1986 All Australian team - error?

[Back One Out]

Can any of you history buffs help me out with this...?

I was looking at past All Australian teams, the old ones based on the State of Origin games in the 1980's. Something didn't really add up with the players listed for 1986. For starters, there are 23 players named, not the expected 20 players. It's also loaded with midfielders. There are virtually no key position players, forwards or defenders

1986 All Australian team
SA: Michael Aish (vice captain), Craig Bradley, Andrew Jarman, Stephen Kernahan, Chris McDermott, Mark Naley, John Platten
Vic: Gerard Healy, Brian Royal, Kevin Walsh, Dale Weightman, Greg Williams
WA: Gary Buckenara, Brad Hardie, Laurie Keene, Andrew MacNish, Steve Malaxos, Michael Mitchell, Phil Narkle, Brian Peake (captain), Maurice Rioli, Robert Wiley, Peter Wilson
Coach: Ron Alexander

One ruckman: Laurie Keene (they usually picked at least two rucks, sometimes three)
One key forward: Steve Kernahan
One key defender: Kevin Walsh
One back pocket: Brad Hardie

All the rest of the players are ruck rovers, rovers, centremen, wingmen and half forward flankers. I suppose you could slot Michael Aish and Chris McDermott on the half back flanks and put Peter Wilson in a back pocket, although that doesn't seem very likely. You're still left with the dilemma of having no full back and no full forward.

This can't be the actual team. I know AA selectors like to squeeze extra mids into their teams, but this is absurd! I reckon there must've been a record-keeping error made somewhere along the line which has been replicated on a few different websites.

When I looked at the relevant page of the AFL's website, they'd listed all these same players, plus the 22 players chosen for the official "VFL team of the year" (as they do.) They put an asterisk next the names of the actual All Australians and list them twice if they were selected in both teams. e.g Greg Williams, Greg Williams*

All Australian History - AFL.com.au

All Australian team by Year: 1953 to present

www.afl.com.au

They seem to have to have left Phil Narkle's name out in their listings for 1986

Roos was definitely selected in the 1986 VFL team of the year. But on the AFL website, he has an asterisk next to his name as though he was picked in the '86 AA team. His name isn't listed twice for both teams like Williams, Healy, Weightman, Platten, Buckenara and Bradley. Nor was he listed on Wikipedia or Draftguru as an '86 All Australian.

This was the official VFL team of the year for 1986

B......Gary Ayres.........Gary Pert.........Mark Thompson
HB....Glenn Hawker.....Paul Roos.........Dennis Carroll
C......Doug Hawkins.....Greg Williams...Robert DiPierdomenico
HF....Gary Ablett.........Terry Daniher...Gary Buckenara
F......Wayne Blackwell..Brian Taylor.....Jim Krakouer

Foll...Greg Dear..........Gerard Healy.....Dale Weightman

Int... Craig Bradley.....John Platten.......Justin Madden...Dermott Brereton



Seems like one balls-up after another...

Does anyone know the All Australian team positions for 1986 and can they confirm if the selectors really did only pick 3 KPPs ?

Was Phil Narkle in there or not?

 

[35Daicos]

I think Phil Narkle being named there may be a mistake. Just looking at the 2020 AFL Season Guide, in the "National All-Australian Teams" section his name is missing from those for 1986 (he is named in 1987). There are 22 players named. They named 20 in 1985, but 22 in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

 

[35Daicos]

From the 1986 Rd. 16 Football Record:

 

[35Daicos]

Narkle is only named once (for 1987) on the page you provide the link to:

All Australian History - AFL.com.au

All Australian team by Year: 1953 to present

www.afl.com.au

However, it can be found in 1986 teams in a couple of other places: https://www.draftguru.com.au/awards/all-australian/1986 || https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Australian_team#1986

Looking at the 22 players named, it is clear they made no attempt to pick an actual team!

In Roos' case they obviously did make a mistake on the AFL website in putting an asterisk next to his name (for 1986), as he wasn't selected in the All-Australian Carnival/National All-Australian team, only the VFL Team of the Year.

 

[Teen Wolf]

In addition to the one posted by 35Daicos, somebody cited a good article on the All-Australian wikipedia page which said:

"The 22 players named are in line for selection in the Australian team to play an Irish team in three Gaelic football tests". Perhaps it was picked with that series in mind? However, the article does go on to say "the squad for the series is expected to be announced next week", and thus differentiating between the two concepts.

Only eleven players from that All-Australian team ended up playing in the '86 IR series, fwiw. Well before my time so that's the best I can think of.

 

[Back One Out]

From the 1986 Rd. 16 Football Record:
View attachment 940258

Brian Peake... 7 goals

He was a champion ruck rover and quite old when he played up forward in this game. I suppose they've picked him as the full forward

It's possible they only went with one ruckman.

It still doesn't explain the lack of defenders. You've got Essendon CHB, Kevin Walsh... and back pocket Brad Hardie, who had 10 goals kicked on him by Dale Weightman and Brian Royal, yet somehow he was awarded the medal for BOG and another medal for player of the series. That caused quite a stir at the time. Maybe the judges for those medals were also the AA selectors and they were sinking free beers that afternoon.

From memory, Brad Hardie did bugger all in that game. Made a couple of flashy runs late in the game. Took a few bounces. Worst Simpson Medalist ever! It was a joke that he was named BOG. I see in the newspaper article, they squeezed him in as WA's ninth best player out of sympathy

Yeah, that has to be it.. The AA selectors/Medal judges were sauced.

 

[megadeth86]

Laurie Keene sometimes played at full-forward and was very successful there.

 

[Kwality]

From the 1986 Rd. 16 Football Record:
View attachment 940258

Thats the Tuesday game only

 

[Kwality]

Brian Peake... 7 goals

He was a champion ruck rover and quite old when he played up forward in this game. I suppose they've picked him as the full forward

It's possible they only went with one ruckman.

It still doesn't explain the lack of defenders. You've got Essendon CHB, Kevin Walsh... and back pocket Brad Hardie, who had 10 goals kicked on him by Dale Weightman and Brian Royal, yet somehow he was awarded the medal for BOG and another medal for player of the series. That caused quite a stir at the time. Maybe the judges for those medals were also the AA selectors and they were sinking free beers that afternoon.

From memory, Brad Hardie did bugger all in that game. Made a couple of flashy runs late in the game. Took a few bounces. Worst Simpson Medalist ever! It was a joke that he was named BOG. I see in the newspaper article, they squeezed him in as WA's ninth best player out of sympathy

Yeah, that has to be it.. The AA selectors/Medal judges were sauced.

Wasnt 86 a 3 game series?

 

[brad5668]

There was a practice game at Bassendean Oval held before the series against Ireland began. I was able to get into the change rooms and get autographs from most of those players before the practice match. I'll scan them then upload the scans during the weekend.