After all, only one player in the Club’s merged history has been named in the All Australian side in a year that the Lions failed to make the AFL Finals.
That player was Jonathan Brown - who was pretty hard to ignore back in 2007 considering he booted 77 goals to earn the Coleman Medal as the competition’s leading goal-kicker.
Brown received his second All Australian guernsey in 2009 - when the Lions last featured in the Finals.
He now remains the only Lions player to have been named in an All Australian team since the Club’s last Grand Final appearance in 2004 - although Jed Adcock (2007), Nigel Lappin (2007), Simon Black (2008), Daniel Bradshaw (2008), and Mitch Clark (2009) have previously appeared in the extended 40-man preliminary selection squads.
In the lead-up to the announcement of the 2012 AFL All Australian squad, afl.com.au took an in-depth look at each of the clubs’ most likely candidates.
According to AFL Media’s Michael Whiting, Lions defensive duo Joel Patfull and Matt Maguire stand the best chance of selection.
“Maguire had arguably his best season in the AFL. Top 10 in one per centers, skilled at being third man up, the full-back was rarely beaten until an ankle injury forced an early halt to his season,” Whiting said.
“Joel Patfull: The unsung defender played his usual mix of roles on talls and smalls. Kept everyone from Nick Riewoldt to Dustin Martin quiet. Doesn't rack up big numbers but is resolute and will push for the Lions' B&F.”
The All Australian selection panel includes: Andrew Demetriou (chairman), Adrian Anderson, Kevin Bartlett, Luke Darcy, Danny Frawley, Glen Jakovich, Mark Ricciuto, and Gerard Healy - who was recently appointed as Leigh Matthews’ replacement for 2012.
LIONS ALL AUSTRALIANS*
1958 - Owen Abrahams (Fitz), Kevin Murray (Fitz)
1979 - Garry Wilson (Fitz)
1980 - Garry Wilson (Fitz)
1983 - Bernie Quinlan (Fitz), Matt Rendell (Fitz)
1984 - Bernie Quinlan (Fitz), Ross Thornton (Fitz)
1985 - Gary Pert (Fitz), Paul Roos (Fitz)
1986 - Gary Pert (Fitz), Paul Roos (Fitz)
1987 - Matthew Campbell (Bears), Matt Rendell (Fitz), Paul Roos (Fitz)
1988 - Darren Kappler (Fitz), Mark Mickan (Bears), Paul Roos (Fitz)
1989 - Gary Pert (Fitz)
1991 - Paul Roos (Fitz)
1992 - Paul Roos (Fitz)
1993 - Alastair Lynch (Fitz)
1996 - Craig Lambert (Bears), Michael Voss (Bears)
1999 - Jason Akermanis (Lions), Justin Leppitsch (Lions), Michael Voss (Lions)
2001 - Jason Akermanis (Lions), Simon Black (Lions), Nigel Lappin (Lions), Michael Voss (Lions)
2002 - Jason Akermanis (Lions), Simon Black (Lions), Chris Johnson (Lions), Nigel Lappin (Lions), Justin Leppitsch (Lions)
2003 - Nigel Lappin (Lions), Justin Leppitsch (Lions), Michael Voss (Lions)
2004 - Jason Akermanis (Lions), Simon Black (Lions), Chris Johnson (Lions), Nigel Lappin (Lions), Luke Power (Lions)
2007 - Jonathan Brown (Lions)
2009 - Jonathan Brown (Lions)
*Includes players named in the VFL ‘Team of the Year’ prior to the introduction of the official AFL All Australian team in 1991.
