Bulldogs defender Ed Richards had a breakout season this year and was one of the AFL’s most improved players. Photo: Mark Stewart

Over the course of 2022, we have been picking a side each week based on performances from that round. To finish off the home-and-away season, here is the Footyology Team of the Year.

This is NOT an All-Australian team. Because this side is drawn solely from selections from our Teams of the Week, it’s based not on consistency, but on which players were most often adjudged to be the most outstanding performer in their position.

As such, a game where a player was great, but just missed the cut, has as much impact on selection as a game where the player performed poorly (or didn’t even run out).

The same basic rules that applied in selecting the weekly side also apply here:

– Picking players in position, including actual wingmen on the wings.

– Not cramming the side with key position players.

– Not picking four pure inside midfielders on the bench.

Where two players were selected the same amount of times, the player who most often fell into the “stiff to miss” category was picked. Where that did not create separation, the player whose appearances were spread through the year, as opposed to being coalesced in a hot patch of form, was given the nod.

FULL BACKS

James Sicily (Hawthorn)
Sicily’s 2022 season was a remarkable one, as he strengthened the Hawthorn defence by beating his man, controlling the airways, and sending the ball downfield with his lovely long kicking. That he did this coming off a season on the sidelines with an ACL injury is pretty incredible. A leading contender to be appointed Hawthorn captain heading into next year.
Ranked first in marks and rebound 50s, and second in metres gained and intercept possessions.
Four selections: Round 5, Round 7, Round 13, Round 23.

Tom Barrass (West Coast)
A fantastic season under great duress from Barrass, particularly after the bye when he was the standout key defender. He held up full-back all year in one of the worst teams in recent memory, which was belted in the midfield most weeks, and was barely beaten. Doing it without much support from the injured Jeremy McGovern makes his campaign all the more impressive.
Ranked fifth in marks per game and intercept possessions per game, and 10th in one-percenters per game.
Five selections: Round 14, Round 18, Round 19, Round 21, Round 22.

Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs)
Out of the best 22 for much of the Bulldogs’ strong 2021, Richards started this year in the side and remained a first-choice backman throughout. His ability not only to run the ball from defence, but to also take intercept marks and lock down on an opponent, made him one of his side’s most valuable players – and surely one of the competition’s most improved.
Ranked seventh in total bounces.
Four selections: Round 10, Round 19, Round 20, Round 22.

HALF-BACKS

Adam Saad (Carlton)
In his second year at Princes Park, Saad franked his position as one of the leading running half-backs in the AFL with his most consistent season. Whilst he’s always been able to use his dash to great effect, it was his improvement in both intercepting, and the defensive aspects of the game, that saw him receive wide acclaim.
Ranked first in bounces and sixth in intercept possessions.
Five selections: Round 1, Round 7, Round 11, Round 14, Round 19.

Sam Taylor (GWS)
Taylor’s breakout season came last year, but he managed to back it up with a brilliant 2022 as the Giants’ most reliable player. His defensive craft was a sight to behold this year, with speed off the mark, great judgement and a highly-competitive nature making him extremely difficult to play against.
Ranked first in intercept possessions, fifth in one-percenters and ninth in contested marks.
Four selections: Round 7, Round 16, Round 20, Round 23.

Jack Sinclair (St Kilda)
Sinclair started in blistering form, with his damaging play off half-back one of the major reasons for the Saints’ early-season success. Playing with total confidence and the skills to match, he was St Kilda’s leading disposal winner for the year, and his output continued to be strong even when the side dropped away.
Ranked first in kicks and 10th in intercept possessions.
Five selections: Round 4, Round 5, Round 9, Round 11, Round 16.

CENTRES

Josh Daicos (Collingwood)
The elder Daicos enjoyed a huge season, playing every game and averaging more than 20 disposals for the first time. His attacking mindset and want to drive the ball forward from the MCG periphery was fundamental in Collingwood’s successful game style, as was his commitment to two-way running. His fondness for a long-range goal excited fans.
Seven selections: Round 7, Round 11, Round 17, Round 19, Round 20, Round 22, Round 23.

Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
Such was the dominance with which the Carlton skipper began his campaign, it took until Round 9 before he was excluded from a Footyology Team of the Week (where having completed the match). His desperation in trying to drag the Blues into finals over the last month was equally strong, and capped off a brilliant resurgence.
Ranked third in clearances and handballs, and fourth in contested possessions.
Eight selections: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 6, Round 7, Round 8, Round 19, Round 23.

Ed Langdon (Melbourne)
For a period of time in the early stages of the season, it looked as though the only way to stop Melbourne was to lock away on Langdon, a remarkable concept considering the stars in the side. But the league’s poster boy for wingmen was an incredibly important contributor to the Demons, working tirelessly to transition the footy and get involved in link-up play.
Four selections: Round 4, Round 6, Round 8, Round 16.

PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE TO THRIVE BY BECOMING AN OFFICIAL FOOTYOLOGY PATRON. JUST CLICK THIS LINK.

HALF-FORWARDS

Shai Bolton (Richmond)
A star on the rise for several years, Bolton garnered widespread commendation this season for the consistent expression of his multifaceted skill-set. Often the most damaging Tiger at centre bounces, he also thrilled with his brilliance around goals and strong aerial prowess. One of the stars of season 2022.
Ranked third in score involvements, 11th in centre clearances and kicked 41 goals.
Six selections: Round 4, Round 7, Round 9, Round 17, Round 20, Round 21.

Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)
Cameron’s sophomore year in the blue-and-white hoops saw him become one of the best players in the competition. The Cats’ centre half-forward managed to finish third in the Coleman Medal whilst also spending valuable time around the ball and even in the midfield, a move highlighted by his career-best averages in disposals and goal assists.
Ranked third in marks inside 50, fourth for score involvements and kicked 59 goals.
Six selections: Round 3, Round 6, Round 11, Round 12, Round 16, Round 22.

Christian Petracca (Melbourne)
The 2021 Norm Smith Medallist continued to be a dynamic force this season. Although clearly a dominant centre-square player when required, Petracca was deployed at half-forward more and more in the second half of the year, with Melbourne’s embarrassment of midfield riches allowing him to provide maximum impact up front.
Ranked first in goal assists and inside 50s, second in score involvements, sixth in metres gained and ninth in total disposals.
Five selections: Round 1, Round 2, Round 5, Round 16, Round 21.

FORWARDS

Tyson Stengle (Geelong)
Stengle’s story has been well told, but for a player to go from sacked to All-Australian (and, more importantly, Footyology “Team of the Year” member) is pretty fantastic. His traits as a pure footballer have been there for all to see, with craft around goals equally matched by his cleanliness around contests and ability to set up teammates from further up the field.
Ranked ninth for score involvements and kicked 46 goals.
Four selections: Round 8, Round 14, Round 15, Round 23.

Tom Lynch (Richmond)
Reaping the benefits of a healthy pre-season, Richmond’s herculean full forward had a fantastic year headlined by a handful of monster games. He looked mobile, kicked remarkably straight and was very difficult to stop in the air, with his average of 3.2 contested marks per game the highest since Travis Cloke broke the all-time record in 2011.
Ranked first in contested marks, second in marks inside 50 per game and kicked 60 goals.
Five selections: Round 7, Round 8, Round 9, Round 22, Round 23.

Izak Rankine (Gold Coast)
The departing Sun will leave a significant hole in the Gold Coast forward line after embellishing his already exciting range of abilities with strong contest work and defensive intent. He was one of the biggest impact forwards through the middle of the year, where he averaged two goals and 1.3 assists per game, and provided more brilliant highlights.
Ranked sixth in goal assists per game and kicked 29 goals.
Three selections: Round 1, Round 9, Round 16.

FOLLOWERS

Max Gawn (Melbourne)
Another season at the top of the pack for Max Gawn, who continued to have a huge influence, despite sharing ruck duties and spending a bit more time up forward. The reigning premiership captain racked up huge disposal numbers at various stages through the year, and seemed to lift in games where the rest of the side looked flat.
Ranked second in contested marks and fifth in hitouts to advantage.
Five selections: Round 4, Round 5, Round 7, Round 12, Round 19.

Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
To win more contested possessions and clearances than any other player across a season is a phenomenal effort, and something that reflects Oliver’s standing as the premier inside midfielder of the competition. He elevated his game again in 2022, this time through consistency, with the star Demon posting less than 28 disposals on only two occasions.
Ranked first in contested possessions, clearances and disposals, and seventh in inside 50s.
Eight selections: Round 3, Round 6, Round 8, Round 10, Round 13, Round 15, Round 16, Round 23.

Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)
Whilst Port Adelaide’s season was ultimately a big letdown after two strong years, a great silver lining was the excellent form of Connor Rozee as a genuine midfield gun. Moving into the role in Round 5, the beautifully-skilled on-baller consistently produced high-level performances for the rest of the season, adding a strong contested edge to his game.
Seven selections: Round 5, Round 6, Round 14, Round 15, Round 17, Round 20, Round 23.

INTERCHANGE

Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)
What a season for Brayshaw. With Nat Fyfe mostly sidelined, Fremantle lost nothing in the midfield due primarily to the hardworking, industrious and relentless efforts of their young top-liner. His five selections in this line-up feels low, but factoring in the number of times he was stiff to miss (also five), he was one of the most consistently considered players.
Ranked fifth in tackles and sixth in disposals.
Five selections: Round 2, Round 5, Round 12, Round 13, Round 17.

Lachie Neale (Brisbane)
Neale vanquished any unease around the surprise trade speculation at the end of last season by producing an outstanding campaign that was right up there with his best. He won plenty of footy as always, but his burst from stoppage and ability to effectively get the ball from inside to outside was at an all-time high level.
Ranked second in centre clearances and contested possessions, and third in total disposals.
Five selections: Round 2, Round 7, Round 11, Round 13, Round 21.

Mark Blicavs (Geelong)
Blicavs is already a multiple best-and-fairest winner at Geelong, but his performances this season brought him widespread acclaim from all corners of the competition. At various times the No.1 ruck, tagger, old-school ruck rover, key back or even wingman, his aptitude in a variety of roles makes him the competition’s best genuine utility, and a big catalyst for Geelong’s success.
Four selections: Round 4, Round 8, Round 18, Round 22.

Callum Mills (Sydney)
A really reliable contributor in a range of areas, Mills carried on from his strong 2021 by again being one of the best two-way midfielders across the competition this year. The youngest of Sydney’s co-captains, he was able to remain task-oriented in a number of different jobs, and is clearly a central figure in what is one of the most exciting young line-ups.
Ranked fifth in tackles and seventh in marks.
Five selections: Round 2, Round 5, Round 6, Round 9, Round 11.

STIFF TO MISS
Charlie Curnow (Carlton), Sam Docherty (Carlton), Touk Miller (Gold Coast), Jordan Dawson (Adelaide), Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane), Tom Hawkins (Geelong), Tom Stewart (Geelong), Zach Merrett (Essendon), Nick Blakey (Sydney), Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs).