All Australian

What the 2023 AFL All-Australian team might look like after Round 15

We’ve made SEVEN changes to our 22-man side as we reach the business end of the season.

Published by
Frank Seal

15 rounds in and the bye rounds have concluded, meaning the business end of the season is about to begin.

Nine games remain for the All-Australian contenders to stake their claim in the side and earn that honoured blazer.

Several players have been locked in this side since the first few rounds and it'll be tough to replace the spots of players like Nick Daicos, Marcus Bontempelli and Toby Greene from this point forward.

Again, a significant portion of players making up the 44-man squad will be stiff to miss out on a spot in the 22, players like Oscar Allen who have suffered from their side's poor performance while others like Clayton Oliver have missed games to make up for in the final rounds.

Here's how our rolling All-Australian side reads after Round 15...

VIEW: OUR ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM AFTER ROUND 10
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PICK YOUR AA TEAM FOR 2023

Defenders

One change has been made to the starting back six, and of all the positional lines the rearguard looks the most set.

Dan Houston replaces Callum Wilkie as a medium-sized defender with a weapon of a right leg, his performances in some of Port Adelaide's big wins have earned him a spot in the back pocket.

Harris Andrews and Darcy Moore keep their spots as the key pillars in part due to the recent Liam Jones injury and the relative inconsistency of Steven May and Tom Stewart.

Charlie Ballard remains relatively unheralded but keeps his spot as the league's top interceptor in 2023.

Nick Daicos and Jack Sinclair haven't put a foot wrong all season and the two of them create a nightmare headache for any opposition with their lethal foot skills and running power.

Despite being in the midst of a three-game suspension, James Sicily rounds out the defence on the bench as a backup intercepter with another powerful right leg.

Midfielders

Tim English holds his spot in the ruck despite what Jarrod Witts, Sean Darcy and even Kieren Briggs have done as of late. He is not the complete lock that he was in the previous two editions of this team, but he should close out the season well enough to remain the primary ruckman.

At his feet, Christian Petracca, Zak Butters and Marcus Bontempelli create a potent centre-bounce midfield with all of the toughness, skill, strength and poise required in the trenches.

Josh Daicos and Nic Martin feature on the wings as powerful runners with elite ball use moving forward, they can get a chop-out from Jordan Dawson on the bench as he roams through the wings and in defence.

Tim Taranto also earns a spot on the bench after a patch of footy that has him touted as the newest Brownlow contender. His volume of possession in addition to his goalkicking knack makes his spot almost undeniable.

Forwards

It's safe to say there will be no race to the 100-goal season as hoped in 2023 and unfortunately, Jeremy Cameron has lost his spot due to relative poor form and a recent head knock which will sideline him for at least one match.

Charlie Curnow keeps his spot as the league's second best goalkicker and score involvement player.

He will be accompanied by the resurgent Taylor Walker who has become one of the most watchable players in the competition this year. His five-goal performance on Sunday against Collingwood nearly got the Crows over the line and he is now leading the Coleman with 43 majors. He will also be employed as the backup ruckman when the ball enters inside 50, allowing Tim English to rest behind the ball.

Shai Bolton and Connor Rozee make up a dangerously dynamic forward flank duo with their speed, craftiness, skill, and ability in front of goal. They will be assisted by Jordan De Goey on the interchange as he returns from suspension in the coming weeks and looks to make his case for a starting spot.

Finally, Toby Greene and Charlie Cameron remain in the team as the clear-cut two best small forwards in the competition. Greene is lifted from the bench in the absence of Tom Hawkins and will provide a presence as a third-marking option in addition to his general forward craft.

All-Australian side breakdown

FB: Dan Houston, Harris Andrews, Charlie Ballard

HB: Nick Daicos, Darcy Moore (c), Jack Sinclair

C: Josh Daicos, Marcus Bontempelli, Nic Martin

HF: Shai Bolton, Taylor Walker, Connor Rozee

FF: Charlie Cameron, Charlie Curnow, Toby Greene

R: Tim English, Christian Petracca, Zak Butters

I/C: Jordan De Goey, Tim Taranto, James Sicily, Jordan Dawson

Coach: Ken Hinkley

INS (since round 10): Dan Houston, Nic Martin, Shai Bolton, Taylor Walker, Jordan De Goey, Tim Taranto, James Sicily

OUTS: Callum Wilkie, Errol Gulden, Jeremy Cameron, Tom Hawkins, Clayton Oliver, Tom Liberatore, Caleb Serong

The others: Caleb Serong, Tom Stewart, Errol Gulden, Zach Merrett, Lachie Neale, Josh Dunkley, Clayton Oliver, Tom Liberatore, Jeremy Cameron, Oscar Allen, Noah Anderson, Liam Jones, Callum Wilkie, Steven May, Jarrod Witts, Rory Laird, Chad Warner

All Teams

Adelaide2 (Taylor Walker, Jordan Dawson)

Brisbane: 2 (Harris Andrews, Charlie Cameron)

Carlton1 (Charlie Curnow)

Collingwood4 (Darcy Moore, Nick Daicos, Josh Daicos, Jordan De Goey)

Essendon1 (Nic Martin)

Fremantle0

Geelong0

Gold Coast1 (Charlie Ballard)

GWS1 (Toby Greene)

Hawthorn: 1 (James Sicily)

Melbourne1 (Christian Petracca)

North Melbourne0

Port Adelaide: 3 (Dan Houston, Zak Butters, Connor Rozee)

Richmond: 1 (Shai Bolton)

St Kilda1 (Jack Sinclair)

Sydney: 0

West Coast0

Western Bulldogs2 (Tim English, Marcus Bontempelli)

Published by
Frank Seal