AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said those named by the selection panel should be proud of their achievements this season, as selection indicates on-field excellence and consistency.
"All-Australian selection is recognition for a tremendous year of football, as the best player in your position across the entire competition," Demetriou said.
"All-Australian selection is also a recognition of the quality of those players you have competed against, to win your spot, and the aim of this approach is to highlight the outstanding players who are in contention for selection, and those who eventually win out to claim a position as one of the elite players of the season," he said.
Using the format introduced last year, the All-Australian selectors, comprising Andrew Demetriou (chairman), Adrian Anderson, Rod Austin, Kevin Bartlett, Mark Bickley, Gerard Healy, Glen Jakovich and Robert Walls, nominated who they believed were the leading players in each section of the field – forwards, defenders and midfielders/rucks.
The final 22-man will be named on Monday September 15 in Melbourne.
The side will contain six of the 12 forwards named in the squad, six of the 12 defenders and six of the 16 midfielders/rucks. The four interchange positions will come from the remaining players not selected in the starting 18, based on team balance.
The squad contains 22 players who have never previously won All Australian selection.
The club representation break down is Geelong (10), St Kilda (four), Western Bulldogs (four), Brisbane Lions (three), Fremantle (three), Hawthorn (three), North Melbourne (three), Carlton (two), Richmond (two), Sydney (two), Adelaide (one), Collingwood (one), Port Adelaide (one) and West Coast (one).
The squad members named are as follows:
Defenders
Nathan Bock, Adelaide. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Corey Enright, Geelong. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Sam Fisher, St Kilda. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Tom Harley, Geelong. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Luke Hodge, Hawthorn. All Australian 2005. 17 games in 2008.
Max Hudghton, St Kilda. Never previously selected. 20 games in 2008.
Luke McPharlin, Fremantle. Never previously selected. 20 games in 2008.
Andrew Mackie, Geelong. Never previously selected. 18 games in 2008.
Darren Milburn, Geelong. All Australian 2007. 19 games in 2008.
Dale Morris, Western Bulldogs. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Daniel Pratt, North Melbourne. Never previously selected. 20 games in 2008.
Matthew Scarlett, Geelong. All Australian 2003, 2004, 2007. 19 games in 2008.
Forwards
Jonathan Brown, Brisbane Lions. All Australian 2007. 21 games in 2008.
Daniel Bradshaw, Brisbane Lions. Never previously selected. 20 games in 2008. Brendan Fevola, Carlton. All Australian 2006. 22 games in 2008.
Lance Franklin, Hawthorn. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Brent Harvey, North Melbourne. All Australian 2000, 2005, 2007. 22 games in 2008.
Steve Johnson, Geelong. All Australian 2007. 22 games in 2008.
Paul Medhurst, Collingwood. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Daniel Motlop, Port Adelaide. Never previously selected. 21 games in 2008.
Robert Murphy, Western Bulldogs. Never previously selected. 21 games in 2008.
Ryan O'Keefe, Sydney Swans. Never previously selected. 21 games in 2008.
Matthew Pavlich, Fremantle. All Australian 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007. 19 games in 2008.
Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda. All Australian 2004, 2006. 21 games in 2008.
Midfielders / Ruckmen
Gary Ablett, Geelong. All Australian 2007. 18 games in 2008.
Jimmy Bartel, Geelong. All Australian 2007. 22 games in 2008.
Simon Black, Brisbane Lions. All Australian 2001, 2002, 2004.
Adam Cooney, Western Bulldogs. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Joel Corey, Geelong. All Australian 2007. 22 games in 2008.
Dean Cox, West Coast. All Australian 2005, 2006, 2007. 22 games in 2008.
Daniel Cross, Western Bulldogs. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Brett Deledio, Richmond. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Lenny Hayes, St Kilda. All Australian 2003, 2005. 21 games in 2008.
Chris Judd, Carlton. All Australian 2004, 2006. 21 games in 2008.
Brett Kirk, Sydney Swans. All Australian 2004. 22 games in 2008.
Sam Mitchell, Hawthorn. Never previously selected. 21 games in 2008.
Drew Petrie, North Melbourne. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Matthew Richardson, Richmond. All Australian 1996, 1999. 20 games in 2008.
Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle. Never previously selected. 22 games in 2008.
Joel Selwood, Geelong. Never previously selected. 21 games in 2008.
