The primary month of the 2026 AFL season has come and gone, and the ladder is lastly starting to take form.
This yr, we may have a rolling All-Australian staff as soon as a month with the hopes of finally naming one that’s as near the precise All-Australian staff as potential.
The principles of the ABC Sport All-Australian staff are the identical as an actual staff — a complete of 23 gamers are chosen, with 5 of them on the bench, and the staff should make sense positionally.
In fact, it is vitally early within the season, and these picks are fluid. Gamers can roll out and in of the line-up and again in all year long, so long as their kind warrants it.
With that, right here is the primary version of ABC Sport’s All-Australian staff.
B: Tom Barrass, Tom McCartin, Callum Wilkie
Hawthorn’s Tom Barrass (left), Sydney’s Tom McCartin (centre) and St Kilda’s Callum Wilkie (proper) make up the backline. (Getty Photographs)
Hawthorn is out to a powerful 3-1 begin this season, and the shutdown work of Tom Barrass in defence is a giant cause why.
The 30-year-old has already amassed 12 coaches’ votes, is third amongst all defenders, and leads the Hawks with 6.3 spoils per recreation by 4 video games.
Tom McCartin has put collectively his greatest begin to a season defensively, main a Swans defence that has conceded a league-lowest 65.8 factors by the primary month.
McCartin leads the Swans in defensive one-on-one contests (3.8 per recreation) and has gained a hair over 73 per cent of these, whereas averaging 6.5 spoils per recreation.
Callum Wilkie leads all defenders within the AFL in coaches’ votes with 18, two forward of Port Adelaide’s Aliir Aliir, after averaging 26.3 disposals and 10.5 marks per recreation.
Wilkie averages 5 one-on-one contests a recreation, and has gained a stupendous 90 per cent of these so far, and can also be averaging 10 interceptions per contest.
HB: Tom Stewart, Josh Worrell, Jack Sinclair
Geelong’s Tom Stewart (left), Adelaide’s Josh Worrell (centre) and St Kilda’s Jack Sinclair (proper) make up the halfback line. (Getty Photographs)
After ending final season injured, Tom Stewart is again to being arguably one of the best defensive quarterback within the recreation, averaging 8.5 intercept possessions per recreation.
Stewart can also be averaging 7.8 rebound 50s per recreation, is second amongst defenders, and continues to be elite at turning defence into offence instantly due to his intercepting prowess.
Josh Worrell is averaging a career-high 26.3 disposals per contest and in addition leads the league in rebound 50s (eight a recreation) amongst defenders.
He is not only a ball-winner within the again 50 both, averaging 3.5 spoils per recreation while additionally remaining undefeated in defensive one-on-one contests by 4 video games.
Jack Sinclair has amassed 31.5 disposals per recreation, in what would comfortably be a career-high mark for the two-time All-Australian.
Ross Lyon likes to toggle Sinclair by centre bounces occasionally, however he’s nonetheless very a lot a prolific again half distributor for the Saints.
C: Ed Richards, Zak Butters, Shai Bolton
The Western Bulldogs’ Ed Richards (left), Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters (centre) and Fremantle’s Shai Bolton (proper) make up the centre line. (Getty Photographs)
After profitable his first Bulldogs greatest and fairest and being named an All-Australian final season, Ed Richards has turn into one of many league’s greatest midfielders.
Richards is the main metre-eater within the Bulldogs midfield, averaging 555.3m per contest, however is simply as prolific on the within, the place he averages 5.7 clearances. He additionally averages 9.3 rating involvements per recreation, probably the most of any Canine midfielder.
Zak Butters has proven why he’s probably the most in-demand midfielder within the competitors, averaging 29.8 disposals and 7 clearances per contest.
Butters is the prototypical inside-outside twin risk within the center, averaging 9 rating involvements and 6 inside 50s per recreation. There are only a few midfielders extra damaging within the competitors, if any.
Shai Bolton did not ship as Fremantle had hoped in his first season on the membership, however has began 2026 brilliantly, recapturing his earlier All-Australian kind.
Bolton is Fremantle’s fourth-most common centre bounce attendee and is averaging a career-high in clearances per recreation (4.2), whereas additionally remaining a goal-kicking risk out of the midfield in a method Freo’s different midfielders are usually not.
HF: Isaac Heeney, Josh Treacy, Jack Gunston
Sydney’s Isaac Heeney (left), Fremantle’s Josh Treacy (centre) and Hawthorn’s Jack Gunston (proper) make up the half ahead line. (Getty Photographs)
Isaac Heeney stays probably the most harmful midfield-forward within the competitors, and has kicked eight objectives in three video games whereas averaging 20.7 disposals per contest.
Heeney leads the Swans in coaches’ votes with 16 and is averaging 8.3 rating involvements per recreation.
Josh Treacy has been the headline act in a power-packed Fremantle ahead line, kicking 14 objectives in his first 4 video games, together with two consecutive four-goal hauls.
Treacy has pulled down 8.8 marks per contest, a determine which incorporates 4 marks inside 50 per recreation, main the way in which for the Dockers.
Jack Gunston continues to defy Father Time and finds himself second on the AFL’s goalkicking record with 16 majors by 4 matches.
Whereas Gunston’s excellence in entrance of purpose rightly earns all of the plaudits, he’s additionally an professional at utilizing his physique to create house inside 50 for his teammates.
F: Kysaiah Pickett, Ben King, Christian Petracca
Melbourne’s Kysaiah Pickett (left) and Gold Coast duo Ben King (centre) and Christian Petracca (proper) make up the ahead line. (Getty Photographs)
Kysaiah Pickett has been dynamite to start out the 2026 season, and is a serious cause why a new-look Melbourne aspect has stunned the league.
Pickett is averaging 23.2 disposals, six inside 50s and 4.8 clearances per recreation, all career-high marks, and has additionally kicked a purpose in every of his first 4 video games.
Ben King has been threatening to tear the competitors aside for years and is lastly delivering on that promise, kicking 19 objectives by the primary 4 matches.
King has elevated his objectives tally in every of the final 4 years, topping out a career-best 71 objectives final yr, and appears set to smash that quantity once more this yr.
Christian Petracca was Gold Coast’s massive addition final yr, and had supercharged an already explosive line-up earlier than his hamstring harm.
Petracca is averaging 25.7 disposals and a league-leading 12 rating involvements per recreation, whereas additionally averaging 4.3 clearances in fewer midfield minutes in comparison with his prime Demons days.
FOLL: Max Gawn, Marcus Bontempelli, Nick Daicos
Melbourne’s Max Gawn (left), the Western Bulldogs’ Marcus Bontempelli (centre) and Collingwood’s Nick Daicos (proper) make up the followers line. (Getty Photographs)
Max Gawn is properly on observe to make a record-breaking ninth All-Australian staff after a dominant first month of soccer.
Gawn is averaging 22.5 disposals and 5.5 clearances per recreation, each career-highs, in addition to 38.5 hitouts per recreation — his highest mark since 2019.
Marcus Bontempelli is on the peak of his powers and has been on the coronary heart of the Bulldogs’ early-season dominance, averaging 29.2 disposals per recreation whereas kicking eight objectives in 4 video games.
Bontempelli is surrounded by a powerful midfield group, which suggests the Bulldogs can use him extra usually contained in the ahead 50, the place he’s a match-up nightmare for any defender.
Nick Daicos is fourth within the league in coaches’ votes and has single-handedly stored Collingwood afloat by the early a part of the season.
Daicos is the league-leader in disposals per recreation (36.7) and can also be averaging 9 inside 50s, 8.7 rating involvements and 4.7 clearances per recreation.
INT: Brodie Grundy, Nick Watson, Will Ashcroft, Caleb Serong, Matt Kennedy
Sydney’s Brodie Grundy (left), Hawthorn’s Nick Watson (centre left), Brisbane’s Will Ashcroft (centre proper) and Fremantle’s Caleb Serong (proper) are the primary 4 gamers on the bench. (Getty Photographs)
Brodie Grundy has turn into underrated attributable to his metronomic degree of consistency, however his numbers are roughly proper according to his All-Australian years.
Grundy is averaging a purpose a recreation to associate with 18 disposals and leads the league with 12.3 hitouts to benefit per recreation. He’s additionally averaging 3.8 stoppage clearances per recreation, the third most of any ruckman.
Nick Watson is arguably probably the most damaging small ahead within the competitors, having kicked 10 objectives in 4 matches, probably the most of any non-key place ahead.
Watson additionally averages probably the most tackles (3.3) and second-most stress acts (11) out of anybody ranked top-10 in goalkicking thus far this season.
After profitable the final two Norm Smith Medals, it lastly looks like Will Ashcroft is the highest canine in Brisbane’s high-powered midfield.
Bulldogs midfielder Matt Kennedy is the fifth participant on the interchange bench after a wonderful begin to the season. (Getty Photographs: Daniel Pockett)
Ashcroft is averaging career-highs in disposals (29.5) and clearances (seven) per recreation, in addition to 4.3 inside 50s and 5.5 rating involvements.
Caleb Serong has all the time been a dependable ball-winner, however he is making the possessions pay dividends on the scoreboard this season.
Serong’s 7.8 rating involvements per recreation is comfortably a career-high mark, and he is additionally racked up a career-high 527.8m gained by his first 4 matches this season.
Matt Kennedy has been a revelation this season for the Bulldogs, averaging 30 disposals, eight rating involvements and eight clearances per recreation.
Kennedy’s emergence as a professional inside pressure has allowed the Bulldogs’ different stars to thrive, and he’s a giant cause why the Canine are second within the league in clearances per recreation.
