We're at the halfway mark of the 2017 AFL season, and the year is already shaping up to be one of the closest in the competition's history.

As we're in the middle of the bye rounds, clubs are now starting to turn their attentions to the back end of the home-and-away season, and put the first half of the year in the back of their minds.

At this stage of the season, races for the big individual prizes have started to separate the pretenders from contenders, with clear front runners in the Brownlow medal and on the AFLCA leaderboard.

It's also the time of year where AFL journalists select their mid-season All-Australian team, and we at Zero Hanger have decided to select our own 22.

Geelong's captain Joel Selwood leads the charge for our All-Australian side, because let's face it, he's the best captain in the league.

Selwood is joined by midfield partner Patrick Dangerfield, who has been named alongside Adelaide's Rory Sloane as the rover.

The Giants led the way with four players in the side, as Zac Williams, Josh Kelly, Toby Greene and Jeremy Cameron have all been selected.

Sloane is one of three Crows in the side along with Eddie Betts and Rory Laird, while Collingwood and Richmond also have three members each.

Essendon don't have any players in the final 22 but can count themselves quite unlucky, with Michael Hurley, Joe Daniher and Zach Merrett all quite stiff to miss out on spots in the side.

Hawthorn's Tom Mitchell joins the trio on the unlucky list despite averaging 34.9 disposals a game (2.7 disposals more than the next player, Adelaide's Matt Crouch), which shows numbers aren't everything.

Zero Hanger's mid-year All-Australian team

B: Rory Laird (Adelaide), Alex Rance (Richmond), Sam Docherty (Carlton)

HB: Zac Williams (GWS), Robbie Tarrant (North Melbourne), Elliott Yeo (West Coast)

C: Josh Kelly (GWS), Joel Selwood (Geelong) (c), Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)

HF: Dustin Martin (Richmond), Lance Franklin (Sydney), Toby Greene (GWS)

F: Eddie Betts (Adelaide), Jeremy Cameron (GWS), Josh Kennedy (West Coast)

Foll: Brodie Grundy (Collingwood), Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong), Rory Sloane (Adelaide)

Int: Jeremy Howe (Collingwood), Dylan Roberton (St Kilda), Trent Cotchin (Richmond) Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)

Unlucky to miss: Joe Daniher (Essendon) Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide), Zach Merrett (Essendon), Bradley Hill (Fremantle), Gary Ablett (Gold Coast), Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn), Michael Hurley (Essendon)