The All-Australian team is an all-star team of Australian rules footballers, selected by a panel at the end of each season. It represents a complete team, including an interchange bench, of the best-performed players during the season, traditionally led by that season's premiership coach.
Despite the name's implication, the All-Australian team is usually ceremonial in modern times. Though the AFL played an All-Star match in 2020, it was the first in 12 years, and the difference in skill level between the All-Australian team and the nearest international competitor is currently too large for any contest to be competitive. Despite this, some of these players have represented Australia in AFL Academy junior teams up to the age of 18, as more than two-thirds of all AFL Academy representatives have gone on to play at senior AFL level.[1]
From 1998 to 2004, the Australian international rules team was mainly composed of All-Australians, and from 2005 to 2013 the team for the annual International Rules Series was selected according to the quite different requirements of International rules football.
This change was reverted ahead of the 2014 series, with any player who had been selected at least once in any All-Australian team being eligible for selection.
The earliest concept considered to be a precursor to the All-Australian team was an annual team selected by Sporting Life magazine between 1947 and 1955. A panel of sportswriters at the magazine selected a full team of eighteen from all ANFC-affiliated competitions. For a time, AFL historians considered these teams to be official All-Australian teams, but no longer recognises them as such.
The first official All-Australian team was selected in 1953, immediately after the Australian Football Carnival, which was held in Adelaide on that occasion. Based solely upon performances at the carnival, the All-Australian team was selected by representatives of the various state teams. This tradition continued at all subsequent interstate carnivals until 1988.
In 1991, following the VFL's conversion to a national competition and its renaming as the Australian Football League (AFL), an annual All-Australian team based on performances during the AFL premiership season was introduced.[2]
Since 1999, the All-Australian coach is the coach of the premiership-winning side that year.
Prior to 2007, only the final selections in the All-Australian team were announced. Since 2007, the All-Australian selection committee has nominated the 40 leading players of the year in their playing positions at the conclusion of the home and away season, before announcing the final 22 at a later date during the All-Australian Presentation Dinner.[3] The squad was increased to 44 in 2022.[4] The 2023 All-Australian selection panel consists of chairperson Gillon McLachlan, Kevin Bartlett, Eddie Betts, Jude Bolton, Nathan Buckley, Kane Cornes, Andrew Dillon, Glen Jakovich, Laura Kane, Cameron Ling, and Matthew Pavlich.[5]
In addition to the senior All-Australian team, each year an All-Australian is announced based on the AFL National Under 18 Championships and the AFL National Under 16 Championships. The following lists are for senior teams only.
Members of the All-Australian team are awarded a team blazer, reminiscent of the formal wear traditionally worn by travelling members of national sports teams. Blazers have become synonymous with the identity of the honour.[6]
See main article: 2024 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2023 All-Australian team.
Notes:
See main article: 2022 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2021 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2020 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2019 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2018 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2017 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2016 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2015 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2014 All-Australian team.
Notes:
See main article: 2013 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2012 All-Australian team.
Notes:
See main article: 2011 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2010 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2009 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2008 All-Australian team.
See main article: 2007 All-Australian team.
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The AFL website recognises players who were named in the VFL/AFL Team of the Year from 1982 to 1990 as having All-Australian status. This was a team picked by Victorian selectors. Teams were named every season from 1982 to 1990, except 1985.
1988 All-Australian Team[8] [9] Adelaide Bicentennial Carnival Name State/League Club Essendon Sydney St Mary's Footscray St Mary's Glenelg Melbourne Carlton (captain) Port Adelaide Geelong Footscray Brisbane Bears Hawthorn Sturt Glenelg (coach) Richmond St Kilda Sydney Essendon Fitzroy Essendon Richmond West Coast
1987 All-Australian Team[10] [11] Name State/League Current Club Brisbane Bears North Adelaide Geelong Glenelg (captain) Carlton Hawthorn Fitzroy Woodville Glenelg Glenelg (coach) Geelong Sydney Hawthorn Essendon Hawthorn Fitzroy Essendon Sydney Sydney Geelong Sydney West Coast
1986 All-Australian Team[12] [13] Name State of Origin Current Club Norwood Carlton North Adelaide Carlton Glenelg South Adelaide Hawthorn Sydney Footscray Essendon Richmond Sydney Hawthorn Footscray Subiaco Subiaco Claremont Claremont St Kilda East Fremantle (captain) Richmond Perth East Fremantle East Fremantle (coach)
1985 All-Australian Team[14] Coach: Kevin Sheedy Name State Club Woodville Port Adelaide Glenelg Sturt Central District Hawthorn Essendon (captain) Essendon Hawthorn Essendon Richmond Essendon Fitzroy Collingwood Fitzroy Richmond Essendon Hawthorn Hawthorn Claremont
1983 All-Australian Team[15] [16] Coach: John Todd Name State Club Norwood Port Adelaide Port Adelaide Port Adelaide Sturt Fitzroy West Adelaide Essendon Melbourne North Melbourne Richmond Essendon North Melbourne Hawthorn Hawthorn North Melbourne South Fremantle (captain) Collingwood Richmond East Fremantle
1980 All-Australian Team[17] Adelaide Carnival
Coach: Tom HafeyName State/League Club Glenelg Glenelg Sturt (captain) Carlton Glenelg Port Adelaide South Melbourne Port Adelaide Devonport North Melbourne Melbourne Richmond Richmond Geelong Richmond Carlton Fitzroy St Kilda Claremont East Fremantle
1979 All-Australian Team[18] Perth Carnival Name State/League Club Glenelg Glenelg Glenelg Central District West Adelaide Sandy Bay Richmond North Melbourne Richmond Carlton Hawthorn Collingwood Hawthorn Geelong Fitzroy East Fremantle Claremont Geelong Richmond East Fremantle (captain) East Perth (coach)
1972 All-Australian Team[19] Perth Carnival Name State/League Club Woodville Sturt Scottsdale Geelong Footscray Melbourne Carlton Hawthorn Collingwood St Kilda Collingwood Footscray Essendon Swan Districts East Perth (captain) South Fremantle East Perth Perth West Perth Subiaco
1969 All-Australian Team[20] Adelaide Carnival Name State/League Club Port Adelaide Glenelg South Adelaide Norwood Sturt Richmond Hawthorn Carlton Hawthorn St Kilda Geelong Carlton (captain) North Melbourne Collingwood Collingwood Perth Perth Subiaco Claremont Swan Districts
1966 All-Australian Team[21] Hobart Carnival Name State/League Club Sturt West Adelaide Sturt New Norfolk Launceston St Kilda (captain) Footscray Richmond Carlton South Melbourne Melbourne Geelong Carlton St Kilda North Melbourne Perth East Perth Claremont East Perth Subiaco
1956 All-Australian Team[24] Perth Carnival Name State/League Club Port Adelaide North Adelaide West Adelaide West Torrens City New Town Victoria (VFA) Port Melbourne (captain) Melbourne Carlton Essendon Essendon Geelong Richmond Footscray Richmond East Fremantle East Perth South Fremantle Perth South Fremantle
These teams were once considered to be equivalent to All-Australian selection, but are no longer recognised as such.
| Selections | Player | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003 | |
| 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 (c), 2005 (c) | ||
| 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 (vc), 2011 (c), 2012 (vc), 2013 (vc), 2014 | ||
| 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 (c) | ||
| 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 (vc), 2019, 2020 (c) | ||
| 7 | 1983, 1985, 1986, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997 | |
| 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991 (c), 1992 (c), 1996, 1997 | ||
| 1993 (c), 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 (c), 1999 (c), 2000 (c) | ||
| 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 (vc) | ||
| 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 (c), 2022, 2024 |
| Selections | Player | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961 | |
| 3 | 1953, 1956, 1958 | |
| 1956, 1958, 1961 | ||
| 1956, 1958, 1961 (c) | ||
| 1956, 1958, 1961 | ||
| 1956, 1958, 1961 |
| Selections | Player | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000 | |
| 3 | 2013, 2014, 2016 | |
| 2 | 1979, 1986 | |
| 1991, 1992 | ||
| 1996, 1997 | ||
| 2002, 2003 | ||
| 2004, 2005 |
| Selections | Coach | Teams |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015 | |
| 3 | 1985, 1993, 2000 | |
| 2001, 2002, 2003 | ||
| 2017, 2019, 2020 | ||
| 2 | 1987, 1988 | |
| 2007, 2009 | ||
| 1991, 2010 | ||
| 2011, 2022 |
| Total selections | Name | Selection/s as player | Selection/s as coach |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991 (c), 1992 (c), 1996, 1997 | 2005 | |
| 6 | 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2009 | 2021 | |
| 4 | 1979, 1980 | 1987, 1988 | |
| 1972 | 2001, 2002, 2003 | ||
| 2000 | 2017, 2019, 2020 | ||
| 3 | 1966, 1969 | 1979 | |
| 2 | 1961 | 1983 | |
| 1988 | 1998 | ||
| 1980 | 2004 | ||
| 2002 | 2018 |