With the Virgin Australia 2014 AFL All Australian 40-man squad being announced last night, we take a look at the four Cats named and why they deserve a spot in the final side.

The All Australian selection panel consists of Gillon McLachlan (chairman), Kevin Bartlett, Luke Darcy, Mark Evans, Danny Frawley, Glen Jakovich, Cameron Ling, Matthew Richardson and Warren Tredrea. The final squad will be announced on September 16.


Tom Hawkins

The Tomahawk has had an outstanding year, featuring in every game and matching (if not bettering) his All Australian form of 2012 with more kicks, more marks and more tackles in 2014. Runner up for the Coleman with 62 goals, the power forward would be incredibly unlucky to miss a spot in the final squad.

Tom Lonergan
Surprisingly, Domsy has never featured in the final All Australian squad but is a chance to get the call up this year. Missing just one match, the veteran defender had 88 marks, 34 rebound 50’s and 39 tackles, nearing his career-best form of the triple-premiership era. Statistically, he’s not as impressive as his rivals, but when it comes to switching the play, he’s undeniably one of the best in the business.

Harry Taylor

All Australian in 2010 and 2013, the key defender has had yet another stellar year and should certainly feature in the final squad. With 142 marks (ninth in the AFL), 62 rebound 50’s and 44 tackles, Taylor is a brilliant reader of the play and can shut down power forwards like no other. The veteran’s strong mark has saved the Cats countless times this year, he is certainly deserving of a spot in the final squad.

Joel Selwood
The Cats champion featured in the All Australian squad in 2009, 2010 and 2013 and, despite midfield spots being hotly contested, the skipper looks set to feature again. Selsy played every game this season racking up 133 clearances (fifth in the AFL), 89 inside 50’s and 130 tackles (tenth in the AFL). An inspiring leader on and off the field, Selwood could potentially be All Australian captain two years in a row and would be hard to ignore for the honour.