Champion Data's 2024 mid-season All-Australian team

The Champion Data 2024 All-Australian side is in!

Daniel Hoyne revealed the 23 on SEN’s Sportsday on Tuesday night.

See the team below and several comments from Hoyne on the make up of this year’s side.

Selection comments

“The next defender to come in would be James Sicily. The next forward to come into the team would be Charlie Curnow. The next midfielder to come into the team would be Ed Richards. The next ruckman to come into the team would be Tom De Koning.

“We’ve left Christian Petracca out purely because he won’t play again this year. He would (otherwise) be comfortably in the team at the moment.

“Our criteria was 70 per cent of possible game time that you’ve played this year.”

On Matt Rowell’s selection:

“Rowell’s start to the season has been better than what it his form has been over the last couple of weeks. He’s still going okay.

“If he keeps going like he has over the last couple of weeks, come the Round 24 team that we release, he might not be there.

“But his start to the season was strong and that’s why he is in the team.”

On Zach Merrett’s non-selection:  

“He’s going really well… In terms of all midfielders of the competition in the three aspects of the game that we measure from an impact perspective, ball use, how it's won and defensive actions, he’s top 25 in all three areas for a midfielder.

“He’s just not top 10 in any of those areas. So he’s super consistent… he’s a top 70 player, so in the top 10 per cent of players across the competition, he’s just not in the elite of the elite just yet.”

On Charlie Curnow’s non-selection:

“He’s the next forward in… Aaron Naughton, Jake Waterman and Curnow conversation, I don’t want to sound like I’m getting out of jail here, but the margins between the three of them, there is absolutely nothing… we’re talking half a rating point here and there.

“That could easily flip in the next week or two. The difference between the three of them… is as small as you can possibly be.

“I hate sitting on the fence but that’s the reality.”

On Jacob Weitering’s non-selection:

“He’s a really good conversation. In terms of what Weitering is doing as a one-on-one defender, there is no one better in the game. He’s been involved in something like 34 contests this year, he’s lost two of them and hasn’t been out-marked in one. I think that’s really easy to see on the eye.

“But in terms of what he’s doing in the other three aspects, what he does offensively compared to Sam Collins and James Sicily and Jeremy McGovern, who all have really strong one-one-one numbers as well, he’s not offering as much offensively as what those three are.

“Even his intercepting… his intercept numbers aren’t at the same level as those guys. It's not to say it can't get there, but right now it’s not.”

On Adam Treloar’s non-selection:

“Yeah, he’s stiff. He’s having his best season in eight years, so no knock on him.

“It’s just that he’s up against the elite of the elite.”

On Tom De Koning and Brodie Grundy’s non-selections:

“There’s still a bit of a gap between what Max Gawn is doing to Tom De Koning, Brodie Grundy and Luke Jackson to another level as well…

“But what De Koning is doing at the moment, if he keeps going like this, in another four or five weeks that gap could shorten…

“Grundy has been really good at times but inconsistent. His good matches stand out (in how) they wow you, he’s had a fantastic season, but he hasn’t had the season that is anything near what Max has done this year.

“He’s had a couple of games this year where he’s racked up high contested possession and clearance numbers, but what he’s done with that has been almost the worst in the competition for the round at times.”