Young guns Adam Treloar, Devon Smith and Jeremy Cameron have been named in the 2014 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, Smith, and Cameron have been picked in the initial 45-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 vote by liking the AFL Players’ Facebook page and selecting a 22Under22 team from the 45-man squad.
This year’s 22Under22 squad has at least one nominee from each AFL club, with Treloar, Smith and Cameron representing the GIANTS.
A hard-at-it midfielder, Treloar has improved on his 2013 season where he finished fifth in the GIANTS’ Best and Fairest. He leads the club for average disposals per game and sits behind only Callan Ward for tackles and contested possessions. Treloar hasn’t recorded below 22 touches in a game during 2014 in a supremely consistent year.
Smith has grown to become an influential player for the GIANTS in 2014, with his skills in the forward line complementing his capability to swing into midfield. He averages more than 20 disposals per game, with his best performance a five-goal and 22-disposal game against St Kilda in Round 2 that highlighted all his best attributes.
An ankle injury may have ended Cameron’s year prematurely, but it hasn’t stopped him from receiving his second 22Under22 selection. The key forward had a fantastic start to the season, kicking bags of four goals on three occasions. He’ll no doubt be a prominent figure in years to come as the GIANTS’ forward line becomes one of the competition’s elite.
In a glaring omission, Dylan Shiel has not made the squad despite averaging over 22 disposals and almost five tackles in his 15 games for the year.
The final 22Under22 team will be announced at the AFL Players’ MVP Awards on Tuesday, September 9.
You can vote for Adam Treloar, Devon Smith and Jeremy Cameron by submitting your 22Under22 team via the AFL Players’ Facebook page from Monday, August 18 through to Thursday, September 4. Everyone who enters a team will be in the running to win the ultimate 22Under22 prize-pack.
Click here to create your team and vote
