THE MONGREL PUNT ROLLING ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM
We have reached the time in the season when every wanna be footy pundit, the so-called footy experts, and the AFL itself, choose to start naming rolling All-Australian teams. For whatever reason, we are getting more bye rounds, so we have to wait until they conclude for the next update to this side.
We all know that the ‘experts’ have a desperate need to shoehorn midfielders into random positions (namely back and forward pockets), social media ‘influencers’ pick their favourite players only, and then players get picked on potential, hype, or because they are ‘training the house down’.
Here at The Mongrel Punt, we pride ourselves on giving educated takes and blending our love of footy with humour
We posted a team about a month or so into the season, and it looked like this:
FB: Archie Roberts Tom Barrass Josh Worrell
HB: Lachie Ash Alex Pearce Luke Parker
C: Brad Hill Bailey Smith Bailey Williams
HF: Kysaiah Pickett Nick Larkey Nick Watson
FF: Jack Gunston Ben King, Isaiah Dudley
Foll: Max Gawn Zak Butters Isaac Heeney
Int: Luke Jackson Lachie Neale Will Ashcroft Jack Sinclair Justin McInerney
Since that time, we have seen some fantastic football played. We have seen injuries, thrillers, teams let us down, and then teams dominate. As we head into the bye rounds, it seems an appropriate time to revisit this team and see how it is tracking.
So, with all that said *cue drum roll* here’s the second and current iteration of The Mongrel Punt’s Rolling All-Australian Team.
FB: Lachie Ash Sam Collins Cal Wilkie
HB: Nick Blakey Aliir Aliir Wayne Milera
C: Max Holmes Bailey Smith Justin McInerney
HF: Kysaiah Pickett Jeremy Cameron Nick Watson
FF: Jack Gunston Josh Treacy Charlie Cameron
Foll: Max Gawn Zak Butters Isaac Heeney
Int: Luke Jackson Nick Daicos Murphy Reid Lachie Neale Brodie Grundy
As a point of difference to other teams, we name players in THEIR ACTUAL PLAYING POSITION*. While this is on behalf of The Mongrel Punt, please channel any frustration towards me, the resident oracle, The Prophet.
*a slight caveat. I recognise that the two guys on the wings are not predominant wingmen, even if they have spent time there. In discussions with the Mongrel writers, on this occasion, we feel it is best to pick a side like this than one with the main options in a wing role.
As you can see, there are upwards of 10 changes to the original side. This is unsurprising given some significant injuries to the key defensive stocks, as well as significant improvements with the mid-size and running defenders, have meant the defensive six is almost completely new. And there are plenty of players who could have been picked (see below + Archie Roberts missing out).
I’m not going to spend a lot of time providing my reasons behind these selections; I imagine that most educated and aware football followers can answer that. I won’t do what the media and so-called experts do, and treat you like you have no idea.
One of the selections I will discuss is picking three ruckmen. It’s unheard of, we know the AFL won’t do it (unless Jackson is listed forward), and it means others miss. But I find it difficult to pick who has been the best and second-best ruckman this year, so far. I imagine if I polled the average pundit or punter, I’d get a combination of answers, and all of Gawn, Jackson, and Grundy would feature in a significant number of votes. So, I am picking all three. If they had to play a game, Jackson could play as a midfield rotation or go forward as well.
What I will say, to clarify, only having five midfielders (excluding the two guys on the wings), if this team has been picked based upon pre-eminent position played, and my determination of the best/most influential/most impactful players in those positions. It is not solely stats-based, and selection has nothing to do with your surname and commentators creaming themselves over hitting an uncontested ten-metre kick to an unopposed teammate … as Disco would say, his dead nanna could do that.
What you have no doubt come for is a chance to air your grievances with me for not picking your favourite player. Or someone from your team you think should be in the side.
The Missing
Now, to those who are unlucky to miss out, and there are some familiar names and some I’ve been reading a lot about in either other people’s teams or in social media comments.
I’ll list their name and then a brief statement about why they weren’t picked.
John Noble, Jordan Clark and Jack Sinclair as rebounding defenders. Picking Max Holmes impacts one of them making the side, and the Holmes call is probably controversial, anyway. But he deserves to be in the side, has a defensive aspect to his rating in Supercoach, which speaks to the amount of time behind the ball as well as midfield minutes. I originally slated him as defensive cover on the bench, but he can do that from the wing.
Tom Stewart as an intercept defender. Owing to the slow start to his season, the veteran Cat is waiting in the wings as he continues to play at an extremely high level.
The Bont as a midfielder … it was him or Neale/Naicos. It pains me not to pick Bont, but given his lofty standards, I cannot justify picking him. The more hard done by omission is probably Clayton Oliver who, away from the headlines, is putting together an excellent season. He isn’t getting the credit he deserves to this point.
Ben King’s absence will annoy fans of the Suns, and I get it. He’s leading the Coleman. However, our resident Suns supporting Mongrel was good with this, saying King doesn’t deserve to be picked. King doesn’t get involved in the play anywhere near as much as the other key forwards. And I prefer Gunston’s impact as a stay-at-home forward. This will probably change (if King remains the Coleman leader) as things go.
The fact that I picked three rucks impacts someone like a Christian Petracca, who should probably almost be in the side otherwise. Trac missing roughly 25% of the season to this point impacts his selection, much like some of the leading key defenders such as Tom Barrass and Alex Pearce.
There are many others who could be considered unlucky, and likely you’ll tell me in the comments. Remember: I don’t solely go by stats, and I pick players in their primary position. None of this 80% midfielders on the wing or up-forward nonsense.
Let us know your team, or who you’d replace and why – don’t just blindly change it because someone in your team wasn’t picked.
Stay tuned for more from The Mongrel Punt, and for additional reasons to tell me I must not watch footy because you don’t like the team I’ve selected.
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