JEREMY McGovern has completed a remarkable return to the AFL All-Australian side after a five-year absence, while Max Gawn and Marcus Bontempelli have made history with their seventh and sixth blazers respectively.
Essendon skipper Zach Merrett, Brisbane co-captain Harris Andrews, Carlton spearhead Charlie Curnow and Hawthorn winger Massimo D'Ambrosio are among the notable omissions from this year's team, while North Melbourne ruck Tristan Xerri has lost out to Gawn, who has become just the 10th man – and eighth in the AFL era – to be selected on seven or more occasions.
HISTORY Your club's best ever AA haul, leading player
PLAYERS' PLAYER Bont's historic win, Butters honoured
COACHES' AWARD Late surge, Heeney miss sees Daicos win
YOUNG CAT HONOURED Geelong flyer wins Telstra Rising Star
LEADING GOALKICKER Hogan receives first Coleman Medal
Bontempelli has been named captain as he equalled Brad Johnson's Western Bulldogs record of six blazers. Carlton skipper Patrick Cripps is Bontempelli's vice-captain.
Three first-timers make-up the full forward line, with Hawthorn's Dylan Moore, Coleman Medal winner Jesse Hogan and West Coast's Jake Waterman earning their first blazers.
Jacob Weitering (previously a four-time squad member) and Adam Treloar (three previous squads) have also been named in the final 22 for the first time after years of near misses.
Sydney pair Nick Blakey and Chad Warner are the other first timers, joining teammates Errol Gulden and Isaac Heeney as the Swans led the way with four selections.
Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko is back for the first time since 2017, while Lachie Whitfield has won a spot on the bench after a six-year absence.
But the most noteworthy comeback is that of 32-year-old Eagles defender McGovern, who won four consecutive selections between 2016 and 2019 before a horror run of injuries threatened to completely derail his career.
Ben Cousins and Dean Cox (six each) are the only Eagles to have won more blazers than McGovern, while Peter Matera also earned five for West Coast.
>>> WHO WAS UNLUCKIEST TO MISS? VOTE BELOW
The selections of Moore, Hogan and Waterman up forward are also cause for celebration, with all three having overcome significant hurdles during their careers to produce best-ever seasons.
Bontempelli and Cripps lead a stacked midfield group that also includes Treloar, Nick Daicos, Caleb Serong and Lachie Neale as well as Heeney and Warner on the half-forward flanks, but there is no room for Merrett, a three-time All-Australian.
As always, there were plenty of hard-luck stories. Defenders Andrews and Sam Collins have lost out to Weitering, McGovern, Blakey and Luke Ryan, with Port Adelaide's Dan Houston winning a spot at half-back for the second year in a row.
Twelve clubs are represented, with no players from Essendon, St Kilda, Gold Coast, Adelaide, North Melbourne or Richmond.
The 2024 AFL All-Australian umpires were also named, with veteran Matt Stevic (field) honoured for the ninth time (the next most is Brett Allen with four) alongside first-timer Michael Barlow (boundary) and Matthew Dervan (goal), who also won selection in 2020 and 2022.
The official 2024 All-Australian selection panel was comprised of: Andrew Dillon (Chair), Eddie Betts, Jude Bolton, Nathan Buckley, Kane Cornes, Abbey Holmes, Glen Jakovich, Matthew Pavlich, Laura Kane and Josh Mahoney.
Team members by club
Sydney - 4
Brisbane - 2
Carlton – 2
Fremantle - 2
Greater Western Sydney - 2
Port Adelaide - 2
West Coast - 2
Western Bulldogs - 2
Collingwood - 1
Geelong - 1
Hawthorn - 1
Melbourne - 1
2024 All-Australian team
FB: Nick Blakey, Jacob Weitering, Luke Ryan
HB: Dayne Zorko, Jeremy McGovern, Dan Houston
C: Errol Gulden, Marcus Bontempelli (c), Nick Daicos
HF: Chad Warner, Jeremy Cameron, Isaac Heeney
FF: Jake Waterman, Jesse Hogan, Dylan Moore
Foll: Max Gawn, Patrick Cripps (vc), Caleb Serong
I/C: Lachie Whitfield, Lachie Neale, Adam Treloar, Zak Butters
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Michael Barlow, Matthew Dervan
