The All-Australian squad was released on Monday night, and to many fans' dismay, with some notable exclusions from the 44-man squad selected.
With only 22 spots available in the official All-Australian team, the 44-man squad allows the All-Australian panel to recognise honourable mentions before the final selections are locked in, and indirectly attempts to reduce the hysteria from AFL fans when their club favourite misses out.
Yet, there are always bound to be a few deserving players that get overlooked each year. But were they really stiff to miss? Let's analyse the stats of the biggest snubs of 2024's All-Australian squad to determine if their lack of selection was a mistake from the AA panel.
4. Matt Rowell
Potentially the best contested ball-winner of the competition this year, Rowell's exclusion from the All-Australian squad is perplexing for many supporters.
A contested bull, Rowell averages the third-most contested possessions in the competition with 14 a game, ranking sixth for clearances at an average of 7.1, and an AFL-leading eight tackles per game. Rowell even fell just shy of breaking an AFL record this season with his 20 clearances against Richmond in Opening Round.
However, Rowell finds himself unrecognised for a stellar season of consistency despite playing all 23 games for a second consecutive year. Ahead of him in the pecking order include Patrick Cripps, Nick Daicos and Marcus Bontempelli, who all excel in both the contest and skill efficiency.
Similarly to Rowell, GWS bull Tom Green too was snubbed from the All-Australian squad despite his immense contested possession numbers. Rowell may average 14 contested possessions, but only 9.6 of his disposals are uncontested. Green on the other hand averages 16 uncontested possessions, but his disposal efficiency is subpar at just 66.2%.
In a highly competitive position, Rowell's one-dimensional midfield strengths may have been the costly reason for an All-Australian squad snubbing this season.
