Sydney Swans young guns Tom Mitchell and Luke Parker have been named in the 2015 AFL Players’ Association 22Under22 squad.
The 22Under22 concept was introduced in 2013 to recognise the best young talent in the competition, as decided by the fans. To be eligible for this year’s team, players must be aged 22 or younger on Grand Final Day this year.
Mitchell and Parker have been picked in the initial 47-man squad selected by the AFL Players’ Association Board.
The final 22Under22 team will be decided by fans, with the AFL Players’ Association calling on all footy fans to cast their votes by liking the AFL Players’ Facebook page and selecting a 22Under22 team from the 47-man squad.
Melbourne forward Chris Dawes, one of the AFL Players’ board-members given the task of selecting the initial squad, says he’s amazed by the quality of young talent he comes up against each weekend.
“It takes time to find your feet at AFL level, so it’s really astounding what these guys have been able to do – not just to get games but come in and perform well in games.
“A lot of the guys in this squad are fast becoming their team’s most important player.”
This year’s 22Under22 squad has at least one nominee from each AFL club, with Mitchell and Parker in the running for the Swans.
Parker won Sydney's best and fairest in 2014 and was having another standout season before he broke his leg against Collingwood in round 20. The 22-year-old was ranked in the AFL's top 20 for clearances and contested possessions for the season before he was injured. He continued his solid goalkicking form, too, with 18 majors from 19 games.
Ball magnet Mitchell has played a career-high 15 games this year and averaged more than 26 touches per game. He had 41 touches, one goal, and eight tackles in the clash against Collingwood in which Parker went down.
The final 22Under22 team will be announced at the AFL Players’ MVP Awards on Tuesday, September 15.
You can vote for Mitchell and Parker by submitting your 22Under22 team via the AFL Players’ Facebook page before Wednesday, September 9. Everyone who enters a team will have a chance to win the ultimate 22Under22 prize-pack.