The All-Australian Team is an all star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including interchange players and a coach, of the best performed during the season.
As no other country could assemble a senior Australian rules team of the same quality, the All-Australian team never plays a game. Although the Australian international rules team was once mainly composed of All-Australians, the team for the annual International Rules Series is currently selected according to the quite different requirements of International rules football.
Sporting Life magazine invented the concept of an All-Australian Team in 1947. A squad was selected from players in various leagues in October each year by a panel chosen by the magazine. In 1953, immediately after the Australian Football Carnival, which was held in Adelaide on that occasion, an official All-Australian team was selected by representatives of the various state and territorial teams. This tradition continued until the 1988 carnival.
Concurrently, from 1982, the Victorian Football League (VFL) began to announce its own team of the year. In 1991, following the VFL's conversion to a national competition and its renaming as the Australian Football League (AFL), the two concepts were merged.
Since 1999, the All-Australian coach is the coach of the premiership-winning side that year.
On June 5, 2007 the AFL announced that it will alter the format of the announcement of the All-Australian team in the future. Ongoing from 2007 the All-Australian selection committee will provide the 40 leading players of the year in their playing positions at the conclusion of the home and away season before announcing the final 22 at a later date during the All Australian Presentation Dinner. Of the 40 leading players for that year provided the leading 12 defenders will be nominated with six to be chosen in the final team, the leading 12 forwards will be nominated with six to be chosen in the final team, and the leading 16 ruckmen and midfielders will be nominated with six to be chosen in the final team. The four interchange players to come from the remaining players of this group of 40.[1] The current All-Australian selection panel is Rod Austin, Kevin Bartlett, Andrew Demetriou, Mark Bickley, Gerard Healy, Neil Kerley, Glen Jakovich, Robert Walls and Wayne Jackson (Non-voting chairman).[2]
In addition to the senior All-Australian team, each year an Under 18 and Under 16 team is also announced.
The following lists are for senior teams only.
Contents |
| 2008 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Dale Morris (Western Bulldogs) | Matthew Scarlett (Geelong) | Tom Harley (Geelong) (captain) |
| HB: | Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) | Nathan Bock (Adelaide) | Samuel Fisher (St Kilda) |
| C: | Jimmy Bartel (Geelong) | Joel Corey (Geelong) | Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs) |
| HF: | Steve Johnson (Geelong) | Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) | Brent Harvey (North Melbourne) |
| F: | Brendan Fevola (Carlton) | Lance Franklin (Hawthorn) | Paul Medhurst (Collingwood) |
| Foll: | Dean Cox (West Coast) | Chris Judd (Carlton) (Captain) | Gary Ablett, Jr. (Geelong) |
| Int: | Corey Enright (Geelong) | Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) | Matthew Richardson (Richmond) |
| Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle) | |||
| Coach: | Alastair Clarkson (Hawthorn) | ||
| 2007 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Matthew Scarlett (Geelong) | Darren Glass (West Coast) | Darren Milburn (Geelong) |
| HB: | Andrew McLeod (Adelaide) (Captain) | Matthew Egan (Geelong) | Campbell Brown (Hawthorn) |
| C: | Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide) | Jimmy Bartel (Geelong) | Chad Cornes (Port Adelaide) |
| HF: | Steve Johnson (Geelong) | Jonathan Brown (Brisbane) (Vice-captain) | Brent Harvey (Kangaroos) |
| F: | Brad Johnson (Bulldogs) | Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) | Cameron Mooney (Geelong) |
| Foll: | Dean Cox (West Coast) | Daniel Kerr (West Coast) | Gary Ablett Jr. (Geelong) |
| Int: | Joel Corey (Geelong) | Dustin Fletcher (Essendon) | Brendon Lade (Port Adelaide) |
| Cameron Ling (Geelong) | |||
| Coach: | Mark Thompson (Geelong) | ||
Notes:
| 2006 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Nathan Bassett (Adelaide) | Darren Glass (West Coast) | Lindsay Gilbee (Bulldogs) |
| HB: | Craig Bolton (Sydney) | Joel Bowden (Richmond) | Andrew McLeod (Adelaide) |
| C: | Simon Goodwin (Adelaide) | Scott West (Bulldogs) | Adam Goodes (Sydney) |
| HF: | Alan Didak (Collingwood) | Barry Hall (Sydney) (Vice-captain) | Ryan O'Keefe (Sydney) |
| F: | Brad Johnson (Bulldogs) (Captain) | Brendan Fevola (Carlton) | Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) |
| Foll: | Brendon Lade (Port Adelaide) | Chris Judd (West Coast) | Ben Cousins (West Coast) |
| Int: | Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) | Dean Cox (West Coast) | James McDonald (Melbourne) |
| Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) | |||
| Coach: | John Worsfold (West Coast) | ||
| 2005 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | David Wirrpanda (West Coast) | Ben Rutten (Adelaide) | James Clement (Collingwood) |
| HB: | Joel Bowden (Richmond) | Trent Croad (Hawthorn) | Luke Hodge (Hawthorn) |
| C: | Nick Dal Santo (St Kilda) | Scott West (Bulldogs) | Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) |
| HF: | Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) (Captain) | Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) | Shannon Grant (Kangaroos) |
| F: | Brad Johnson (Bulldogs) | Barry Hall (Sydney) | Peter Everitt (Hawthorn) |
| Foll: | Dean Cox (West Coast) | Luke Ball (St Kilda) | Ben Cousins (West Coast) (Vice-captain) |
| Int: | Leo Barry (Sydney) | Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide) | Simon Goodwin (Adelaide) |
| Brent Harvey (Kangaroos) | |||
| Coach: | Paul Roos (Sydney) | ||
| 2004 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Leo Barry (Sydney) | Matthew Scarlett (Geelong) | Chris Johnson (Brisbane) |
| HB: | Austinn Jones (St Kilda) | Chad Cornes (Port Adelaide) | Adam McPhee (Essendon) |
| C: | Chris Judd (West Coast) | Simon Black (Brisbane) | Nigel Lappin (Brisbane) |
| HF: | Jason Akermanis (Brisbane) | Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide)(Vice-Captain) | Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda) |
| F: | Barry Hall (Sydney) | Fraser Gehrig (St Kilda) | Luke Power (Brisbane) |
| Foll: | Jeff White (Melbourne) | Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) (Captain) | Scott West (Bulldogs) |
| Int: | James Clement (Collingwood) | Chad Fletcher (West Coast) | Brett Kirk (Sydney) |
| Matthew Lappin (Carlton) | |||
| Coach: | Mark Williams (Port Adelaide) | ||
| 2003 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Gavin Wanganeen (Port Adelaide) | Matthew Scarlett (Geelong) | Joel Smith (Hawthorn) |
| HB: | Rohan Smith (Bulldogs) | Justin Leppitsch (Brisbane) | Nigel Lappin (Brisbane) |
| C: | Lenny Hayes (St Kilda) | Michael Voss (Brisbane) (Captain) | Paul Williams (Sydney) |
| HF: | Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) | Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide) | Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) |
| F: | Phillip Matera (West Coast) | Matthew Lloyd (Essendon) | Chris Tarrant (Collingwood) |
| Foll: | Adam Goodes (Sydney) | Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) | Peter F. Bell (Fremantle) |
| Int: | James Hird (Essendon) | Michael Gardiner (West Coast) | Paul Hasleby (Fremantle) |
| Robert Harvey (St Kilda) | |||
| Coach: | Leigh Matthews (Brisbane) | ||
| 2002 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Chris Johnson (Brisbane) | Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle) | Glenn Archer (Kangaroos) |
| HB: | Brett Montgomery (Port Adelaide) | Justin Leppitsch (Brisbane) | Ben Hart (Adelaide) |
| C: | Jason Akermanis (Brisbane) | Simon Black (Brisbane) | Adem Yze (Melbourne) |
| HF: | Michael Voss (Brisbane) (Captain) | Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide) | Brad Johnson (Bulldogs) |
| F: | Nathan Brown (Bulldogs) | David Neitz (Melbourne) | Luke Darcy (Bulldogs) |
| Foll: | Matthew Primus (Port Adelaide) | Josh Francou (Port Adelaide) | Ben Cousins (West Coast) |
| Int: | Shane Crawford (Hawthorn) | Nigel Lappin (Brisbane) | Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) |
| Adam Simpson (Kangaroos) | |||
| Coach: | Leigh Matthews (Brisbane) | ||
Notes:
| 2001 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Gavin Wanganeen (Port Adelaide) | Jonathan Hay (Hawthorn) | Darren Gaspar (Richmond) |
| HB: | Joel Smith (Hawthorn) | Sean Wellman (Essendon) | Andrew McKay (Carlton) |
| C: | Jason Akermanis (Brisbane) | Brett Ratten (Carlton) | Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) |
| HF: | Michael Voss (Brisbane) | Warren Tredrea (Port Adelaide) | James Hird (Essendon) (Captain) |
| F: | Brad Ottens (Richmond) | Matthew Lloyd (Essendon) | Ben Cousins (West Coast) |
| Foll: | Matthew Primus (Port Adelaide) | Simon Black (Brisbane) | Andrew McLeod (Adelaide) |
| Int: | Nathan Brown (Bulldogs) | Simon Goodwin (Adelaide) | Jason Johnson (Essendon) |
| Nigel Lappin (Brisbane) | |||
| Coach: | Leigh Matthews (Brisbane) | ||
| 2000 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Damien Hardwick (Essendon) | Dustin Fletcher (Essendon) | Andrew Kellaway (Richmond) |
| HB: | Andrew McKay (Carlton) | Darren Gaspar (Richmond) | Simon Goodwin (Adelaide) |
| C: | Scott West (Bulldogs) | Brett Ratten (Carlton) | Scott Camporeale (Carlton) |
| HF: | Andrew McLeod (Adelaide) | Wayne Carey (Kangaroos) (Captain) | James Hird (Essendon) |
| F: | Jeff Farmer (Melbourne) | Matthew Lloyd (Essendon) | Michael O'Loughlin (Sydney) |
| Foll: | Steven King (Geelong) | Anthony Koutoufides (Carlton) | Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) |
| Int: | Lance Whitnall (Carlton) | Brent Harvey (Kangaroos) | Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) |
| Brad Johnson (Bulldogs) | |||
| Coach: | Kevin Sheedy (Essendon) | ||
Notes:
| 1999 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Jason Akermanis (Brisbane) | Justin Leppitsch (Brisbane) | Ben Hart (Adelaide) |
| HB: | Byron Pickett (Kangaroos) | Stephen Silvagni (Carlton) | Andrew McKay (Carlton) |
| C: | Brad Johnson (Bulldogs) | Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) | Wayne Schwass (Sydney) |
| HF: | Mark Mercuri (Essendon) | Wayne Carey (Kangaroos) (Captain) | Michael Voss (Brisbane) |
| F: | Ben Cousins (West Coast) | Matthew Lloyd (Essendon) | Matthew Richardson (Richmond) |
| Foll: | Matthew Allan (Carlton) | Robert Harvey (St Kilda) | Shane Crawford (Hawthorn) |
| Int: | Peter F. Bell (Kangaroos) | Nathan Burke (St Kilda) | Wayne Campbell (Richmond) |
| Chris Grant (Bulldogs) | |||
| Coach: | Denis Pagan (Kangaroos) | ||
| 1998 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | David King (North Melbourne) | Ashley McIntosh (West Coast) | Glenn Archer (North Melbourne) |
| HB: | Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) | Sean Wellman (Essendon) | Nigel Smart (Adelaide) |
| C: | Matthew Knights (Richmond) | Scott West (Bulldogs) | Shane Crawford (Hawthorn) |
| HF: | Paul Hudson (Bulldogs) | Wayne Carey (North Melbourne) (Captain) | Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) |
| F: | Ben Cousins (West Coast) | Tony Lockett (Sydney) | Matthew Lloyd (Essendon) |
| Foll: | Peter Everitt (St Kilda) | Todd Viney (Melbourne) | Robert Harvey (St Kilda) |
| Int: | Chris Grant (Bulldogs) | Andrew McLeod (Adelaide) | Shaun Rehn (Adelaide) |
| Anthony Stevens (North Melbourne) | |||
| Coach: | Terry Wallace (Bulldogs) | ||
Notes:
| 1997 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | David King (North Melbourne) | Stephen Silvagni (Carlton) | Paul Roos (Sydney) |
| HB: | Peter Matera (West Coast) | Michael Sexton (Carlton) | Adam Heuskes (Port Adelaide) |
| C: | Austinn Jones (St Kilda) | Craig Bradley (Carlton) | Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) |
| HF: | Rohan Smith (Bulldogs) | Chris Grant (Bulldogs) | Michael O'Loughlin (Sydney) |
| F: | Fraser Gehrig (West Coast) | Tony Modra (Adelaide) | Paul Kelly (Sydney) (Captain) |
| Foll: | Paul Salmon (Hawthorn) | Robert Harvey (St Kilda) | Nathan Burke (St Kilda) |
| Int: | Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) | Peter Everitt (St Kilda) | Daryn Cresswell (Sydney) |
| Coach: | Stan Alves (St Kilda) | ||
| 1996 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Nathan Burke (St Kilda) | Stephen Silvagni (Carlton) | Michael Sexton (Carlton) |
| HB: | Nathan Buckley (Collingwood) | Paul Roos (Sydney) | Peter Matera (West Coast) |
| C: | Chris Mainwaring (West Coast) | Paul Kelly (Sydney) (Captain) | Shane Crawford (Hawthorn) |
| HF: | James Hird (Essendon) | Wayne Carey (North Melbourne) | Mitchell White (West Coast) |
| F: | Michael Voss (Brisbane) | Tony Lockett (Sydney) | Darren Jarman (Adelaide) |
| Foll: | Corey McKernan (North Melbourne) | Robert Harvey (St Kilda) | Craig Lambert (Brisbane) |
| Int: | Garry Hocking (Geelong) | Glenn Archer (North Melbourne) | Matthew Richardson (Richmond) |
| Coach: | Rodney Eade (Sydney) | ||
| 1995 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Gavin Wanganeen (Essendon) | Stephen Silvagni (Carlton) | Ang Christou (Carlton) |
| HB: | Michael Mansfield (Geelong) | Glen Jakovich (West Coast) | Wayne Campbell (Richmond) |
| C: | Nicky Winmar (St Kilda) | Paul Couch (Geelong) | Michael Long (Essendon) |
| HF: | Garry Lyon (Melbourne) | Wayne Carey (North Melbourne) | James Hird (Essendon) |
| F: | Darren Jarman (Hawthorn) | Gary Ablett (Geelong) (Captain) | Tony Lockett (Sydney) |
| Foll: | Justin Madden (Carlton) | Robert Harvey (St Kilda) | Craig Bradley (Carlton) |
| Int: | Anthony Koutoufides (Carlton) | David Neitz (Melbourne) | Paul Kelly (Sydney) |
| Coach: | David Parkin (Carlton) | ||
| 1994 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | David Hart (West Coast) | Stephen Silvagni (Carlton) | Chris Langford (Hawthorn) |
| HB: | Guy McKenna (West Coast) | Glen Jakovich (West Coast) | Michael Mansfield (Geelong) |
| C: | Stephen Tingay (Melbourne) | Greg Williams (Carlton) (Captain) | Peter Matera (West Coast) |
| HF: | Gavin Brown (Collingwood) | Wayne Carey (North Melbourne) | Garry Lyon (Melbourne) |
| F: | Jason Dunstall (Hawthorn) | Gary Ablett (Geelong) | Ben Allan (Hawthorn) |
| Foll: | Shaun Rehn (Adelaide) | Robert Harvey (St Kilda) | Garry Hocking (Geelong) |
| Int: | Mark Ricciuto (Adelaide) | Craig Bradley (Carlton) | Stephen Kernahan (Carlton) |
| Coach: | Neil Balme (Melbourne) | ||
| 1993 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Ben Hart (Adelaide) | Alastair Lynch (Fitzroy) | Gavin Wanganeen (Essendon) |
| HB: | Guy McKenna (West Coast) | Mark Harvey (Essendon) | Andrew McKay (Carlton) |
| C: | Greg Anderson (Adelaide) | Greg Williams (Carlton) | Peter Matera (West Coast) |
| HF: | Craig Bradley (Carlton) | Wayne Carey (North Melbourne) (Captain) | Garry Lyon (Melbourne) |
| F: | Garry Hocking (Geelong) | Gary Ablett (Geelong) | Tony Modra (Adelaide) |
| Foll: | Jim Stynes (Melbourne) | Ben Allan (Hawthorn) | Tony McGuinness (Adelaide) |
| Int: | Nigel Smart (Adelaide) | Nathan Burke (St Kilda) | |
| Coach: | Kevin Sheedy (Essendon) | ||
| 1992 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Ben Hart (Adelaide) | Paul Roos (Fitzroy) (Captain) | Gavin Wanganeen (Essendon) |
| HB: | Ken Hinkley (Geelong) | Barry Stoneham (Geelong) | Milham Hanna (Carlton) |
| C: | Dean Kemp (West Coast) | Darren Jarman (Hawthorn) | Mick McGuane (Collingwood) |
| HF: | Robert Harvey (St Kilda) | Stewart Loewe (St Kilda) | Gary Ablett (Geelong) |
| F: | Tony McGuinness (Adelaide) | Jason Dunstall (Hawthorn) | Tony Lockett (St Kilda) |
| Foll: | Scott Wynd (Footscray) | Chris McDermott (Adelaide) | John Platten (Hawthorn) |
| Int: | Stephen Kernahan (Carlton) | Mark Bairstow (Geelong) | |
| Coach: | Terry Wheeler (Footscray) | ||
| 1991 All-Australian Team | |||
| B: | Guy McKenna (West Coast) | Anthony Daniher (Essendon) | Nigel Smart (Adelaide) |
| HB: | David Grant (St Kilda) | Paul Roos (Fitzroy) (Captain) | Ken Hinkley (Geelong) |
| C: | Chris Mainwaring (West Coast) | Paul Couch (Geelong) | Peter Matera (West Coast) |
| HF: | Gavin Brown (Collingwood) | Stewart Loewe (St Kilda) | Nicky Winmar (St Kilda) |
| F: | Tony Francis (Collingwood) | Tony Lockett (St Kilda) | Garry Hocking (Geelong) |
| Foll: | Jim Stynes (Melbourne) | Mark Bairstow (Geelong) | Barry Mitchell (Sydney) |
| Int: | Billy Brownless (Geelong) | Craig Turley (West Coast) | |
| Coach: | Michael Malthouse (West Coast) | ||