SEN.com.au’s 2024 AFL All-Australian team

If SEN.com.au and the AFL Record’s 2024 All-Australian team comes to fruition, six players will become first-time selectees.

All six have incredible stories in their own right; Nick Blakey a son-of-a-gun, Jacob Weitering finally breaks through after many years in the squad, Jesse Hogan’s rise through adversity, Adam Treloar’s return to his best, Dylan Moore as the face of Hawthorn’s breakout and Harry Sheezel’s first of many.

Max Gawn would join the likes of Craig Bradley, Nathan Buckley, Wayne Carey and Paul Roos on those with seven blazers, while Marcus Bontempelli picks up number six before turning 29 and Jeremy McGovern receives his fifth.

The All-Australian team is the league’s greatest means of tracking our greatest players across a season, and this year’s team features a group of midfielders who have defined the last half-decade of footy.

Perhaps controversially, we have opted to only pick one pure wingman, with the thought being that we didn’t want to cut a deserving elite midfielder in favour of the second best positional role player at the position.

So, who made the cut for our 2024 All-Australian team and who was unlucky to miss out? Let’s go through it all.

(Team selected by Andrew Slevison, Nic Negrepontis & Lachlan Geleit).

DEFENCE

FB: Nick Blakey (SYD) / Harris Andrews (BRI) / Jeremy McGovern (WCE)
HB: Dayne Zorko (BRI) / Jacob Weitering (CAR) / Lachie Whitfield (GWS)

Never write off veteran superstars at the end of their careers. That is the lesson of this year’s All-Australian backline.

Dayne Zorko at 35 has put together an incredible season across half-back, with his damaging ball-use proving the perfect recipe to replace the Lions’ injuries at the position.

Despite being in the twilight of his career, Zorko averaged a career-high 25.9 disposals and 8.1 marks per game.

Similarly, Jeremy McGovern turned back the clock in 2024 and had an outstanding season playing in a backline generally under siege.

McGovern at 32 has had his injury issues in recent seasons, but got back to the form that saw him make four consecutive All-Australian teams from 2016 to 2019.

Lachie Whitfield has rediscovered his career-best form across half-back in 2024, averaging a career-high 30.4 disposals and given his elite distribution by foot, he was hard to ignore in this team.

Nick Blakey could earn his debut All-Australian blazer thanks to his unique combination of speed and evasiveness coupled with his elite kicking and aerial ability, while standing at 196cm.

Jacob Weitering finally breaks through after making four consecutive All-Australian squads. No defender is more reliable one-on-one and more consistently beats their opponents. At the end of the day, that’s what this is surely all about.

Weitering maintained consistency as impassable key defender despite Carlton’s surrounding defensive pieces changing almost weekly.

MIDFIELD

C: Errol Gulden (SYD) / Patrick Cripps (CAR - VC) / Zach Merrett (ESS)
Fol: Max Gawn (MEL) / Nick Daicos (COL) / Lachie Neale (BRI)

A strong topic of conversation throughout the season has centred around wingmen and whether or not the actual All-Australian selectors will choose two.

There have been calls for Hawthorn’s Massimo D’Ambrosio to be included in the side, but we would rather reward an extra midfielder such as Essendon skipper Zach Merrett who has produced an All-Australian-worthy campaign.

It feels like Sydney star Errol Gulden is a lock on one wing and there are several candidates for the second slot if not looking for a specialist winger. For us, Merrett gets the nod.

Carlton captain Patrick Cripps is a must-have in the middle and will likely be at the pointy end of the Brownlow medal count as well. He is the most prolific contested possession midfielder in the league in 2024 and has to be recognised.

Cripps would act as vice-captain of this side.

In the ruck, Melbourne leader Max Gawn has held off several combatants to lock down another AA position. The likes of North Melbourne’s Tristan Xerri, Collingwood’s Darcy Cameron, St Kilda’s Rowan Marshall, Brisbane’s Oscar McInerney and Sydney’s Brodie Grundy were his main challengers.

Collingwood gun Nick Daicos looks set to make it two All-Australians in a row as an on-baller. It’s expected that Daicos will continue to add AA blazers to his wardrobe as the years roll on.

Brisbane co-captain Lachie Neale was overlooked by selectors last year but he has been just as good in 2024 and will likely again be around the Brownlow mark after claiming his second medal in 2023.

As always, a number of top-line midfielders have missed out but we have managed to include a few on the half-forward flanks and on the interchange bench.

FORWARDS

HF: Isaac Heeney (SYD) / Jeremy Cameron (GEE) / Marcus Bontempelli (WB - C)
FF: Dylan Moore (HAW) / Jesse Hogan (GWS) / Charlie Curnow (CAR)

While selectors have been criticised for picking midfielders in the half-forward slots in recent seasons, surely there won’t be any complaints if Sydney’s Isaac Heeney and Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli are named in those positions in 2024.

‘The Bont’ is selected in this particular team as the captain.

The star duo is well and truly in the season’s top handful of players for their campaigns, dominating both on-ball and in front of goal and they’ll both finish the season averaging more than a goal a game to go with their impressive ball- winning numbers.

In the key forward roles, we’ve picked three standout big targets across 2024 with GWS’ Jesse Hogan rewarded for his career-best campaign as a Coleman Medallist at full-forward.

Geelong’s Jeremy Cameron earns the centre half-forward role due to his immense goal kicking ability while also spending time up the ground, playing that role in the traditional sense for much of the season.

In the forward pocket is Carlton forward Charlie Curnow. While the star Blue hasn’t been as dominant as he was in 2022 or 2023, he gets the nod for his consistency and output just ahead of Gold Coast’s Ben King and West Coast’s Jake Waterman who have had brilliant goal kicking campaigns.

The lone small forward picked is Hawthorn’s Dylan Moore. The Hawks vice- captain has been a key reason behind his side’s bounce from cellar-dweller to potential premiership threat and it’s not just his goal kicking that he has been rewarded for with his goal assists, tackling and score involvements all rating highly across the entire competition.

What a career arc for a player who was delisted and re-drafted as a rookie ahead of the 2021 season.

BENCH

I/C: Caleb Serong (FRE) / Dan Houston (PA) / Adam Treloar (WB) / Harry Sheezel (NM)

The interchange bench is typically the most debated part of the All-Australian team given these players are the last few to make the side, but in 2024 there’s no doubt that the interchange is incredibly strong.

We’ve picked a defender, two genuine midfielders, and one option who can also play forward and back in a bid to give this side some balance.

The first name on the interchange is Fremantle’s Caleb Serong who has had a brilliant campaign as a ball-winning beast for the Dockers.

The seventh defensive slot goes to ball-using half-back Dan Houston. The Power star edged out Fremantle’s Luke Ryan due to his offensive output from the back half.

The next name is Bulldogs veteran Adam Treloar who has enjoyed a career-best campaign. While Treloar has always been prolific, his ball use and ability to hit the scoreboard have gone to a new level in his 13th year at the level.

The final bench slot goes to teenager Harry Sheezel. The North Melbourne star spent time in defence, up forward and in the middle in 2024 and excelled everywhere he was put with his class and footy IQ evident.

COACH

John Longmire (SYD)

It’s quite remarkable how John Longmire continues to put the Sydney Swans in positions to contend.

In his 14th campaign at the helm, Longmire at one stage had the Swans three games and plenty of percentage clear on top with many observers suggesting they were a lock for the flag.

‘Horse’ gets the nod in this team due to the fact he is the coach of the 2024 minor premiers, but of course the All-Australian coach can often be determined by which team wins the premiership.

SEN.com.au's 2024 AA TEAM

FB: Nick Blakey (SYD) / Harris Andrews (BRI) / Jeremy McGovern (WCE)
HB: Dayne Zorko (BRI) / Jacob Weitering (CAR) / Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
C: Errol Gulden (SYD) / Patrick Cripps (CAR - VC) / Zach Merrett (ESS) HF: Isaac Heeney (SYD) / Jeremy Cameron (GEE) / Marcus Bontempelli (WB - C)
FF: Dylan Moore (HAW) / Jesse Hogan (GWS) / Charlie Curnow (CAR)
Fol: Max Gawn (MEL) / Nick Daicos (COL) / Lachie Neale (BRI)
I/C: Caleb Serong (FRE) / Dan Houston (PA) / Adam Treloar (WB) / Harry Sheezel (NM)

COACH: John Longmire (SYD)