Eight predominantly young Vodafone Brisbane Lions players were named in the 2007 Queensland Team of the Year on Monday night in a promising pointer to the future for the club.

Ace key defender Daniel Merrett, 22, exciting running player Joel Macdonald, 22, gifted wingman Cheynee Stiller, 21, skilful rover Scott Harding, 21, deadly left-foot half-back Josh Drummond, 24, and young gun Rhan Hooper, 19, won spots in the team ahead of a total pool of 51 Queenslanders on AFL lists.

‘Veterans’ Robert Copeland, 26, and Jamie Charman, 25, rounded out the Lions’ contingent.

Stiller, who played all 22 games for the Lions in 2007, was delighted to have gained selection in the team, which will be selected on an annual basis and announced at the AFLQ Awards Dinner each September.

“It’s a nice honour and reward for having a good season,” Stiller said.

“Queensland footy has gone ahead in leaps and bounds over the last few years and it’s a credit to AFLQ that they now have enough players in the AFL to put a team together. Probably a few years ago they wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

AFLQ Football Operations Manager Marty King said that as Australian football continued to evolve in the State, AFL Queensland believed it appropriate to recognize and record its highest achievers at the national, and not just state, level.

Queenslanders playing in every league in the country are eligible for selection, although obviously the elite AFL competition is the pinnacle, he said.

Eligibility criteria is along State of Origin guidelines, so a player must have resided in Queensland at the age of 15 and played his first senior football in this State.

“Players are selected on performance alone, and in the positions in which they regularly played during the season,” King said. “The League was also delighted that The Courier-Mail, a longtime supporter of AFL in Queensland, has wholeheartedly embraced the concept as major sponsor.”

“We anticipate the Team of the Year will become a fine tradition and highly sought recognition by Queensland’s AFL players in years to come.”

He revealed several players from the Velocity Sports Cup, SANFL, WAFL and VFL were considered for the team, but with 51 Queenslanders spread among the 16 AFL clubs, all 22 players came from the elite competition.

A State League Team of the Year was also chosen, with Suncoast ruckman Cameron Wood and classy half-back Daniel Dzufer both earning places in the best 22 from the Velocity Sports Cup. 

The 2007 Queensland Team of the Year is: