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Kingy slams 22Under22 side after glaring omission
SEN • August 22nd, 2025 2:24 pm
The fan-voted team was released on Wednesday after fans picked from an initial squad of 40 compiled by Leigh Montagna, the AFLPA and Champion Data.
While the side was largely received well, there was one name that both King and many fans felt was seriously hard done by in missing out - North Melbourne’s Paul Curtis.
Curtis received fewer votes than other small forwards Josh Rachele, Murphy Reid and Nick Watson, and King couldn’t believe that enough fans didn’t have him in their best side of youngsters.
King in particular would have had Curtis named at half-forward ahead of Rachele.
While Curtis missed some footy to suspension, keeping him to 18 games this season so far, Rachele had a knee injury, which has seen him appear just 13 times.
Looking at averages alone, Curtis kicks slightly more goals per game than Rachele while averaging just 0.3 disposals left. He also takes more marks, makes more tackles, goes inside 50 more and wins far more frees for than the Crow.
“My dig is at the 22under22,” King said on SEN Breakfast.
“How can you not have Paul Curtis in that team? How can he not be in there?
“There isn’t a world where Josh Rachele is a better player than Paul Curtis.”
Apart from key forward options, Curtis kicks more goals each outing (1.94) than all of the other small-mid forwards named in Rachele (1.92), Watson (1.48) and Reid (1.1).
The Kangaroo has also made 50 inside 50 tackles this season. The next best in the entire AFL is Tyson Stengle with 35.
So, do you agree with Kingy?
