Minor premiers Geelong have been rewarded for an outstanding AFL season by having five players named in the All-Australian team.
The premiership favourites make up almost a quarter of the 22, with star forward Tom Hawkins on Wednesday night unveiled as captain of the AFL’s team of the year for the first time.
It is the evergreen goal-kicker’s fifth All-Australian selection, while breakout Geelong teammate Tyson Stengle was named beside Hawkins in a forward pocket.
Stengle has been a revelation in his first year at Geelong, playing all 22 games and kicking 46 goals to top up a lethal forward line with Hawkins and fellow star Jeremy Cameron.
After gaining two All-Australian selections at GWS in 2013 and 2019, Cameron was picked at centre-half-forward in his second season with Geelong.
Reigning premiers Melbourne weren’t far behind, with Max Gawn being named All-Australian for a sixth time, and fifth year in a row.
Steven May was picked at full-back for the second-straight year, while fellow Demons stars Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca also earned selection.
This year’s All-Australian team comprises 12 first-timers, including Brownlow Medal contender, Fremantle young gun Andrew Brayshaw.
Twelve different clubs supply at least one player, with Adelaide, Essendon, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs missing out.
Carlton captain Patrick Cripps was chosen as vice-captain, while dashing teammate Adam Saad was picked on a half-back flank to numb some of the Blues’ pain of brutally missing the finals.
Meanwhile, Collingwood young gun Nick Daicos was predictably honoured as the AFL’s Rising Star, claiming 60 votes to finish ahead of Geelong defender Sam De Koning.
Daicos, the son of Magpies legend Peter, was considered unlucky not to be named in the All-Australian squad of 44 after playing every game in his debut season.
Meanwhile, star Fremantle midfielder Andrew Brayshaw has become the youngest player since St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt in 2004 to be crowned the AFL Players Association’s most valuable player.
The 22-year-old claimed his first Leigh Matthews Trophy after an outstanding 2022, finishing ahead of Melbourne premiership hero Clayton Oliver and Richmond dynamo Shai Bolton.
Brayshaw racked up the sixth most possessions during the home-and-away season as Fremantle charged up the ladder to end a seven-year finals drought.
It follows Brayshaw on Tuesday being named captain of the AFLPA U22 side and he becomes the first player to make that team and also win the MVP in the same season.
Other AFLPA awards went to Daicos (Best First Year player), Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury (Best Captain) and Richmond hard nut Liam Baker (Most Courageous).
