Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore have been named in the AFL Players’ Association’s 2014 22under22 Team.

With the final team named at Tuesday night’s AFL Players' MVP Awards, Essendon young gun Dyson Heppell was named captain of the side for the second consecutive year and Hawthorn forward Jack Gunston selected as the vice-captain.

12 of the 18 teams had a player in the final 22 - Gold Coast led the charge, with six players named in the team.

Collingwood was next best with three, while the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide, and Essendon each had two players selected.

The AFL Players' Association called on all footy fans to help decide the team by picking their best 22Under22 via the AFL Players' Facebook page last month, and after thousands of votes were cast, the definitive 22Under22 team was decided.

Highlighting the best young talent in the league, the AFLPA’s 22 under 22 concept was first introduced in 2013 with Tom Liberatore the sole Bulldog making the inaugural list.

This season Liberatore has continued to impose himself as one of the best inside midfielders of the game, ranking first in the league in both clearances and tackles and is in the top five for contested possessions.

Liberatore was last week named in the All-Australian 40-man squad for the first time in his career.

Bontempelli averaged 16 disposals and one goal across 16 games in his debut season, receiving a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination for his 22 disposal, one goal performance in the Bulldogs’ win over Collingwood in Round 13.

The 192-centimetre midfielder invariable placed runner-up by one vote in polling for the 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star Award to Brisbane’s Lewis Taylor.

Western Bulldogs pair Jack Macre and Luke Dahlhaus were both named in the initial 40-man squad for the 2014 22under22 team, but missed selection in the final side.