Malcolm Blight uses unique theory to pick his current All-Australian midfield

AFL icon Malcolm Blight has named his current All-Australian starting midfield, and he was able to pick his players thanks to the coaches.

Blight picked nine midfielders in the side to take up the on-ball positions, wings, two half-forward slots and two bench spots – which is what he expects to be the final formula to be when selectors name the team.

His nine were also the top nine vote-getters currently in the AFLCA Champion Player votes and he thinks that the coaches have their picks spot on.

“One of the big discussions every year is the midfield and who is going to get in,” Blight said on SEN Sportsday SA.

“Today I went through and looked through the numbers for midfielders and Coaches' votes. All of the players in the top 17 are all midfielders.

“What I’ve done is I’ve taken out the top nine in votes, so in the nine positions you have two wings, a centreman, rover, ruck rover, then you’ve got two forwards and then two interchange – that’s nine.

“That’s been the formula forever and a day with the All-Australian.”

Currently, Nick Daicos leads the votes on 94 after Round 21, while the entire top 20 on the leaderboard are all midfielders.

With such a squeeze on All-Australian midfielders, this is how Blight would name his current midfield, which are also the top nine vote-getters in the AFLCA Champion Player award.

“Warner, Cripps, Gulden across the centreline, Daicos and Neale on the ball, Bontempelli and Heeney at half-forward and Serong and Merrett on the bench,” Blight said.

Wing: Errol Gulden. Centre: Patrick Cripps. Wing: Chad Warner.

Rover: Nick Daicos. Ruck Rover: Lachie Neale.

HF: Marcus Bontempelli. HF: Isaac Heeney.

INT: Caleb Serong. INT: Zach Merrett.

With Adam Treloar 10th on the current leaderboard, Blight has him as next into his midfield group.

“Treloar is No. 10 and first emergency, he’s one vote behind Chad Warner and Noah Anderson, Sam Walsh and Andrew Brayshaw are just behind them,” Blight said.

Check out the top 10 vote-getters currently in the AFLCA Champion Player award.

94 - Nick Daicos
92 - Isaac Heeney             
91 - Caleb Serong              
86 - Patrick Cripps             
81 - Lachie Neale              
78 - Errol Gulden                
74 - Marcus Bontempelli                   
70 - Zach Merrett               
68 - Chad Warner              
67 - Adam Treloar