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SELECT 👉 Go Media in-stadium feed
Was Josh Worrell robbed? King and Cornes discuss the All-Australian team
Jaiden Sciberras • August 29th, 2025 10:24 am
The 2025 All-Australian team has arrived, with a nine-person committee settling on the best 22 players across the AFL season.
The selection panel, compromised of Andrew Dillon (Chair), Eddie Betts, Jude Bolton, Nathan Buckley, Kane Cornes, Abbey Holmes, Glen Jakovich, Laura Kane and Matthew Pavlich revealed their 22 on Thursday night at the official AFL Awards ceremony.
See the team below:
Featuring three Lions and three Dogs, the team is made up of 11 first-timers, while ruckman Max Gawn managed a record-equalling eighth selection.
Having sat on the selection panel, Kane Cornes faced a range of questions from SEN Fireball co-host David King, debating omissions, the captain and the overall team selection.
“How does it arrive at Jeremy Cameron as captain?”
King: “I love Cameron. I think he’s been the best player in the comp over probably the last two and a half years. I think there was a point halfway through the season of ’22 where he was just amazing. His field kicking was next level.
“It normally goes to a person of stature in their own club. Someone who is in the leadership of their own club if not captain of their own club. We seem to have moved away from that. Is it a conscious decision to make it a marquee player?”
Cornes: “Who would your captain have been?”
King: “I think there was a choice of captains. Jordan Dawson, who was vice-captain – I would have thought he would have been in the running. I would have thought Noah Anderson was a chance.
“Is it a clear decision to go away from club captains to the marquee player?”
Cornes: “In the past, there have been captains of the All-Australian team that aren’t captain of their own club. Buddy Franklin has been the captain; Tom Hawkins has been the captain of the All-Australian team.
“It has been the title of recognition of long and outstanding performance. Is it a conscious decision? I don’t know. Buddy was captain years ago – he’s never been captain of his club, and I don’t think he would have spent a whole heap of time in the leadership group across his 20-year career.
“Tom Hawkins, similar to Jeremy Cameron. I think it’s an outstanding honour for a player that has been at the top of his game for such a long period of time and was clearly one of the better performers individually for the year.”
King: “So, you were aware when you left that meeting that he would be captain?”
Cornes: “Yeah. That’s a collective decision as they all are.”
“How does Josh Battle get in the back pocket?”
King:“The criteria that comes back to me every time we have this discussion is, have they had an All-Australian level year, and who would you take out if you’re going to bring one in.
“He’s had a very good year. Has he had an All-Australian level year would be my question.”
Cornes: “Who would you have selected in front of him?”
King: “I think (Josh) Worrell has probably had a better season, I think (Nick) Vlastuin has probably had a better season. They would be the two that I think would consider themselves unlucky for that spot.”
Cornes: “Do you think Vlastuin plays a similar role?”
King: “Yep.”
Cornes: “Well, I don’t. I think Battle takes the best opposition forward, Vlastuin doesn’t do that. I’m not here to defend the team, but if you look at (Battle’s) record on the best this year, it is extraordinary. His performance on the opposition’s most dangerous forward was outstanding.”
King: “Extraordinary? Wow.”
Cornes: “His defensive performance on the best was extraordinary. Once again, I think Worrell doesn’t play the role that Battle plays.”
King: “Does (Callum) Wilkie?”
Cornes: “Yeah.”
King: “So, you’ve rated Battle’s season above Wilkie’s?”
Cornes: “As a nine-person selection committee, yes.”
“Why didn't Aaron Naughton make the 44-man squad?”
King: “The only one I want to ask you specifically is about Aaron Naughton, and how he didn’t make the squad. I find that staggering! I had a few people send me some messages because they thought it was personal.
“When you look at the goalkickers for the year, Cameron, (Jack) Gunston, Ben King, (Mitch) Georgiades, (Riley) Thilthorpe, (Jamie) Elliott and (Sam) Darcy are the other top eight goal kickers for the year, and Naughton, who sits at four, is not even in the squad. Logic? Reasoning?”
Cornes: “Once again, it’s a nine-person selection committee.”
King: “Give me an idea as to why he’s not there. You don’t have to give specifics, but why would the other guys be ahead of him?”
Cornes: “What’s your best guess? If you sat down at the Round 12 point of selecting an All-Australian team, where do you think Aaron Naughton would have been halfway through the year.
“Darcy comes back, and his performance is great and he had a stretch there that was absolutely worthy of All-Australian selection. There are some good forwards.”
“Four mids on the bench doesn’t sit well with me.”
Cornes: “Which one of (Nick) Daicos, (Marcus) Bontempelli, (Caleb) Serong or (Matt) Rowell should have missed out?”
King: “There should have been a seventh defender there, for me.”
Cornes: “Nick Daicos can play in the defence. He’s played it pretty well.”
King: “We’ve already got Nasiah down there as that style of player.”
Cornes: “Well, if you want a seventh defender, Daicos could perform that role very very well.”
King: “I don’t think you picked a seventh defender, which would be my critique.”
Cornes: “So, Nick Daicos can’t play as a seventh defender?”
King: “I don’t think you’ve picked him as a seventh defender.”
“Are you happy with the team?”
Cornes: “Very happy. I find the sooking and the whinging about it… I get the passion; everyone wants their player to be selected. It’s not easy, and there are players that had outstanding years that have been unlucky and have missed out.”
King: “Before we leave it, would you personally say that Worrell was the most unlucky?”
Cornes: “No, I think there was a couple of unlucky players. I loved Josh Worrell’s season. As a collective, we’re very happy with the team.”
