Notable names absent as four clubs dominate All-Australian squad with almost half of selected players
Updated . First published at
The 2025 AFL All-Australian squad has been announced, with a powerhouse quartet of teams dominating the list.
The Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns and Western Bulldogs have packed the 44-player squad, providing almost half of the competition's best players.
The official selection panel confirmed the 44-player squad on Tuesday, which will be narrowed down to a final team of 22 at the AFL Awards night on Thursday.
READ MORE: Former teammate tangled in Smith's drug supply court case
READ MORE: Raiders cop devastating blow as flyer ruled out for season
READ MORE: Sixteen-year-old makes history with 100th-minute winner
Hugh McCluggage of the Lions celebrates scoring a goal. Janelle St Pierre/AFL Photos/Getty Images
Leading all clubs, five players each from Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Western Bulldogs were selected.
This quartet was followed by Fremantle and GWS with four selections each, while Collingwood and Geelong have three. Hawthorn, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, and Sydney each have two representatives, and Richmond and St Kilda each have one.
Notably, four clubs were completely shut out of the squad: Carlton, Essendon, North Melbourne and West Coast.
Several key players were notably absent from this year's squad.
St Kilda's Cal Wilkie, a 2023 All-Australian, was a surprising omission, along with his teammates Jack Sinclair and Jack Higgins.
Callum Wilkie of the Saints. AFL Photos via Getty Images
Others who missed out include Port Adelaide captain and two-time All-Australian Connor Rozee, North Melbourne's Tristan Xerri and Paul Curtis, Collingwood's Darcy Cameron and Gold Coast's Touk Miller.
A late-season quad injury also cost dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale his chance a third All-Australian honour.
Twenty-eight players in this year's squad are hoping to earn their first-ever All-Australian blazer.
Several stars from the 2024 team have been named to the 2025 squad, including Marcus Bontempelli, Jeremy Cameron, Nick Daicos, Zak Butters, Isaac Heeney, Caleb Serong, and Dayne Zorko.
Among them is Brisbane's Hugh McCluggage, who has made the squad four times before but is still chasing that elusive final selection.
At the other end of the spectrum, Melbourne skipper Max Gawn is on the verge of making history, in line for a record-equalling eighth selection as the team's ruck.
The 2024 All-Australian team including 2025 squad members. AFL Photos
The 2025 selection panel includes AFL chair Andrew Dillon, along with football greats and analysts Eddie Betts, Jude Bolton, Nathan Buckley, Kane Cornes, Abbey Holmes, Glen Jakovich, Laura Kane and Matthew Pavlich.
2025 ALL-AUSTRALIAN SQUAD
Noah Anderson, Harris Andrews, Lachie Ash, Zac Bailey, Josh Battle, Marcus Bontempelli, Andrew Brayshaw, Zak Butters, Finn Callaghan, Jeremy Cameron, Jordan Clark, Sam Collins, Josh Daicos, Nick Daicos, Bailey Dale, Sam Darcy, Jordan Dawson, Josh Dunkley, Jamie Elliott, Max Gawn, Mitch Georgiades, Tom Green, Brodie Grundy, Jack Gunston, Isaac Heeney, Max Holmes, Luke Jackson, Mark Keane, Ben King, Tom Liberatore, Ben Long, Hugh McCluggage, Kysaiah Pickett, Izak Rankine, Ed Richards, Matt Rowell, Caleb Serong, Bailey Smith, Sam Taylor, Riley Thilthorpe, Nick Vlastuin, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Josh Worrell, Dayne Zorko
