Sydney Swans forward Lance Franklin is in line to join Adam Goodes and Greg Williams as the most recognised Swans players by the All-Australian selectors and claim a place among the game’s truly elite in this much-valued recognition category.

While Jake Lloyd is in contention to be the 38^th Swans player to be selected in the AFL’s official team of the year after being named alongside Franklin in today’s preliminary 40-man squad.

It is a record 11^th time Franklin has been nominated for the prestigious honour, ahead of Geelong’s Joel Selwood and Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury who have both been nominated nine times.

Franklin, who’s received All-Australian honours while wearing red and white in 2014, 2016 and 2017, will match the four-time selections of Goodes (2003, ’06, ’09 and ‘11) and Williams (1986, ’87, ’88 and ‘89) if included in the 22-player team announced on Wednesday night.

Having also won All-Australian selections in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012 when playing with Hawthorn, Franklin is set to become just the seventh player in the game’s history recognised in this fashion in eight or more different years.

Craig Bradley and Stephen Kernahan head this list with nine apiece, with Gary Ablett Snr, Gary Ablett Jnr, Paul Roos and Robert Harvey on eight.

Like Franklin, John Platten, Nathan Buckley, Wayne Carey and Stephen Silvagni were All-Australians in seven different years.

Greg Williams, Simon Madden, Terry Daniher, Ben Cousins, Dean Cox, Corey Enright, Chris Judd, Tony Lockett, Brad Johnson and Matthew Pavlich have been All-Australian in six different years.

Minor premiers Richmond dominate the 2018 All-Australian squad with eight players, while only Gold Coast and St Kilda are not represented. The squad is:

Adelaide: Rory Laird
Brisbane: Harris Andrews, Dayne Beams
Carlton: Patrick Cripps
Collingwood: Jordan deGoey, Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom
Essendon: Devon Smith
Fremantle: Lachie Neale
Geelong: Mark Blicavs, Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Hawkins, Tom Stewart
GWS: Callan Ward, Lachie Whitfield
Hawthorn: Luke Breust, Jack Gunston, Tom Mitchell
Melbourne: Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver
North Melbourne: Ben Brown, Shaun Higgins
Port Adelaide: Robbie Gray, Tom Jonas
Richmond: Josh Caddy, Trent Cotchin, Shane Edwards, Dylan Grimes, Kane Lambert, Dustin Martin, Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt
Sydney: Lance Franklin, Jake Lloyd
West Coast: Andrew Gaff, Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern, Elliot Yeo
Western Bulldogs: Jack Macrae

This is all part of something of a mixed All-Australian selection history in AFL ranks.

The concept was pioneered by ‘Sporting Life’ magazine, who had a panel of experts select a squad from all footballing states each year from 1947 to 1955. These are not considered official selections by the AFL.

After the 1953 Australian Carnival in Adelaide, the first official All-Australian team was selected purely on performances at the carnival. This continued after each series until the 1988 Bi-Centennial Championships in Adelaide.

In 1982 the first AFL Team of the Year was chosen by the Victorian selectors before the advent of the national competition saw this concept changed to become known as the AFL All-Australian team from 1991.

Since 2007, the All-Australian selectors have announced a 40-man squad before the 22-player team is confirmed.

So, totals listed above discount not unusual cases in which a player was chosen All-Australian twice in the same year – after a carnival and in the team of the year; like Greg Williams in 1986 and 1987.

The Swans have enjoyed a rich recent history in the All-Australian arena, winning  more spots than any other club in the last seven years during the coaching reign of John Longmire.

And no player has won more All-Australian jumpers than Franklin.

Since 2011, Franklin, captain Josh Kennedy and Dan Hannebery have earned three All-Australian selections each to lead the club’s total of 15. Luke Parker, Dane Rampe, Nick Smith, Kieren Jack and Jarrad McVeigh, plus the retired Goodes and Ted Richards, picked up one All-Australian guernsey in the same period.

The club total of 15 puts the Swans two ahead of Hawthorn – and that’s with Franklin earning two All-Australian jumpers for Hawthorn in 2011 and 12 in that period before heading to Sydney in 2014.

Geelong (14), West Coast (14), Collingwood (13), Adelaide (13) and Richmond (10) are next best in total All-Australian selections since 2011.

Patrick Dangerfield, with three All-Australian guernseys at Adelaide followed by two at Geelong, is the only player to match Franklin’s five in this period. And like Franklin, he is in line for another one this year.

Hall of Famer Graham John was the first Swans player to win All-Australian selection in 1966 after the national carnival. The full list is:

Ackerley, David – 1982, 1984*
Barry, Leo – 2004, 2005
Bayes, Mark – 1989
Bolton, Craig – 2006, 2009
Browning, Mark – 1983
Carroll, Dennis – 1986
Cresswell, Daryn – 1997
Evans, Bernie – 1984
Franklin, Lance – 2014, 2016, 2017
Goodes, Adam – 2003, 2006, 2009, 2011
Hall, Barry – 2004, 2005, 2006
Hanneberry, Dan – 2013, 2015, 2016
Healy, Gerard – 1986*, 1987*, 1988*
Holden, Craig – 1987*
Jack, Kieren – 2013
John, Graeme – 1966*
Kelly, Paul – 1995, 1996, 1997
Kennedy, Josh – 2012, 2014, 2016
Kirk, Brett – 2004
Lockett, Tony – 1995, 1996, 1998
Malceski, Nick – 2014
McVeigh, Jarrad – 2013
Mitchell, Barry – 1988, 1991
Murphy, David – 1988*
O’Keefe, Ryan – 2006
O’Loughlin, Michael – 1997, 2000
Parker, Luke – 2016
Rampe, Dean – 2016
Richards, Ted – 2012
Roberts, John – 1980*
Roos, Paul – 1996, 1997
Schwass, Wayne – 1999
Smith, Greg – 1982
Smith, Nick – 2014
Toohey, Bernard – 1987*
Williams, Greg – 1986*, 1987*, 1988, 1989
Williams, Paul – 2003Ho
* Denotes players chosen All-Australian following a national carnival.   

Since 2007 the All-Australian selectors have named a 40-man preliminary squad.

Swans players chosen in the squad without winning final selection have been:

Bolton, Craig – 2007
Goodes, Adam – 2010
Jack, Kieren – 2012
Jetta, Lewis – 2012
Kennedy, Josh – 2013, 2015, 2017
Kirk, Brett – 2007, 2008
Malceski, Nick – 2007, 2010, 2013
Mumford, Shane – 2010
O’Keefe – Ryan – 2008
Parker, Luke - 2014