The All-Australian team is (usually) comprised of the best 22 players each season. With a league littered with stars, every season a few unlucky players are left off the list. While not all snubs are as egregious as Brownlow Medal-winning pait Shane Woewoden and Matthew Priddis, there are some excellent performances that have been left out of the team.
Some players are disappointed for missing out on one standout season. While others have had a whole career of missing the cut for the All-Australian team.
We take a look at six players who have had exceptional careers, filled with accomplishments and accolades, and despite those careers, only one thing has eluded them... an All-Australian selection.
Greater Western Sydney's games record holder, Ward has put together an impressive career as a Giant. He was one of the club's big signings in the 2011 off-season, allowing him to be a part of the club from their first season in the league. By the time he left the Bulldogs, he had just enjoyed a breakout season. Ward was coming into the year primed to move into the league’s elite.
During the mid-2010s, Ward was the Giants' best midfielder and helped the club turn itself from a bottom of the ladder side into a finalist by 2016. Between joining the Giants and the end of the 2018 season, Ward averaged over 23 disposals, 3.9 tackles, 4.5 clearances and 3.0 inside 50s. His excellent play included winning the club's first-ever best and fairest in 2012.
In 2017 and 2018 especially, Ward elevated his game to another level, turning himself into a 27-disposal player who would give you over 6.5 clearances. He also wasn’t afraid of working on the inside, having nearly half his possessions being contested and still nearly making four tackles a game.
Ward’s courage was admirable for his club and helped form the culture and toughness of the team. His leadership was evident throughout his time as a co-captain between 2012 and 2019. He was awarded the Robert Rose Award by the AFLPA as the league’s Most Courageous Player in 2018. That hard and tough play ended up catching up with him in the following off-season.
Ward was a consistent presence for the Giants playing in 95 consecutive games until an injury in the 2019 pre-season saw him miss time early that season. In Round 4, he attempted a comeback against Geelong but reinjured himself early in the match. He would go on to miss the remainder of the season, including their Grand Final loss to Richmond.
After battling with injuries for two seasons, 2021 was a bounce-back year for Ward. He played in every match for the season and still averaged over 22.5 disposals a game. For most players, his averages around the board would still be impressive, but it does mark the start of a drop-off for Ward. Injuries and age are starting to show and he could be past his best football.
The Giants also have a range of talented midfielders that will be competing with Ward for opportunities. Jacob Hopper, Stephen Coniglio, Tom Green, Toby Greene, Tim Taranto, Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield and top draft pick Finn Callaghan could all see time in the midfield this season. While Ward will still play, his numbers and impact on the game will likely continue to decrease as their other stars continue to improve.
While there was a time when Ward was the Giants' best midfielder and pushing towards the league’s elite, sadly those days appear to be over. GWS has a midfield filled with talent and around the league, there is a stack of elite midfielders. Ward will finish his career as a star without an All-Australian selection.
The Geelong utility made his way to football in an unconventional manner. Blicavs just fell short of qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics, and was eventually taken by the Cats in the 2012 rookie draft.
Since being drafted, Blicavs has played at least 20 games in every season, proving to be a reliable and versatile player throughout his career. Blicavs started his career off slowly. In 2013, he broke onto the scene dominating in defence, on the wing and in the ruck.
Winning two club best and fairest in 2015 and 2018, he has been an excellent player for the Cats. Internally in those two seasons, Blicavs edged out Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart, who both made the All-Australian team, despite finishing second and seventh respectively.
While it is one of the factors that makes him such a good player, that versatility has often cost him from the selection. It has resulted in him not spending enough time in a single position to warrant All-Australian selection.
The other factor is the improvements of players around the league, with competition for All-Australian selection becoming increasingly difficult.
In defence, he now has to compete with Steven May, Jake Lever, Aliir Aliir, Jacob Weitering and Harris Andrews for one of the lockdown defenders’ spots. The rise of Tom Stewart has also taken away some of the limelight from Blicavs, who is now not the team's most important defender.
In the ruck, Max Gawn and Nic Naitanui are difficult to displace from an All-Australian position if healthy. Just behind them are Brodie Grundy and Sean Darcy, who are also capable of playing at an elite level.
Along the wing, there is similar stiff competition. Â Paul Seedsman, Hugh McCluggage, Zach Merrett, Sam Walsh and Karl Amon all made the All-Australian squad and are all primed for improved seasons in the upcoming years.
Not spending enough time in any of those positions will result in Blicavs not getting earning genuine consideration.
Turning 31 in the opening few rounds of the season, time is starting to run out for Blicavs. While he still has the talent of All-Australian selection, competition and his versatility will likely cost him from making the team before his career is over.
West Coast Eagles skipper Luke Shuey has been one of the club's best players over the past decade. He has been a consistent presence in the Eagles midfield playing at an elite level since his second season. The only two years that Shuey hasn’t averaged more than 20 disposals were in his debut season (17.67) and in the shortened matches in 2020 (18.92). He also ranks seventh among all West Coast Eagles players in total Brownlow votes with 91 over the course of his career.
Shuey is best remembered for his performance in the 2018 Grand Final. His 34 disposals and one goal earned him the Norm Smith Medal. By doing so, he joins the list of four players who have won a Norm Smith but have not been selected for the All-Australian team. This only includes winners since 1991, which was when the All-Australian team was created. Jason Johannisen, Andrew Embley and Shaun Hart are the other players on that list.
Throughout his career, he is a two-time best and fairest winner (2016,2019). Teammates Jeremy McGovern and Josh Kennedy were both selected in the 2016 team, while McGovern, Shannon Hurn, Jack Darling and Elliot Yeo were also selected in 2019. He was selected for the 40-man squad in both seasons but didn’t make the final team. He also made the 2017 International Rules team, which was the last time the series against Ireland was played.
After being made captain in 2020, injuries have started to amount for Shuey. He has only managed 20 games in the past two seasons. The pre-season was looking solid for Shuey until he suffered another leg injury in training. A timetable for his return is yet to be announced.
Injuries aside, Shuey also has major competition for a place on the All-Australian team. He hasn’t been able to play at an elite level since 2019.
Even if he could regain that form, midfield talent has significantly increased around the league. Players such as Christian Petracca, Ollie Wines, Jack Macrae, Marcus Bontempelli, Clayton Oliver, Jack Steele and Touk Miller were all selected for last year's team. High-level players such as Jacob Hopper, Tom Mitchell, Dayne Zorko, Jarryd Lyons and Rory Laird all made the 40-man squad.
Injury concerns, turning 32 throughout the season and the depth of midfield talent around the league will impede Shuey’s chances for a maiden All-Australian selection.
Cunnington is a big-bodied midfielder who has carried North Melbourne’s midfield since the mid-2010s. Injuries plagued his first season at the club and worked his way into form in his first two seasons. His first big leap was in 2012 when nearly improved his stats by 50% around the board. He jumped up from 12.9 disposals, 3.9 tackles and 2.3 clearances to 18.4, 5.4 and 4.0 respectively.
By 2014, he solidified himself as one of North’s premier players, winning his first Syd Barker Medal. He won a second best and fairest in the 2019 season. He remained consistent throughout this period being a runner-up in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2021.
This high-level performance has translated to the Brownlow Medal where Cunnington is now one of the top 15 vote-getters of all time for North Melbourne. His 71 Brownlow votes tie for fourteenth with teammate and ruck partner Todd Goldstein.
The Kangaroos have struggled to make a significant impact on the All-Australian team during that span of time. Since Cunnington’s breakout year in 2014, only Shaun Higgins and Goldstein have made the All-Australian team from North Melbourne.
Prior to the past few seasons, Cunnington has managed to avoid any significant absences. In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, however, he missed time due to injuries. After playing over 20 games in every season since 2012, he only played three and fifteen games in the past two years respectively.
Accolades and attention have never been something that motivates Cunnington. He has avoided the spotlight throughout his career, spending his off-season on his farm in the country. Just like his personal life, Cunnington plays with that same mentality. He focuses more on the non-flashy and often underappreciated parts of the game. Big-bodied inside midfielders do a lot of the grunt work that doesn’t get the same league-wide recognition. Despite having excellent stats throughout his career, on paper, they don’t always match up to other stars around the league.
As mentioned earlier, finding spots for midfielders is becoming increasingly difficult. There is a big crop of talented players that pile on the stats. In 2014 and 2015, there were only five players who averaged over 30 disposals for at least one of those seasons. In comparison, both 2019 and 2021 had at least eight averages over 30 in each season. That creates a bigger gap in numbers between Cunnington and his peers, which is getting harder to overcome.
While he is still capable of excellent play, as seen by multiple 25+ disposals, two-goal games in 2021, Cunnington is heading out of his prime. At 30, he will be taking a step back by the time North is ready to compete for finals. With North Melbourne players already struggling to make the All Australian selection, another low finish will give the club even less recognition. Unfortunately for Cunnington, it looks like his chances for All Australian selection are all but over.
Taylor Walker has been a dominant force over the past decade, routinely being one of the top handful of key forwards. He has scored over 40 goals in six separate seasons, with three recording more than 50. After a disappointing 2020 season, Walker was on fire early last year, kicking 17 majors in three games before he quietened down towards the end of the season and battled with injuries. In 2021 he was on the cusp and would have likely made his first selection given a full 22-game season.
Time is starting to run out for the big forward. The 31-year-old is rounding into the twilight of his career. Prior to last season, many thought that the game was past him and had ridden off the forward. Adelaide is still unlikely to push for finals and is moving towards the youth movement. This will result in Walker’s opportunities starting to dwindle. Couple that with his club suspension from last season, it will be a while until we see Walker suit up for the Crows in 2022.
While there are no locks for the tall forward spots, there is plenty of competition for positioning. In his age range, Tom Hawkins and Lance Franklin both made the All-Australian squad in 2021, with Hawkins making the team. Jack Riewoldt was also on the cusp and could get back into contention if the Tigers drastically improve this season.
Younger prospects are still coming through too. Coleman medal winner Harry McKay is likely to push for another selection, while Aaron Naughton was also picked for the 40-man squad. Max King, Tom Lynch and Jeremey Cameron could all be in contention with a good enough season.
Walker has been an impactful and renowned player throughout his career, but it is looking increasingly likely that he will finish his career without an All-Australian selection.
Arriving at the Cats in the middle of their dynasty, Duncan was one of the few young players who were able to break into a stacked Geelong squad. While facing limited opportunity in his first season, he broke into the lineup in 2011 and has been a mainstay since.
Injuries have been the only thing that has slowed down Duncan over the course of his career. 2015 and 2021 are the only years where he didn't play more than 20 matches.
The midfielder has been able to adapt his game to suit the needs of his club. Early in his career, he spent more time up forward averaging around one goal per game during those seasons. As players left the club, and Duncan continued to improve, he began to spend more time in the midfield. While this decreased his impact on the scoreboard, it saw his disposals skyrocket due to the changes. At his in 2017, he averaged 29.1 disposals, 5.3 tackles, 4.3 clearances and 0.6 goals per game.
While 2017 was his peak, Duncan has been a consistent performer in the midfield throughout his career. Since moving into more of a midfield role in 2013, he hasn't averaged less than 21 touches, two clearances, 2.3 tackles, 1.5 rebound 50s and 2.7 inside 50s (except in shortened matches of 2020).
Despite some spectacular seasons, Duncan hasn't garnered the same attention as some of his peers. Largely due to his teammates, he has never had the opportunity to be the team's premier midfielder. Playing with names such as Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel, Gary Ablett Jr, Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Corey, Paul Chapman and Cameron Guthrie, Duncan has always had to play without the spotlight. Those players often took away recognition and consideration for the All-Australian team that his numbers and play warranted.
Similar to others on this list, Duncan might have left his run too late. At age 30, he only has another few seasons performing at this level. Playing in a stacked position, there is a heap of young midfielders who could keep Duncan on the outside for the remainder of his career. Players such as Dustin Martin, Marcus Bontempelli and Christian Petracca are more high-profile players that play a similar midfield/forward role.
Duncan is still in good form, averaging around his career averages in 2021. He will still be an important contributor to the Cats as they make one final push towards a top-four finish. For Duncan to make one final case for an All-Australian selection, he will need to get back to career-best form in order to make a genuine case.
Given the improved play around the competition, he might even need to exceed that. Due to that, it is likely that the Geelong great will not make the All-Australian team before his career is over.