All Australian

Nine potential first-time AFL All-Australians for 2025

Some of the competition’s best are yet to earn their first AA selections.

Published by
Mitch Keating

With each new AFL season seeing rising stars stake their claim as the best in their respective position, the All-Australian team often welcomes some fresh faces for the first time.

A total of seven players earned their maiden All-Australian selections in 2024, with that number down from the 12 first-time selections made in both 2023 and 2022.

This year could see a rise in maiden All-Australians named in the final side, with some of the game's best still yet to be fitted for a blazer.

Here we've listed nine players yet to receive their first All-Australian selection who should come close in 2025.

Tristan Xerri

Heading into the coming season, all eyes are on Xerri to see how far he can take his game.

The Roos big man came mightily close to being selected in the final side last year, falling short as Melbourne captain Max Gawn claimed his seventh blazer.

Gawn's reign will soon come to a close, with Xerri a worthy shout to take the ruck mantle from the Demons champion as early as 2025.

Xerri ranked fourth for hitouts, eighth for clearances and third for tackles last year in what was his first full season as North Melbourne's first-string ruckman.

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - JULY 30: Tristan Xerri of the Kangaroos celebrates a goal during the 2023 AFL Round 20 match between the West Coast Eagles and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Optus Stadium on July 30, 2023 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos)

St Kilda's Rowan Marshall, Western Bulldogs tall Tim English and Collingwood ruck Darcy Cameron are also sure to be in contention for the All-Australian ruck spot for 2025, with Cameron joining Xerri and Gawn in last year's initial squad.

Noah Anderson

The Suns ball magnet is one of several players from Carrara who have come close to a blazer in recent seasons and should again be in the running this year.

Anderson has been an All-Australian squad member the past two years, being a dominant presence in the middle of the field for Gold Coast.

Now entering his sixth season in the top flight, the 23-year-old is primed to reach new heights, especially as Gold Coast look to break through for a maiden finals series.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JULY 15: Noah Anderson of the Suns celebrates after kicking a goal during the round 18 AFL match between Gold Coast Suns and St Kilda Saints at Heritage Bank Stadium, on July 15, 2023, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

If not Anderson, partner-in-crime Matt Rowell and versatile midfielder Sam Flanders would also be worthy prospects for maiden blazers.

Tom Green

The Giants bull somehow went without a squad selection last year despite leading the competition for disposals and managing the second most contested possessions, with Green also polling 27 Brownlow votes to make his pedigree more evident.

Set to enter his prime years - if he isn't there already - Green is sure to be in the All-Australian conversations for 2025, hoping to go one better than his 2023 squad nod.

The Giants will want to be near the top four again this year to stake their claim as a true premiership threat, with Green to carry a larger workload given the number of experienced heads that departed the club over the off-season.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 08: Tom Green of the Giants in action during the round 17 AFL match between Greater Western Sydney Giants and Hawthorn Hawks at GIANTS Stadium, on July 08, 2023, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Veteran teammate Stephen Coniglio is yet to fetch a blazer and might've missed his chance, while emerging midfielder Finn Callaghan looks primed to take the next step in his burgeoning career.

Harry Sheezel

The young Kangaroos sensation missed out on a selection last year and wouldn't have looked out of place if he was named at half-back.

2024 saw Sheezel break through for a maiden squad selection after averaging 29.8 disposals, 10.0 contested possessions, 3.5 clearances, 5.2 score involvements and 3.6 inside 50s per game in a struggling North Melbourne outfit.

Now entering just his third season in the league, it's scary to think of the heights the mercurial utility could meet in 2025.

A full season in midfielder might see him earn an All-Australian selection, while his ability to play both forward and back won't hurt his chances given how many onballers are squeezed into the 22-man team.

North Melbourne Kangaroos player Harry Sheezel Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images via AFL Photos

Roos star Luke Davies-Unaicke is also worthy of a mention here, with North Melbourne hoping to see a few more names represented in the side after managing just one selection in the last six teams.

Hayden Young

Dockers teammates Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw have featured in the past three All-Australian teams, with 2025 potentially Young's chance to earn his first selection.

His move to midfield last year immediately paid dividends, with Young amassing his first podium finish in the club's best and fairest and a first All-Australian squad selection.

Averaging 23.8 disposals, 9.4 contested possessions, 5.0 clearances, 5.3 tackles, 7.0 score involvements and 5.8 inside 50s per game in his first season in the middle, Young could quickly surpass both Serong and Brayshaw as Fremantle's best onballer.

Hayden Young during the 2022 AFL Round 19 match between Richmond and Fremantle (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)

The healthy competition in the middle for Justin Longmuir's side can also bode well for the Perth club as they eye a finals return this year.

Sam Collins

Stunningly, 2024 was the first year Collins was selected in the All-Australian squad, with the Suns stopper ranking among the game's best defenders for some time now.

Collins ranked as one of the best backmen in the game for intercepts and one-on-one contests, with his prospects for a blazer last year as worthy as the other key defenders selected.

Carlton's Jacob Weitering finally broke through for a maiden selection in 2024, with 2025 potentially the year Collins follows suit after seasons of dominance down back.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 02: Sam Collins of the Suns kicks during the round 12 AFL match between Gold Coast Suns and Essendon Bombers at People First Stadium, on June 02, 2024, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

There's a good chance he could be pipped by one of his own teammates, with fellow Suns talls Mac Andrew and Charlie Ballard also worthy contenders for maiden All-Australian selections.

Jai Newcombe

If Newcombe's end to 2024 is anything to go by, the Hawks' hard-nut won't have much of an issue earning an All-Australian spot if he can replicate that vein of form for most of this year.

Newcombe averaged 29.25 disposals, 7.13 clearances and 12.75 contested possessions per game in his final eight matches, with the final games in that run coming in September.

The midfielder could be on the verge of breaking into the top echelon of onballers in the AFL this year, with Newcombe already in reaching distance after finishing ninth in the Brownlow.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 06: Jai Newcombe of the Hawks kicks the ball during the 2024 AFL Second Elimination Final match between the Western Bulldogs and the Hawthorn Hawks at The Melbourne Cricket Ground on September 06, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The Hawks as a whole are expected to rise up further in 2025, with Newcombe to play a big part and potentially pocket some accolades along the way.

Izak Rankine

The Crows livewire would've begun having his blazer tailored midway through last year before injuries and suspension limited him to just the 15 games for the season.

He still managed to end his second campaign for the Crows with 29 goals to his name from averages of 18.0 disposals, 3.4 tackles and 9.67 contested possessions as a midfield-forward threat.

If Rankine can play at the same standard for a full season in 2025, a maiden All-Australian selection should be his.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 13: Izak Rankine of the Crows kicks a goal during the 2024 AFL Round 05 match between the Carlton Blues and the Adelaide Crows at Marvel Stadium on April 13, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

His chances might be made easier given the selection panel's willingness to slot attacking-minded midfielders into forward line spots.

Jason Horne-Francis

The Power young gun earned his maiden All-Australian squad selection last year, and was seen as a viable chance for a final team spot by some.

Horne-Francis' second half of last year saw him quickly become a headache for the opposition with his contested work in the middle of the ground and ability to rest as a deep forward.

Horne-Francis averaged 22.0 disposals, 10.4 contested possessions, 5.7 clearances, 7.5 score involvements, 4.8 inside 50s and 1.1 goals per game in just his third season in the league, with those numbers likely to be bested this year.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 28: Jason Horne-Francis of the Power in action during the 2023 AFL Round 07 match between the St Kilda Saints and the Port Adelaide Power at Marvel Stadium on April 28, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Port Adelaide have managed solid All-Australian numbers of the past few seasons, having at least one player selected in the past five and multiple selections in four of those.

Published by
Mitch Keating