Each year, Australian football pauses to ask which players have risen above the ordinary and entered something closer to legend — and in 2025, that question yielded both familiar and new answers. In Melbourne on a Thursday night, the AFL named its All-Australian Team, honouring eleven players for the first time while Max Gawn claimed an eighth selection, placing himself among only seven men in the sport's history to reach that mark. It is the kind of night that reminds us sport is not merely competition but a long conversation between generations — between those who have already written their
Max Gawn joins AFL immortals as 11 players earn maiden All-Australian honours
Only six players before him have reached that mark
Mark
What does an eighth All-Australian selection actually mean for someone like Max Gawn? Is it just a number, or does it change how he's remembered?
Mimi
It's the difference between being very good and being historically significant. Eight selections puts him in a conversation with Ablett and Dangerfield—players whose names define eras. It's not just about one season; it's about consistency across a decade.
Mark
And what about the eleven first-timers? How much does this moment matter to someone like Ed Richards or Riley Thilthorpe?
Mimi
It's validation that they've arrived. They've been working toward this their whole careers. For some, like McCluggage, it's vindication after years on the extended squad. For others, it's the moment they stop being prospects and become established players.
Mark
The selection panel included current players and former greats. Does that change the credibility of the team?
Mimi
It adds weight. These aren't journalists or statisticians making the call—they're people who've played at this level. They know what excellence looks like from the inside. Buckley, Betts, Pavlich—they've been where these players are.
Mark
Jeremy Cameron as captain with 83 goals in a season—is that the most obvious choice possible?
Mimi
It's not obvious until you see the numbers. He's not just kicking goals; he's doing it efficiently, with high disposal rates. The captaincy is recognition that he's leading by example, not just by position.
Mark
Three consecutive All-Australian teams for players like Daicos and Serong—what does that consistency signal?
Mimi
It signals that the best players stay the best. There's no luck in making it three years running. It means they've adapted, they've stayed hungry, and they've performed when it matters most.
El Pulso
- Max Gawn's eighth All-Australian selection places him in a group of six other legends — Ablett Sr., Ablett Jr., Dangerfield, Franklin, Harvey, and Ricciuto — a threshold so rare it reframes his entire career.
- Eleven players received their first blazer, from established contenders like Noah Anderson and Hugh McCluggage to quieter arrivals like Josh Battle and Jordan Clark, each carrying years of deferred ambition into a single night.
- Jeremy Cameron's captaincy, backed by 83 goals across 23 matches, and Jordan Dawson's vice-captaincy signal that the team's leadership reflects the season's most sustained attacking excellence.
- Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs led all clubs with three representatives each, while the 22-player roster drew from twelve clubs — a spread that reflects both parity and pockets of concentrated brilliance.
- The selections were grounded in data as much as reputation: Gawn's 35.9 hitouts per game, Thilthorpe's 55 goals, Pickett's 40 goals in just 20 matches — numbers that left the panel little room for sentiment over substance.
Each year, Australian football pauses to ask which players have risen above the ordinary and entered something closer to legend — and in 2025, that question yielded both familiar and new answers. In Melbourne on a Thursday night, the AFL named its All-Australian Team, honouring eleven players for the first time while Max Gawn claimed an eighth selection, placing himself among only seven men in the sport's history to reach that mark. It is the kind of night that reminds us sport is not merely competition but a long conversation between generations — between those who have already written their names and those now picking up the pen.
On Thursday night in Melbourne, the AFL unveiled its 2025 All-Australian Team — a night that belonged both to a ruckman cementing his place among the sport's immortals and to eleven players stepping into that world for the first time.
Max Gawn, Melbourne's captain, earned his eighth selection, joining only six others in AFL history — Gary Ablett senior and junior, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto — who have reached that mark. It is a measure of sustained brilliance that few athletes in any sport achieve, and Gawn's 35.9 hitouts per game this season left no doubt the honour was earned.
The eleven debutants — Noah Anderson, Zac Bailey, Josh Battle, Jordan Clark, Hugh McCluggage, Kysaiah Pickett, Ed Richards, Matt Rowell, Bailey Smith, Riley Thilthorpe, and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera — arrived by different roads. Some had circled the extended squad for years; others made their statement without warning. Thilthorpe booted 55 goals in 23 matches, Richards combined 25.8 disposals with 22 goals, and Pickett managed 40 goals in just 20 games — selections backed by performance, not sentiment.
Geelong's Jeremy Cameron was named captain with his fifth selection after kicking 83 goals across the season, while Adelaide's Jordan Dawson earned the vice-captaincy in his second All-Australian appearance. Marcus Bontempelli claimed his seventh honour, equalling Wayne Carey, Stephen Silvagni, and selector Nathan Buckley, while Nick Daicos, Caleb Serong, Cameron, Gawn, and Isaac Heeney each made their third consecutive team.
Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs led club representation with three players each across a 22-man squad drawn from twelve clubs. By morning, the debutants and the record-setters alike had become part of the permanent record of Australian football excellence.
On Thursday night in Melbourne, the AFL unveiled its 2025 All-Australian Team, and the moment belonged partly to a ruckman who has spent the better part of a decade defining excellence at the highest level. Max Gawn, the Melbourne captain, was selected for an eighth time—a distinction that places him among the rarest air in Australian football history. Only six players before him have reached that mark: Gary Ablett senior and junior, Patrick Dangerfield, Lance Franklin, Robert Harvey, and Mark Ricciuto. It is a measure of sustained brilliance that few athletes in any sport achieve.
But the night was also about arrival. Eleven players received their first All-Australian blazer, each one a validation of years spent chasing this particular form of recognition. Noah Anderson, Zac Bailey, Josh Battle, Jordan Clark, Hugh McCluggage, Kysaiah Pickett, Ed Richards, Matt Rowell, Bailey Smith, Riley Thilthorpe, and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera joined the team for the first time in their careers. Some had been knocking on the door—McCluggage and Anderson had both appeared on the extended squad in previous years—while others, like Battle and Clark, were making their statement without warning.
The selection panel, chaired by Andrew Dillon and including former players like Eddie Betts, Nathan Buckley, and Matthew Pavlich, had to make difficult choices across a 22-player roster. Jeremy Cameron, the Geelong forward, was named captain with his fifth selection. He had kicked 83 goals across 23 matches this season, a prolific return that justified the honor. Jordan Dawson of Adelaide was named vice-captain, earning his second All-Australian nod after his first in 2023. The pair would lead a team drawn from twelve clubs, though Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs dominated the representation with three players each.
Among the debutants, the stories varied in texture. Ed Richards, a Western Bulldogs midfielder, had averaged 25.8 disposals across 23 games and kicked 22 goals—a rare combination of volume and forward impact that caught the selectors' attention. Riley Thilthorpe, Adelaide's tall forward, had booted 55 goals in 23 matches, establishing himself as a genuine focal point in attack. Kysaiah Pickett of Melbourne, playing in just 20 games, had managed 40 goals while maintaining a disposal average of 19.6. These were not token selections; they were players who had performed at a level that demanded recognition.
The team also retained continuity. Nick Daicos and Caleb Serong, alongside Bontempelli, Cameron, Gawn, and Isaac Heeney, made their third consecutive All-Australian team—a mark of consistency that speaks to the depth of their seasons. Marcus Bontempelli, the Western Bulldogs midfielder, earned his seventh All-Australian honor, equaling the tally of Wayne Carey, Stephen Silvagni, and Buckley himself, now serving as a selector.
The statistical foundation beneath these selections told its own story. Gawn had contested 75.2 ruck contests across the season and recorded 35.9 hitouts per game, numbers that underscored his dominance in the middle. Cameron's 83 goals in 23 matches represented a goal-kicking rate that few forwards in the modern game could sustain. Heeney, the Sydney Swans half-forward, had kicked 37 goals while maintaining disposal efficiency and defensive pressure. These were not merely popular choices; they were backed by the kind of performance data that justified the honor.
The 2025 All-Australian Team represented both continuity and change—the arrival of a new generation of elite players alongside the confirmation of those who had already proven themselves at the highest level. For Gawn, it was another chapter in a career that will be remembered as one of the great rucking performances in the sport's history. For the eleven debutants, it was the moment when their ambition and work collided with official recognition. The team would be announced in full at the AFL Awards, and by morning, these players would be part of the permanent record of Australian football excellence.
Citas Notables
Max Gawn became the seventh player in the competition's history to be selected in the final team for a record eighth time— AFL All-Australian selection announcement
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