Former Melbourne captain Gary Lyon has questioned the selection of Lance Franklin as captain of the All-Australian team.
“I don’t have an issue with it, I can’t get passionate about it, but the thing about it is, when you look at that team why would you be picking Lance Franklin captain when he hasn’t been captain of anything?” Lyon told SEN Breakfast.
“Why would you not have Alex Rance as your captain if you’ve gone to the trouble of making him last year as your captain?”
Former Essendon skipper Tim Watson said the decision to make Franklin captain was in recognition of him being selected in the All-Australian team for the eighth time in his career.
“The argument for him being captain is he’s been All-Australian eight times and it’s just recognition,” Watson said on SEN Breakfast.
“What we should be talking about is what an unbelievable achievement that is, to be recognised eight times as one of the best players in the land.”
Only Gary Ablett snr, Gary Ablett jnr, Robert Harvey and Mark Ricciuto have been selected in the All-Australian team eight times.
It is the second year in a row the All-Australian selectors have picked a non-club captain to lead the All-Australian side.
Last year Richmond defender Alex Rance was named the All-Australian captain, with West Coast Eagles forward Josh Kennedy as his vice-captain.
Geelong star Patrick Dangerfield was named as Franklin's deputy.