Young guns Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel, Stephen Coniglio, Devon Smith, Jeremy Cameron and Cam McCarthy have all been named in the 2015 AFL Players’ Association 22Under22 squad.
The 22Under22 concept was introduced in 2013 to recognise the best young talent in the competition, as decided by the fans. To be eligible for this year’s team, players must be aged 22 or younger on Grand Final Day this year.
Treloar, Shiel, Coniglio, Smith, Cameron and McCarthy have been picked in the initial 47-man squad selected by the AFL Players’ Association Board.
The final 22Under22 team will be decided by fans, with the AFL Players’ Association calling on all footy fans to cast their votes by liking the AFL Players’ Facebook page and selecting a 22Under22 team from the 47-man squad.
Melbourne forward Chris Dawes, one of the AFL Players’ board-members given the task of selecting the initial squad, says he’s amazed by the quality of young talent he comes up against each weekend.
“It takes time to find your feet at AFL level, so it’s really astounding what these guys have been able to do – not just to get games but come in and perform well in games,” Dawes said.
“A lot of the guys in this squad are fast becoming their team’s most important player.”
This year’s 22Under22 squad has at least one nominee from each AFL club, with Treloar, Shiel, Coniglio, Smith, Cameron and McCarthy selected from the GIANTS.
Treloar backed up a breakout 2014 season with another selection in the 22Under22 squad. Blessed with strength and pace, the tough midfielder excels in one-on-one contests. His 31-disposal, 15-contested possession, seven-clearance performance against the Saints in round one was a highlight for the 22-year-old.
Shiel would’ve found himself in All-Australian calculations if not for a season-ending knee injury in round 15. A long-kicking clearance machine, the big-bodied midfielder collected a career-high 39 disposals, six clearances and five tackles in a dominant display against the Suns in round four.
Coniglio was a picture of consistency in 2015. While not attracting as much attention as other young teammates, the former number two draft pick regularly gathered more than 20 touches per game and worked hard around the ground. The 21-year-old was one of the club’s leading tacklers, laying a whopping 17 tackles against St Kilda in round 15, in what has been a career-best season.
Smith relished a greater role in the midfield in 2015, gathering more than 20 disposals on more than half a dozen occasions. The hard-nosed half-forward still had the ability to hit the scoreboard and loves to pressure and harass opposition defenders. His best game came in round 16 against the Suns where he kicked three goals in the last term to ice the match, and finished with 27 disposals, six clearances and five tackles.
After missing out on the 2014 22Under22 team, Cameron returned to career-best form in 2015, regaining the form that saw him awarded All-Australian and 22Under22 honours in 2013. The 22-year-old talented forward again showed an ability to win matches off his own boot, particularly when turning defenders inside out and running back towards goal. Seven goals against the reigning premiers in round six showed his class.
McCarthy, the man they call 'Sunshine', started 2015 with a bang, exploding onto the scene with 13 goals in the first four rounds. He added another dimension to the GIANTS forward line and booted more than 30 goals for the year, including a bag of five against Gold Coast in round four.
The final 22Under22 team will be announced at the AFL Players’ MVP Awards on Tuesday, September 15.
You can vote for your GIANTS by submitting your 22Under22 team via the AFL Players’ Facebook page before Wednesday, September 9. Everyone who enters a team will have a chance to win the ultimate 22Under22 prize pack.
Click here to create your team and vote now!
Find out more about 22Under22 at aflplayers.com.au
