Possessions underline All-Australian selection

As always, the selection of the all-australian team for 2005 has caused some eyebrows to be raised, and Nick Mockford questions the overall selection process.

It would be interesting to gather all those responsible for All-Australian selection in a single room and bombard them with questions. Some of their answers I’m sure would make for intriguing debate.

What makes an All-Australian selector’s mind tick? From the basis of last night’s team, possessions are the essential ingredient, with a gaudy average seemingly a free ticket into one of football’s greatest honours, regardless of team achievements.

It begs the question: do these sorts of awards promote the most important aspect of all; that it’s a team sport?

Adelaide’s defence conceded the least points in a season since the VFL became the AFL. Ben Rutten was rightfully selected as the team of the season’s fullback – he conceded a mere thirty goals in twenty-two games – but that’s it. Nathan Bassett and Ben Hart both enjoyed superb seasons, but they were overlooked for the likes of Joel Bowden and Trent Croad.

Both were superb in bottom eight sides, but what is the primary role of a defender? If it’s to gather possessions, then the selectors are right. If it’s to prevent the opposition from scoring, then Hart and particularly Bassett can consider themselves desperately unlucky.

In fact, reading Mike Sheahan’s own selected side, I found he had not included any Adelaide Crow in his defensive six. His reasoning for selecting Dustin Fletcher over Ben Rutten? That the Essendon veteran had more kicks and more rebounds from defensive fifty this season.

Forgetting the fact that Fletcher rarely picks up the opposition’s best forward these days, surely goals conceded are a more accurate indicator than rebounding statistics? Adelaide finished as minor premiers and Essendon were out of the finals race long ago, yet Fletcher is deemed more deserving according to the nation’s most prolific football writer. Baffling.

Hawthorn qualified for a priority pick. That’s right, they won five games all season while blooding a lot of youth. They also had the equal most representatives in the side with three, and were considered in many quarters to be unlucky not to have four, with hit man Mark Williams being snubbed. That’s not right, no matter what spin you put on it. That being said, no one would deny Luke Hodge his spot, as he has been a model of consistency all season and has kept the Hawks in games they shouldn’t have been close in.

However, Peter Everitt in a forward pocket and Croad at centre-half back? If Everitt is not deemed the season’s best ruckman, he should be sitting on the bench at the very most. Demon Russell Robertson kicked seventy-three goals for the season and almost single-handedly rescued Melbourne’s season, yet he is left out so a ruckman can fit into the starting eighteen.

Croad grabs a key defensive post despite the fact his team has only limited the opposition to a losing score five times all season (six if you count Dean Solomon’s controversial winning goal that wasn’t), and he even spent portions of the year up forward. However, he regularly eclipsed the magical twenty touches, so he is given the green light.

Four of the top five teams rightfully had their seasons rewarded. Adelaide had three representatives and the captain, West Coast had three and the vice-captain, St Kilda had three and the Kangaroos and Swans had two. However, Geelong and Melbourne, who finished sixth and seventh respectively, had no representatives. This is despite Hawthorn having three, the Bulldogs have two, and Fremantle, Collingwood and Richmond all getting recognition, all of whom missed the finals.

That’s right, teams that got priority picks combined for four players, while two teams who played off in an elimination final at the MCG last Saturday had none. Darren Milburn enjoyed yet another stellar season on Geelong’s halfback line, yet Bowden and Clement’s numerous possessions gathered mopping up their sides’ back half get them the nod. Robertson kicked goal after goal – he even bagged another four on two-time All-Australian fullback Matthew Scarlett in that final – yet was overlooked so selectors could fit the second best ruckman onto the field.

In the end it makes one curious as to what the qualifications are for All-Australians. It’s obviously not picking the best players in each position anymore, and hasn’t been for a long time, but it’s also not rewarding players who enjoy the most team success. This year it’s all about the glamorous statistics and players who stand out in lesser sides.

Of course, Bassett and Hart won’t care – they’re still in the premiership race while Croad and Bowden will be sleeping off end of season celebrations, but selectors should be rewarding team success first and foremost.

Afterall, isn't that what our great game is all about?

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