It's that time of year when we perform just about the most difficult task in football -- settling on 23 AFL players for our 2024 mid-year All-Australian team.
As with our previous All-Australian teams, we have selected a balanced side which we would want competing in a real game. This means, players have been selected in their correct positions, or spots on the field where they could genuinely play for their respective clubs. We've also ensured the need for key position players, lock down defenders, ball-winning midfielders and wingers.
Every year there are a number of extremely stiff omissions, so shoutouts go to Zak Butters, Noah Anderson, Lachie Whitfield, Ben King, Tom Green, and Dayne Zorko, among many, many others.
FULL TEAM AT BOTTOM OF PAGE
Back line:
Sam Taylor (GWS): Sam Taylor is a genuine star, that's quite clear, but did you know he's contested 26 one-on-one contests this year and lost just three of them? He ranks second in the league for total intercept marks (49), despite having missed two games. Taylor is the defensive lynchpin and vocal leader of an extremely talented side; it's only fair he features as a mid-year All-Australian.
Harris Andrews (Brisbane): Don't be fooled, the Lions' woes aren't anything to do with their defence. Instead, it's been Brisbane's spluttering and 'unlucky' forward line which has resulted in a tumble down the ladder. Andrews has been in excellent form in the back six. He leads the league for intercept marks (49), and league key defenders for contested marks (27). Oh yeah, and he's rated elite by Champion Data for spoils (averaging 8.1 per game).
Luke Ryan (Fremantle): Perennially in the conversation for being the league's best rebounder, Ryan has again been prolific coming out of defence for Fremantle. His 83 rebound 50s leads the league, while his kicking efficiency of 90% highlights why the Dockers are so keen to get the ball in his hands whenever possible. Ryan also averages 577 metres gained per game -- the third best of any player who has played at least two games this season.
Half-back line:
Nick Daicos (Collingwood): We understand Daicos has played 85% of this season as a midfielder, but we also know he can play half back as well as anyone in the competition. Given the lack of standouts in this position to this point of the year, we're shifting Daicos back to fill the void, knowing he can be plugged and played just about anywhere. The Collingwood star is a legitimate Brownlow Medal contender -- again -- and continues to stuff the stat sheet week after week.
Jacob Weitering (Carlton): A testament to his form given he didn't play until Round 3, Weitering is again showing the footy public why he is regarded as one of the competition's premier key defenders. The Carlton stopper is as reliable and dependable as they come, almost always putting himself in the right place at the right time to intercept and thwart opposition attacks. His defensive one-on-one loss percentage is a staggering 8.3% -- clearly the best of any key defender in the league. The Blues have a host of genuine A-graders, but Weitering is easily the club's most important player.
Nick Blakey (Sydney): There isn't a line breaker in the league quite like Blakey. The dashing Swan brings excitement to the game every time he takes possession of the Sherrin, always looking to run in straight lines and use his pace to gain territory and set up attacking thrusts. Blakey's numbers are up across the board in 2024, and he's the only player in the competition to rank top 20 for both metres gained and running bounces. Electric!
Centre:
Errol Gulden (Sydney): He made the AFL's official team last season and Gulden is well and truly on track to repeat the effort this year. The 21-year-old Swan has quickly established himself as the league's premier wingman, and through 11 games this season he is averaging 26 disposals, 18 uncontested possessions, six inside 50s, 578 metres gained, and 7.5 score involvements per game. Elite numbers for a young star of the league.
Caleb Serong (Fremantle): When you lead the competition in clearances and total possessions, rank second for disposals and third for contested possessions, a spot in the All-Australian team has to be a given. Right!? Serong, who finished equal-seventh in last year's Brownlow Medal, is going even better in 2024 and is a major reason why the Dockers are in the mix for a finals berth.
Zach Merrett (Essendon): Before you start complaining that Merrett doesn't play on a wing, let us ask you this: do you really think the Essendon captain would look out of place, or lack impact, patrolling one side of the field? Answer: definitely not. Merrett is one of the best inside-outside midfielders in the competition and ranks fourth for uncontested ball, exactly what you want given his brilliant ball use -- particularly by foot -- and ability to gain territory.
Half-forward line:
Chad Warner (Sydney): After plateauing somewhat in 2023, Warner has well and truly broken out in the first half of this season and is reminding the footy world why there was so much hype surrounding him. The young Swan might just be the game's best goalkicking midfielder, which is why we have no issue playing him off the half forward flank. Warner has kicked 19 goals through 11 games, is the No. 3 ranked player in the competition for score involvements, and is averaging 25 disposals, six inside 50s, and almost 450 metres gained per game.
Charlie Curnow (Carlton): Some may say Curnow is having a slightly down year, yet the star Blue once again leads the way in the race for the Coleman Medal, as he hunts his third gong in three years. Curnow is averaging three goals per game, leads the league in contested marks, and ranks No. 1 among non-midfielders for score involvements. It's no surprise the Blues kick it to him just about every opportunity they get. Generally something good happens!
Christian Petracca (Melbourne): There's no player in the competition that contributes to scoring more than Petracca. The Melbourne bull leads the league in both score involvements (98) and goal assists (19) and has kicked 13 goals -- including an inspirational bag of five against the Blues in Round 9 -- himself. Outside all of the scoring, Petracca is averaging 24 disposals, five clearances, and five inside 50s per game.
Forward line:
Jake Waterman (West Coast): We're not sure anyone has made a stronger case for being a more improved player in 2024 than Waterman. The 26-year-old Eagle has been a revelation, kicking 30 goals from his 10 games to sit third in the Coleman Medal standings. Waterman also ranks second for marks inside 50, second for total shots at goal, and sixth for contested marks. And this has all been from pretty limited opportunity.
Jesse Hogan (GWS): Hogan is in career-best form this season having kicked 31 goals in 11 games, also bagging multiple majors in all but one game in 2024. In fact, he hasn't gone goalless in a match since Round 16 last year. The 29-year-old has also taken more marks inside 50 than any other player, and is equal-third for score involvements for key forwards. He dominates games, is hard to keep quiet, and his form is synonymous with the Giants' rise up the ladder.
Izak Rankine (Adelaide): Izak Rankine has always had star power, but he has taken his game to new heights this season and is absolutely deserving of a spot in this team. Splitting his time between the forward line and midfield, Rankine rates elite for disposals, clearances, inside 50s, contested possessions, and groundball gets, while he is also averaging two goals and four tackles per game.
Ruck:
Max Gawn (Melbourne): Try as they might, nobody seems to be able to take the 'best ruck' belt from Gawn. If anything, the gap between the Melbourne skipper and his contemporaries has only widened after the first half of 2024. Gawn leads all rucks in Rating Points, and ranks top five in the position for hitouts, disposals, contested possessions, clearances, marks, contested marks, goals, and metres gained. Yep, pretty much everything.
Isaac Heeney (Sydney): What more can we say about this guy? Heeney has staked his claim as the best player in the AFL after a highly successful shift from the forward line to the midfield, something which was really done out of necessity at the beginning of the year. At the halfway point of the season, Heeney is Champion Data's No. 1 rated player, having averaged 26 disposals, 12 contested possessions, six clearances, and a goal-and-a-half per game. He's likely leading the Brownlow Medal by the length of the Flemington straight.
Patrick Cripps (Carlton): The Carlton captain is someone who has won a Brownlow and yet he might just be playing better this season than he did in 2022. Cripps continues to be one of the game's premier inside midfielders, ranking No. 1 in the league for contested possessions, sixth for clearances, and 10th for ground ball gets. At his best, he is nearly impossible to stop, as the league is once again discovering.
Interchange (including sub)
Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs): You know the midfield quality in 2024 is of the highest order when Bontempelli has to settle for a spot on the bench. The Bulldogs skipper continues to do it all for his club, although with that said, most of his numbers -- aside from goals -- are down marginally on last year. Still, Bontempelli is averaging 25 disposals, six clearances, five inside 50s, and five tackles per game. He's also booted 14 goals and certainly deserves his place in this team.
Matt Rowell (Gold Coast): The starting centre spot very much felt like a coin flip between Serong and Rowell. And, to be honest, there's no wrong answer! Rowell is an absolute stoppage beast, ranking second in the league for contested possessions, clearances, and tackles, and fourth for ground ball gets. His game has gone to new heights this year as he's hitting the scoreboard and winning more outside ball.
Jeremy McGovern (West Coast): McGovern is such a complete player, and it's only fair to give him his flowers after a terrific start to the season. Yes, he's in a poor side, and yes, he does see more of the ball as a result, but he's the key defender with the most rebound 50s through 11 rounds. He's also rated elite by Champion Data for marks and disposals for a key back. A stalwart who continues to get the job done.
Harry McKay (Carlton): The Blues forward has completely turned his career around and should not look out of place in this team. McKay set his new standard in Opening Round, shaking off his mental demons to kick the winning goal at the Gabba. Since then, he's grown from strength to strength, having kicked the seventh-most goals and clunked the second-most contested marks. He gets the nod over some other options for his ability to pinch hit in the ruck when required.
Sub
Jordan Dawson (Adelaide): It was a slow start for Dawson and the Crows, but the Adelaide captain has rediscovered the form that led many to believe he was the AFL's most improved player in 2023. Dawson is elite at winning the ball at the contest, spreading and gaining territory -- he leads the league in inside 50s -- and can hit the scoreboard. He also puts in the work defensively, averaging six tackles and 22 pressure acts per game.
Coach
John Longmire (Sydney): It's been a near perfect first half of the season for Longmire. His Swans are 10-1, have a ridiculous percentage of 150.1, and are looking every bit like the runaway premiership favourites they've become. Longmire's move to switch Heeney into the midfield was a masterstroke of the highest order, as was the club's shrewd off-season acquisition of Brodie Grundy. If Sydney is able to go all the way this year, expect Longmire's name to enter 'greatest coach of the modern era' discussions.
ESPN's 2024 mid-year All-Australian team:
FB: Sam Taylor, Harris Andrews, Luke Ryan
HB: Nick Daicos, Jacob Weitering, Nick Blakey
C: Errol Gulden, Caleb Serong, Zach Merrett
HF: Chad Warner, Charlie Curnow, Christian Petracca
FF: Jake Waterman, Jesse Hogan, Izak Rankine
R: Max Gawn, Isaac Heeney, Patrick Cripps
I/C: Marcus Bontempelli, Matt Rowell, Jeremy McGovern, Harry McKay
SUB: Jordan Dawson