The 2026 All-Australian team has been confirmed, with some incredible stories behind the 23 players selected.
But the 23 who made the squad and weren’t selected have their own stories; and some of them were far stronger than the last men into the side. We run through the winners and losers from All-Australian selection!
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There was no bigger winner on Tuesday night than the inspirational Adelaide skipper, who captured the hearts and minds of those at Centrepiece and watching on TV with his Most Courageous Player acceptance speech.
Very few in the footballing sphere have had to endure a tougher year than Dawson, who suffered the shattering loss of his brother in April.
After sitting out two games, he persisted through the rest of the season while still grieving the tragedy with his family. There was no expectation on him to do so, but such is his stature as a revered leader in the competition, he pushed through and led his teammates by example with no fuss.
And now, he’s reaping his just rewards; claiming not only the Robert Rose Most Courageous Player honour, but also the AFLPA Best Captain and a third All-Australian blazer.
And while he was initially named the vice-captain of the AFL’s best side on Tuesday night, in a touching gesture, Melbourne’s nine-time All-Australian Max Gawn offered to relinquish the title to Dawson after his peer’s crucially important words about mental health awareness.
It’s very rare that the All-Australian selectors remember the wing is an actual position on the field, and not just somewhere to stash an extra running midfielder – like Bailey Smith, who’s been picked out there two years in a row.
It was a step forwards when Hugh McCluggage was picked there in 2025, but Dempsey is a true out-and-out wingman, and a genuine weapon at that.
The 23-year-old’s ability to sneak forward and kick crucial goals for Chris Scott’s side has finally gotten the attention it deserves in 2026; Dempsey bagged 35 majors in 26 games last year, and has another 30 through 23 matches this season.
His best game of the season came in a crucial Round 21 showdown with Collingwood, when they and the Cats were duelling for a top-six spot. Dempsey earned a perfect 10 coaches votes after earning a career-best 29 disposals plus two goals and six score involvements.
It was easy to understand why Nick Watson fell to Pick 5 in the 2023 Draft; it’s extremely hard for players standing just 170 centimetres tall to dominate in the modern AFL.
If you do a re-draft of that strong class right now, though, Watson might go first ahead of the likes of Harley Reid and Logan Morris. That’s how good he has been.
The nickname helps, obviously. But Watson is also the game’s most watchable player and remarkably threatened to win the Coleman Medal – you know, the big blokes award – finishing with 55 goals in 21 matches.
