Eight selections placed him alongside only six other players in history
Each year, Australian football pauses to ask which players have risen above the ordinary — and in 2025, the answer arrived with both the weight of history and the freshness of new beginnings. Max Gawn, a ruckman in his late thirties, joined a handful of legends by earning his eighth All-Australian selection, while eleven players received the honour for the first time, a generation announcing itself. The ceremony in Melbourne was, in this way, a portrait of sport at its most enduring: excellence is not the property of youth alone, nor of experience alone, but of those who keep finding ways to be indispensable.
- Max Gawn's eighth All-Australian selection places him in a group of only seven players across the sport's entire history, a milestone that reframes what sustained excellence at the elite level can look like.
- Eleven first-time selections — from Noah Anderson to Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera — signal a genuine shift in the competition's talent landscape, with emerging players no longer waiting their turn but demanding recognition.
- Jeremy Cameron's captaincy, backed by 83 goals in a single season, and Jordan Dawson's vice-captaincy reflect a Geelong-Adelaide axis quietly asserting itself at the top of the game.
- Marcus Bontempelli's seventh selection draws him level with Wayne Carey, Stephen Silvagni, and Nathan Buckley — the latter now sitting on the very panel that made the call.
- Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs lead all clubs with three representatives each, suggesting these sides have built not just winning teams but genuinely elite individual talent across multiple positions.
On Thursday night in Melbourne, the 2025 AFL All-Australian Team was unveiled at the league's annual awards ceremony, and the occasion carried two distinct stories — one about longevity, one about arrival.
Max Gawn claimed his eighth All-Australian selection, placing him alongside only six others in the sport's history: Gary Ablett senior and junior, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto. At 32, having averaged 75.2 ruck contests and 35.9 hitouts across 23 matches, Gawn demonstrated that his place among the game's elite is not a matter of reputation alone. His first selection came in 2016; nearly a decade later, he is still being measured against the best.
Equally striking was the cohort of eleven first-timers earning their maiden blazers — Noah Anderson, Zac Bailey, Josh Battle, Jordan Clark, Hugh McCluggage, Kysaiah Pickett, Ed Richards, Matt Rowell, Bailey Smith, Riley Thilthorpe, and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. For some, the recognition came after years of steady, unheralded work. For others, like the 22-year-old Rowell, it was the confirmation of a promise long anticipated.
Geelong's Jeremy Cameron was named captain for 2025 — his fifth All-Australian honour — having kicked 83 goals across the season. Adelaide's Jordan Dawson took the vice-captaincy in his second selection. Marcus Bontempelli earned his seventh nod, drawing level with Wayne Carey, Stephen Silvagni, and Nathan Buckley, who now serves on the selection panel itself.
Nick Daicos, Caleb Serong, and Isaac Heeney each made the team for the third consecutive year, while Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs led all clubs with three representatives apiece. The selection panel, chaired by AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and including former players Eddie Betts, Jude Bolton, Kane Cornes, and Matthew Pavlich, shaped a final team that reflected a season of genuine competition — one where no single club dominated, and where a veteran ruckman and eleven first-timers could share the same stage without contradiction.
Melbourne's Max Gawn stepped into rare air on Thursday night when the 2025 AFL All-Australian Team was unveiled at the league's awards ceremony in the city. His eighth selection to the honour roll placed him alongside only six other players in the sport's history—Gary Ablett senior and junior, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto. It was a moment that crystallized a career of sustained excellence, one that began with his first All-Australian nod in 2016 and has continued through seven more selections since, including a year as captain in 2021.
But the night belonged as much to the newcomers. Eleven players collected their maiden All-Australian blazers, a cohort that spoke to the depth of talent emerging across the competition. Noah Anderson of Gold Coast, Zac Bailey from Brisbane, Josh Battle at Hawthorn, Jordan Clark with Fremantle, Hugh McCluggage also of Brisbane, Kysaiah Pickett at Melbourne, Ed Richards from the Western Bulldogs, Matt Rowell at Gold Coast, Bailey Smith now at Geelong, Riley Thilthorpe with Adelaide, and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera of St Kilda—each had reached a threshold that only the best players in the league ever touch. For some, like Battle and Clark, the selection came after years of consistent work without previous recognition. For others, like the 22-year-old Rowell, it represented validation of early promise.
Jeremy Cameron of Geelong was named captain of the 2025 team, his fifth All-Australian honour in a career that has seen him kick 83 goals this season alone. Jordan Dawson of Adelaide took the vice-captaincy in his second selection to the team. Cameron's prolific season—those 83 majors across 23 matches—underscored why he earned the armband, though his captain's role would be largely ceremonial, a recognition of standing rather than on-field authority.
Marcus Bontempelli of the Western Bulldogs received his seventh All-Australian selection, equaling a trio of former greats: Wayne Carey, Stephen Silvagni, and Nathan Buckley, who now sits on the selection panel itself. The Bulldogs, along with the Brisbane Lions, dominated the final team with three players each. Adelaide, Fremantle, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, and Melbourne each contributed two. Collingwood, GWS, St Kilda, and Sydney managed one apiece.
Three players—Nick Daicos of Collingwood, Caleb Serong of Fremantle, and Isaac Heeney of Sydney—retained their spots from 2024, marking their third consecutive selection. Daicos averaged 30.4 disposals across 23 matches, while Serong's work in the midfield saw him average 27 disposals and 14.1 contested possessions. Heeney, the Sydney forward, kicked 37 goals in his 23 appearances, a testament to his dual role as both a midfielder and a scoring threat.
The selection panel, chaired by Andrew Dillon, included former players Eddie Betts, Jude Bolton, Kane Cornes, and Matthew Pavlich, alongside current selector Buckley, media personality Abbey Holmes, and Laura Kane. Their work reflected the breadth of the 2025 season—a year in which no single club dominated, in which emerging talent pushed established names, and in which a ruckman in his late thirties could still claim a place among the league's elite.
Gawn's eighth selection was the story that would linger. At 32 years old, having played 23 matches in 2025, he averaged 75.2 ruck contests and 35.9 hitouts, numbers that spoke to his continued relevance in a position that demands both athleticism and football intelligence. His selection alongside 10 first-timers created a neat symmetry—the old guard and the new guard, both recognized in the same breath, both deemed worthy of the blazer.
Notable Quotes
Gawn's selection alongside 10 first-timers created a neat symmetry—the old guard and the new guard, both recognized in the same breath— narrative observation
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What does it mean for a player like Gawn to reach eight All-Australian selections at his age?
It's about consistency in a sport that usually chews people up. Most players peak and fade. Gawn has stayed at the top for nearly a decade. Eight selections puts him in conversation with the greatest to ever play.
And these eleven first-timers—are they all at the same level of achievement?
No. Some, like Battle and Clark, have been grinding for years without recognition. Others, like Rowell, are young and this is just the beginning. The common thread is that they all had seasons where they couldn't be ignored anymore.
Jeremy Cameron kicked 83 goals. Why does he get the captaincy rather than, say, Gawn?
The captaincy is largely symbolic—it's about standing and respect. Cameron had an extraordinary season by any measure. Gawn's already been captain before. Sometimes the honour goes to the player having the best year, not the most decorated career.
Brisbane and the Bulldogs tied with three players each. Does that mean they're the best teams?
Not necessarily. The All-Australian team is about individual excellence, not team success. You can have great individual players on a middling team, or a well-balanced team with fewer standouts. These two clubs just happened to have more players reach that elite threshold.
What's the significance of Daicos, Serong, and Heeney making it three years running?
It's rare. It means they've sustained excellence across multiple seasons, not just had one good year. In a league where form is fragile and injuries are constant, that kind of consistency is genuinely hard to achieve.
Does Gawn's selection feel inevitable, or could he have missed out?
At his level, probably inevitable. But the panel still had to watch the tape, count the numbers, make the case. Nothing is automatic. The fact that he made it alongside all these new names—that's what makes the night interesting.