MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 16: Zach Merrett of the Bombers is tackled by Nakia Cockatoo of the Cats during the round four AFL match between the Essendon Bombers and the Geelong Cats at Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 16, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
The AFL yesterday announced the 40 players have now been nominated for the 2016 All-Australian team. But what about those who were stiff to miss out?
Let's have a look at the players we think should have been named in the 40-man preliminary squad.
Zach Merrett (Essendon)
The 20-year old midfielder has had a sensational season in what has been a difficult year for the club on and off the field. He played every game bar one and averaged 29.9 disposals, sixth in the league in this category. He was also the fifth most effective ball user in the competition.
Merrett also became the second youngster captain of the Bombers since Tim Watson in 1982 when he led the side out against the Suns in he absence of Brendon Goddard. He finished with a career-high 38 disposals that day, capping off a wonderful year. Clearly a future leader of the club, Merrett contacted Geelong's Joel Selwood for advice before his captaincy debut and there is no one better to learn from.
Just because the team as whole had a bad year, it should not discount Merrett from selection. I would have him in instead of Carlton's Kade Simpson.
Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
Astonishingly Cripps, who has had a better year than his best and fairest year in 2015, has been left out of the 40-man squad. Cripps is the number one contested ball player in the competition and leads the competition for clearances.
This kid has massive upside and I can see him definitely getting picked in the years to come but what more does he need to do to get the nod? For me, players that perform brilliantly in under performing teams has more relevance in terms of an all-Australian nomination. It usually suggests they are standing out and leading from the front instead of being one of many good players in a top eight side.
Sam Mitchell, who is the 16th ranked clearance player in the league is in ahead of Cripps. Perhaps the selectors fell for all the media hype surrounding him earlier in the season. He is definitely a brilliant player, but Cripps has shown better form and players should not be picked based on reputation.
Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
Bit of an iffy one as he was average at the start of the year, like most Port players, but he came good towards the end of the season and showed us all the x-factor he brings to Port Adelaide and the AFL. He played 19 games and kicked 25 goals.
This a guy who is the second best player in the competition if you're going by the AFL's Official Player Ratings and somehow he doesn't get at least nominated.
It may be harsh but I would have had him in there ahead of Scott Pendlebury. Pendlebury averages two more disposals a game but Gray has kicked twice the amount of goals and in less games, showing his importance in also hitting the scoreboard, as well as getting the ball through the midfield.
Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda)
If there is one player who has evolved their game this season its Nick Riewoldt at the Saints. This guy has the biggest tank ever seen in an AFL player and has thrived spending a lot of time on the wing this season in what was a pretty successful year for Riewoldt's side.
He averaged a career-high 20.8 disposals this season and still manage to kick 40 goals from those games. He was also the number one player for marks per game for most of the season, averaging nearly 11.
Arguably this season matches if not betters his season of 2014, when he was named in the All-Australian team. Tom Scully for Riewoldt would be my pick.
Brodie Grundy (Collingwood)
During the first couple of weeks, Grundy was close to being the worst player in Collingwood's 22. But as the season went on, he really developed into a mature, mobile ruckman who has been at the forefront of Collingwood's revival after the mid-season bye.
Let's not forget that he is only 22 years of age and why he may be the least unluckiest of the five players named, he still has a case to at least be nominated. He averaged 18.4 disposals a game this year, the most of any ruckman in the league. He is never going to be dominant at centre bounces, but his ability to get around the ground and make the next contest is second to none.
Oddly enough, a second ruckman has not been picked this year. Usually only one gets picked in the final team but generally more than one gets nominated.