Gawn to make history as Dockers dominate All-Aust squad
Anna Harrington |
Minor premiers Fremantle have dominated the extended All-Australian squad while Melbourne champion Max Gawn is poised to become the first nine-time selection.
But second-placed Sydney only have two players in contention after banned star trio Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner and Nick Blakey were ruled ineligible for selection in the wake of the club’s hotel scandal.
Melbourne skipper Gawn has defied changes to the ruck rules to maintain his status as the competition’s dominant ruckman.
His ninth All-Australian blazer should be confirmed when the squad is cut from 46 to 23 on Tuesday.
Gawn is currently equal with Gary Ablett Snr, Gary Ablett Jnr, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto on eight blazers, but is expected to pull one clear.
Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli is poised to join the eight-blazer club while Carlton captain Patrick Cripps and Brisbane star Lachie Neale are in contention for a fifth selection.
Cripps was the only Carlton player despite the Blues’ late-season surge.
Unsurprisingly, Fremantle have eight players, headlined by young star Murphy Reid, while reigning premiers Brisbane (six) and Nick Watson’s fourth-placed Hawthorn (five) are also well-represented.
Coleman Medallist Charlie Curnow and ruckman Brodie Grundy are the only two Swans in the mix.
Geelong, headlined by breakout star Ollie Dempsey, have four nominees.
Despite a tough season, Port Adelaide still have four nominees, including Zak Butters, who will depart for Victoria as a restricted free agent later this year.
North Melbourne star Harry Sheezel was overlooked but teammate Luke Davies-Uniacke earned a spot in the extended squad.
There are 21 players in contention for their first All-Australian berth, while 13 are in an extended squad for the first time.
Nine Indigenous players are in contention, including Melbourne star Kysaiah Pickett and Hawthorn defender Jarman Impey.
Essendon, Richmond and West Coast don’t have any players in the mix.
ALL-AUSTRALIAN EXTENDED SQUAD BY CLUB
Adelaide: Jordan Dawson, Wayne Milera*, Izak Rankine*
Brisbane: Harris Andrews, Will Ashcroft*, Zac Bailey, Charlie Cameron, Logan Morris*, Lachie Neale
Carlton: Patrick Cripps
Collingwood: Josh Daicos, Nick Daicos
Fremantle: Jye Amiss*, Shai Bolton, Jordan Clark, Luke Jackson*, Alex Pearce*, Murphy Reid*, Caleb Serong, Josh Treacy*
Geelong: Ollie Dempsey*, Max Holmes*, Connor O’Sullivan*, Bailey Smith
Gold Coast: Ben King*, Bodhi Uwland*
GWS: Lachie Ash*, Clayton Oliver
Hawthorn: Jack Gunston, Jarman Impey*, Jai Newcombe*, James Sicily, Nick Watson*
Melbourne: Max Gawn, Kysaiah Pickett
North Melbourne: Luke Davies-Uniacke*
Port Adelaide: Aliir Aliir, Zak Butters, Mitch Georgiades*, Jason Horne-Francis*
St Kilda: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Callum Wilkie
Sydney: Charlie Curnow, Brodie Grundy
Western Bulldogs: Marcus Bontempelli, Ed Richards
(* denotes never All-Australian)
AAP