The best 22 under 23: who makes our team of All Australian young guns?Ben Guthrie
afl.com.au
September 14, 2014 9:21 PMSELECTING the best Under-23 players in the AFL proved an incredibly difficult task last season and this year was no exception.
To qualify for the side, players had to be under the age of 23 before the commencement of their club's season.
For instance, a Collingwood player born on March 15 (the club's round one opener kicked off on March 14) would not be eligible for the team.
After winning the AFLPA's Most Valuable Player award, Nat Fyfe has been appointed as captain. Dyson Heppell, following his standout 2014 season, is Fyfe's deputy.
As always, there were plenty of contentious selections by AFL.com.au reporters.
The ruck position was the hardest to fill. Given young ruckmen take time to develop, there was a lack of clear-cut choices.
Young Pie Jarrod Witts eventually earned his place over West Coast's Scott Lycett and Geelong's Mark Blicavs. That Lycett only played 12 games hurt his chances, while it was deemed Blicavs did not spend enough time in the ruck.
The forward line candidates were particularly strong and Jake Carlisle, Ollie Wines and Jamie Elliott can count themselves unlucky to not make the final team.
The backline is stacked with stoppers and creators and the selectors decided to choose Fremantle's Cameron Sutcliffe to fill the lock-down small defender spot.
Fyfe, Tom Liberatore and David Swallow have been given the responsibility to lead the midfield.
With teams increasingly looking for a 10-man midfield rotation, the interchange bench is also filled with a number of on-ball options.
Of those, Dom Tyson and Lachie Neale were extremely stiff to miss the final cut.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-09-14/under23-all-australian-team
