Live: AFL’s All Australian team and Rising Star to be named

One of the big ones, and a bit of a foregone conclusion really. Having built a massive lead throughout the year, there was only ever going to be one winner.

The winner, of course, is Nick Daicos of Collingwood.

This is the first of many awards Nick Daicos is going to pick up over the next few weeks. He is an incredible player who has had an incredible season. The MVP, Brownlow and Pies B&F are in his sights next.

Quickly onto the next one. This one is also voted on weekly by the coaches after each game.

And the winner is Callum Wilkie of St Kilda.

Wilkie has very quickly become the game’s preeminent defender and is a deserving inaugural winner of this new award. Though, typically humble, he spins it another way…

“I’ve set a good precedent. I don’t actually do any defending, I just drop off and intercept.”

Right, the first award of the night is up. This one goes to the player in his first two seasons who accrued the most coach’s votes throughout the season.

And we have a tie!

The winners are Max Hall from St Kilda and Murphy Reid from Fremantle.

Been a lot of debate online recently as to which of these two blokes has had the better season. I guess with the sharing of this award we could call it a draw?

Two different stories though. One a mid-season recruit who has come from the clouds and the other a highly-touted draftee who bizarrely slid. Both wonderful players to watch.

The AFL CEO is up to get the evening properly underway. He’s talking mostly about the league’s strong attendance and viewership numbers, and some of the milestones and memories of the season. But there is one pointed message mixed in there:

“Keeping footy strong from the grassroots up depends on everyone feeling welcome, safe and respected. We are the biggest game in the country, and we must never lose sight of the responsibily that carries. Starting with the example we set for the millions of girls and boys who dream of playing at the highest level.”

The announcement of this squad was delayed by a week in light of the Sydney news, but came yesterday afternoon.

What do you reckon, who was unlucky to miss out? The name that came up most strongly online was Harry Sheezel, and fair enough too. Who else? Max Hall? Harley Reid? Billy Frampton?

That squad will be whittled down to a final 23 tonight.

It’s a good question! And I’m glad someone asked it.

Best Emerging Player goes to the player who is in within two years of making his AFL debut (no age limit) who has the most coach’s votes at the end of the season. I think this will probably be Jagga Smith.

Best First Year player is voted on by the players and, as you can probably imagine, can only go to a player in his first season after being drafted. I imagine this will go to either Harry Dean or Willem Duursma.

The Rising Star is voted on by a specific panel and can go to any player who is a) under the age of 21 at the beginning of the year, b) has played 10 games or fewer at the start of the season and c) receives a nomination in one of the rounds of the season. Jagga Smith is the runaway favourite for this award.

Of the three, the Rising Star is the most prestigious.

Here’s Freo duo Josh Treacy and Luke Jackson, both surely locks for All Australian nods this year.

Also looks like every Rising Star nominee has received an invite, which explains the pictures of Mitch Edwards and Josh Lindsay I have just seen.

No, they are not.

The AFL confirmed last week Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon would not be eligible for selection in this year’s All Australian team.

Each of Heeney, Warner and Blakey would have been very, very good bets to have made the team otherwise.

Meanwhile Charlie Curnow, who won this year’s Coleman Medal and is another likely inclusion in the All Australian team, is not expected to attend tonight’s ceremony. Nor are coach Dean Cox or CEO Matthew Pavlich.