
The final team of 22 will be selected as if to play a match, according to criteria established in 2007— AFL selection panel criteria
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does it matter that four clubs have five players each while four others have none?
It tells you where the talent concentrated this year. Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, and the Bulldogs had seasons that produced multiple All Australian-caliber performances. West Coast, Carlton, Essendon, North Melbourne—they simply didn't. It's a snapshot of the competition's hierarchy at this moment.
What's the significance of 28 players chasing their first selection?
It means the All Australian isn't just a club for the established elite anymore. You've got Ben King kicking 62 goals as a first-timer, Bailey Smith averaging 31 disposals as a debutant. The game is refreshing itself. Some of these names will become regulars; others will never make it. That's what makes this squad interesting.
Max Gawn is one selection away from joining six other players with eight blazers. Does that feel like a big deal?
It's the kind of milestone that marks a career as genuinely exceptional. Ablett, Franklin, Dangerfield—these are names that define eras. If Gawn gets there, he's in that conversation. But he has to make the final 22 first, and the panel has to balance the team properly. Nothing's guaranteed.
Why would a ruckman like Gawn or Brodie Grundy ever miss out if they're performing well?
Because the final team has to look like a playable side. You can't have three rucks. You need defenders, midfielders, forwards in the right proportions. A player can be brilliant individually and still miss out because the team needs balance. That's what makes the final selection harder than naming the squad.
Jeremy Cameron kicked 83 goals in 23 games. How does someone even do that?
He's a forward who gets service and converts it. That's elite-level efficiency and positioning. But it also means Geelong's midfield and defense were setting him up consistently. Individual brilliance in football is always built on team structure.
What happens to the players who don't make the final 22?
They go home knowing they were in the top 44 in the country. Some will be back next year. Some won't. For the debutants especially, being named in the squad is validation—proof they belong at the highest level, even if they don't get the blazer this time.