All Australian

What the 2023 AFL All-Australian team might look like after Round 5

11 players are on track to receive their maiden AA blazers through five matches.

Published by

Frank Seal

Five rounds into the 2023 season and some typical stars have started separating themselves from the rest, while plenty of fresh faces have broken into the elite category.

The league has never seen a plethora of talent as big as we have now, with more and more players impacting games from all positions and from seemingly all demographics.

From 18-year-old Harry Sheezel to 35-year-old Scott Pendlebury, the modern player has never been more skilful and durable than what we currently have on offer.

Four teams are not represented in the side thus far, with one of those sides being a notable premiership fancy. Six clubs are represented twice and one surprise side has managed three players in our rolling All-Australian side after Round 5.

Defenders

We begin our rearguard discussions in the key defender slot, where two talls have separated themselves and are each mounting a case for their second All-Australian blazers. Sam Taylor is developing into the premier key defender of the competition after his past 25+ games. So far this season he has lost only 1 of 18 defensive one-on-one contests, leaving him with an astonishing loss percentage of 5.6%. Next up, Aliir Aliir has carried the Port Adelaide defence through the first five matches, winning games with one-percenters and sitting second in the comp for intercepts.

Callum Wilkie has sent a message to the selectors of last year's side by starting 2023 like a house on fire, leading the comp in intercept marks and shutting down some of the opposition's best. He may be the biggest All-Australian lock so far this year.

At ground-level, young stars Harry Sheezel and Nick Daicos have lit up the competition with their damaging ball use out of defensive 50, forcing opponents to be wary of their backline offensive threat. Daicos is the best kick in the competition and is climbing his way to being the best player full stop, arguably leading the Brownlow tally so far this year. Unbelievably however, Sheezel's first year has been even more impressive than last year's Rising Star winner. He is averaging over 31 disposals a game with the most defensive half-pressure acts in the AFL.

We round out the starting backline with Adelaide skipper Jordan Dawson. Dawson is another player who is developing into one of the best players in the competition, particularly after his last two performances, collecting 60 disposals and 15 tackles while leading his side to two dominant wins over aspiring finalists.

Jack Sinclair will be the first name rolling through the backline after his continuation of last year's brilliance for St Kilda. Similar to Daicos and Sheezel, Sinclair has been one of the most damaging defensive-half players with his powerful running and elite ball use. He also brings a more physical defensive presence than these two and links up beautifully with teammate Cal Wilkie.

Finally, Liam Baker has earned a spot with his toughness and competitiveness in a struggling Richmond side so far. He is somewhat of a utility with the ability to add to the scoreboard as a pressure forward, but his defensive presence in 2023 has been rock solid, as has his ball-use and decision-making down back.

Midfielders

We will start our midfield discussion in the ruck position where Tim English has dominated for five games straight. His dynamic production and versatility has him better placed than the rest of the ruck field, who typically specialise in only a couple of areas. Sean Darcy has been terrific at stoppages, Brodie Grundy has covered the ground brilliantly, Toby Nankervis has provided a quality physical and defensive presence. English, however, provides the whole package while being the best marking ruckman in the competition so far.

At ruck-rover, Clayton Oliver is well on track to earn his fourth All-Australian honour after a typical elite start to the season. For all midfielders, here are the stats where Oliver is number 1 in the comp: disposals, contested possessions, ground ball gets, f50 ground ball gets, centre clearances and score launches. He is also a top five player in the entire competition for inside 50s, effective disposals and score involvements. Enough said.

By his side, Caleb Serong is breaking out as one of the elite midfielders of the competition after a top-tier first five games to back up a quality finals series last season for the Dockers. He is ranked elite for disposals, inside 50s, effective disposals, stoppage clearances, goal assists and importantly, pressure acts.

Next up, Marcus Bontempelli takes the centre position and the team captain honours after willing the Bulldogs to victories against Richmond and Brisbane when his side needed him most. He seems to change the way he plays in order to suit his team on the day, he tackles when more pressure is required, he kicks goals when they're at a premium, and he collects bulk clearances to give his side momentum. A fourth All-Australian looks likely for the Bont.

On the outside, Josh Daicos joins brother Nick as the two look to earn their maiden blazers. Like his brother, Josh is one of the best kicks in the competition and showcases this ability up and down the ground. He makes good decisions and possesses the typical Daicos flare with his ability to hit the scoreboard creatively.

On the other side, Mason Wood has turned heads this season with some surprising performances, dominating quality opposition in a versatile way. He is collecting 24 disposals at 73% per game, while providing one of the league's best intercept and overall defensive threats. He is taking over eight marks a game and is also adding a forward 50 presence with goals and score involvements. His first five games have him as one of the most valuable players in the competition this season.

Coming off the bench is Kangaroo Luke Davies-Uniacke. LDU likely had six Brownlow votes after Round 2 where he bullied the West Australian midfields and heavily influenced both North Melbourne victories. His production has since dropped but at 23 years old and coming off a quality 2022 season, expect Davies-Uniacke to continue dominating the contest and ground-ball game through 2023.

Sitting beside him will be Darcy Parish, who continues to produce monster numbers for the Bombers each week, this year averaging 33 touches, eight clearances and eight score involvements. Critics have called him out in recent years for not contributing to the scoreboard in a major way, but his production in a top-four side currently is worthy of All-Australian honours.

Forwards

We round out the rolling All-Australian side with some of the absolute creams of the crop up forward, where two of the notable 'best player' candidates reside.

Jeremy Cameron and Charlie Curnow are the men in question of course, and both look to be in for an almighty Coleman Medal race at the business end of the season.

The output of Cameron this season has been near-comical. It looks as though he's trying to making a case as the league's best forward, midfielder and defender the way he impacts in all areas of the ground consistently. He will still kick a bag when his team needs it however, and makes teams pay for every opportunity he is allowed. With 22 goals after Round 5, it could be time to tune into the 100-goal watch for 'Jezza'.

At full-forward, Charlie Curnow has also been assessed by many as the best in the AFL with his athleticism, contested marking and goal-kicking ability. In a team without an elite small forward, every opposition knows that it's Charlie or bust in the Carlton forward line, yet he still manages to grab nearly seven marks and four goals a game. His good mate Harry McKay hasn't had the goalkicking season that we usually see from him, forcing Curnow to step up, which he has done in spades. Blues fans are well aware of the reality that Carlton have been far from their best. But optimistically, once they hit their straps, it may be hard for opponents to limit Curnow at all.

At ground level, three of the competition's best small forwards have demanded a spot in this side after some explosive and/or inspirational performances through the first five matches. Izak Rankine has seemingly transformed the Adelaide Crows forward line into one of the most damaging in the competition with his ability to hit the scoreboard and create opportunities for teammates. He is also applying more pressure than we've seen from him previously.

Toby Greene's ability to impact scoring has inspired GWS to win some games and be competitive in all. It started in Round 1 where he stood up after half-time in the scorching heat and willed the Giants to one of their most famous victories over Adelaide. He has now kicked 14 goals with over eight score involvements per game as the focal point of their forward line.

Tom Papley is the third small to demand a spot after a ridiculous 25 disposal, six-goal performance against the Tigers during Gather Round. Papley is the complete offensive package with his impact in the midfield, ability up forward, and involvement in Sydney scores. He is the best forward 50 ground ball player in the AFL and makes excellent decisions with the ball in hand, ranking elite for goals kicked, goal assists, score involvements and effective kicks.

On the other flank, Christian Petracca has statistically been the best general forward in the competition, leading all comers in kicks, handballs, clearances, inside 50s, effective disposals, contested possessions, ground ball gets and pressure acts. He also ranks second for general forwards in tackles and score launches, all while receiving heavy attention from the opposition each week.