Five Bulldogs have been named in the preliminary squad of 47-players for the AFL Players’ Association’s 2015 #22Under22 team.
The Bulldogs contingent of five - Marcus Bontempelli, Jake Stringer, Jack Macrae, Mitch Wallis and Jason Johannisen – is the equal second most number of players selected from one club in the squad.
The GWS Giants have six players included, while Collingwood also has five players nominated.
The fan-voted 22Under22 concept was launched in 2013 to honour the young stars of the game, and recognises the AFL’s best players aged 22 and under for the entire AFL season (including finals).
The AFL Players’ Association Board, led by President Matthew Pavlich, has picked a preliminary squad of 47 players, from which the footy public will decide the final team by voting via the AFL Players’ Facebook page.
Voting closes on Wednesday, 9 September with the final #22Under22 team to be announced at the 2015 AFL Players’ MVP Awards on Tuesday 15 September.
Two Bulldogs were selected in the 2014 iteration of the #22Under22 Team, with Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore gaining inclusion via the popular vote.
Bontempelli and Stringer would be highly favoured amongst the nominated Bulldogs for inclusion in the final team selected by popular vote.
Both rank within the top 100 players in the competition by the Official AFL Player Ratings – two of only nine players in the selected squad to do so.
Stringer has been nominated as a forward in the #22Under22 squad, currently sitting sixth on the Coleman Medal leaderboard, having kicked 49-goals from his 19-games in 2015.
Bontempelli, recipient of the AFLPA’s Best First Year Player Award last season, has continued where he left off in his debut season, averaging 20.5 disposals from his 18-games to date, and is ranked #13 in the league for inside 50s.
Macrae has again prolific through the midfield in 2015, building on the 2014 season that saw him place runner-up in the Sutton Medal to eventual winner Tom Liberatore.
The 21-year-old has averaged 27.1 disposals per match (=#16 in the AFL) in 2015.
Wallis has emerged as the Bulldogs’ number one clearance player (=#17 in the AFL) in the absence of Tom Liberatore, and is second to only Carlton’s Patrick Cripps of the nominated #22under22 squad.
Meanwhile, Johannisen has been touted as a possible All-Australian squad inclusion, forming part of the Dogs’ eye-catching fleet of rebounding half-backs, including Robert Murphy, Easton Wood and Matthew Boyd.
Averaging a career-high 20.2 disposals per game in 2015, Johannisen has been an influential line-breaking, metres gained player for the Club, ranked #7 in the competition for bounces, highlighting his ability to run and carry the ball from defence.
The complete list of the 47 nominated players can be found below. All AFL Clubs are represented in the squad, with at least one player from each team selected in the group.
VOTE NOW: Help vote the five Bulldogs players into the #22Under22 Team by clicking here to select your team on the AFL Players' Association Facebook Page
Adelaide – Rory Laird, Jake Lever, Charlie Cameron
Brisbane Lions – Marco Paparone, Justin Clarke, Lewis Taylor
Carlton – Sam Docherty, Patrick Cripps
Collingwood – Tom Langdon, Marley Williams, Jack Crisp, Taylor Adams, Brodie Grundy
Essendon – Zach Merett, Joe Daniher
Fremantle – Lachie Neale
Geelong – Cory Gregson
Gold Coast – Kade Kolodjashnij, Adam Saad, Tom Lynch
GWS Giants – Adam Treloar, Dylan Shiel, Stephen Coniglio, Devon Smith, Jeremy Cameron, Cam McCarthy
Hawthorn – Bradley Hill
Melbourne - Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw, Jesse Hogan
North Melbourne – Ben Brown
Port Adelaide – Jack Hombsch, Ollie Wines, Chad Wingard
Richmond – Nick Vlaustin, Bradon Ellis,
St Kilda – Jack Newnes, Billy Longer
Sydney Swans – Tom Mitchell, Luke Parker
West Coast Eagles – Elliot Yeo, Dom Sheed
Western Bulldogs – Jason Johannisen, Jack Macrae, Mitch Wallis, Marcus Bontempelli, Jake Stringer
