Lance Franklin, Josh Kennedy, Nick Malceski and Nick Smith have been named in the final team, which equals the club’s record for All-Australians in a season, which was previously achieved in 2006 (Craig Bolton, Adam Goodes, Barry Hall, Ryan O’Keefe), 1997 (Paul Roos, Michael O’Loughlin, Paul Kelly, Daryn Cresswell) and 1987 (Gerard Healy, Bernard Toohey, Greg Williams, Craig Holden).
Speaking to sydneyswans.com.au about the team’s announcement, senior coach John Longmire said it was an outstanding achievement for all four players selected in this year’s team.
“It’s fantastic to be able to have some of those individual honours go our way,” Longmire said.
“Whilst we sort of preach and talk every week about the team aspect, it’s good to be able to have that recognition for individual players.
“When those players play their roles, it makes everyone better players, so it’s good to see those players recognised.
“It’s just a fantastic achievement.”
Franklin, who also earned All-Australian honours for Hawthorn in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, has enjoyed a stellar first season in the red and white, with the star forward taking out the Coleman Medal with 67 goals in the regular season.
The 27-year-old also averaged over 16 disposals, six marks and three tackles per game, and has regularly been a match-winner for the Swans in 2014.
Longmire said Franklin’s ability to step up in big games has been a bonus for the Swans.
“There has been a lot discussed about his year, and he’s just been consistent and able to play well for the entire year,” the coach said.
“His ability to play well when needed and to play both sides of the ball, either offensively or defensively, has been a real credit to him and he’s fitted in really well.”
Kennedy, who earned his first All-Australian cap in 2012, has again had a standout year as one of the club’s most consistent players.
Despite missing the last two matches of the season, Kennedy averaged 28.6 disposals this year, including 16.1 contested possessions, as well as 6.4 clearances and 4.4 stoppages per game.
“Josh has developed into one of the top-line midfielders in the competition,” Longmire said.
“His consistency highlights him from a lot of other midfielders because he’s able to play at a consistently high level and he’s got a high-baseline game, which means he doesn’t drop too far down.
“His ability around the stoppages and his clean hands, but also his all-round game, is just at the level now where you know what you’re going to get from him every week.”
After being named in the extended All-Australian squad on three previous occasions, Malceski has at last been rewarded with a place in the final 22.
The silky defender has had an outstanding season in 2014, which has seen him lead the competition for rebound-50s, averaging 5.2 per match, and metres gained.
After falling short on a few occasions, Longmire said Malceski thoroughly deserved selection this season.
“He’s been nominated in the All-Australian squad of 40 a few times now and this has been his most consistent season,” he said.
“He’s had good patches of seasons, but this has been his most consistent season at a high level for a whole year, and he very much deserves to be All-Australian.”
Smith has also earned his first selection following another impressive year taking on shut-down roles on the competition’s best small forwards.
“It’s a terrific recognition for Nick,” Longmire said.
“He plays one of the toughest roles in the game playing in that small, lock-down defender role and playing on some of the best opposition forwards in the game, and his ability to do that consistently well has been of a really high standard for a long time.
“It’s fantastic for him to be able to get that type of recognition because he is very much a team man and he’s very humble about how he goes about his business.”
The four Swans players, who will line up in Friday night’s preliminary final clash against North Melbourne at ANZ Stadium, were unable to travel to Melbourne for the All-Australian announcement but spoke to SwansTV about their selection:
Lance Franklin on his All-Australian selection
“Obviously it’s a great achievement and is something I’ll look back on when I finish my career with great pride,” Franklin said.
“It’s probably been noted that my start to the season wasn’t as good as I would have liked, but I think from round four or five onwards I had a pretty consistent season.”
Nick Malceski’s thoughts on Franklin
“It’s a fantastic effort,” Malceski said.
“I think it’s his fifth now, and he won the Coleman as well, so it’s well deserved and he’s had a really good year.”
Josh Kennedy on his All-Australian selection
“I’m pretty proud,” he said.
“Obviously it’s a great achievement and to have three other team mates in it as well is great for the club.
“Without thinking too much about it, (this year’s) been pretty consistent and hopefully in a few more weeks I’ll be able to reminisce and delve into it a little bit more and see where I can improve and all that sort of stuff.
“At the moment, it’s going pretty well and it’s pretty hard to look back when we’ve hopefully got two big weeks coming up.”
Lance Franklin’s thoughts on Kennedy
“I’ve been fortunate enough to know Josh since he was 17 years of age and I’ve seen him grow as a player,” Franklin said.
“I think in the last three to four years he’s put together some really consistent football and this season yet again he played some really consistent football.”
Nick Smith on his All-Australian selection
“I’m definitely very honoured to be in the side,” he said.
“It’s not something I’ve thought about too much, but we’ve got a few big weeks ahead, but definitely it’s something I’ll look back on and will be really proud of.
“My season has been pretty consistent so far.
“I guess you try and play consistently week in, week out and hopefully the weeks roll around and you can keep that consistently up.
“I think I’ve been able to do that this season.”
Josh Kennedy’s thoughts on Smith
“(Smith) is someone we hold really highly within the football club, and it’s great that the football community have finally seen that,” Kennedy said.
“He’s one of our most consistent and reliable players and (his selection) is certainly well deserved.”
Nick Malceski on his All-Australian selection
“It’s nice to get recognised that you’ve had a good year, and we’ve had three other blokes in our team who got in, so it’s very good,” he said.
“We’ve played well as a team. We started pretty slow after the fourth round, but we got going after that, so it’s been a good year to get to where we are and to be minor premiers.”
Nick Smith’s thoughts on Malceski
“Mal’s been in the squad before and he’s just missed out,” Smith said.
“Having lived with him for a long time, he was really disappointed when he didn’t make the side a few years ago.
“It’s well deserved for a bloke who’s had three knee reconstructions and to be able to make the All-Australian team at 30 is a great effort by him.”
Sydney Swans All-Australian Player Stats
Lance Franklin: All Australian 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012. 19 games in 2014. 226 kicks, 116 marks, 86 handballs, averaging 11.9 kicks, 6.1 marks, 4.5 handballs. 67 Goals (first in the AFL), 44 Behinds. 10 Clearances, 76 Inside 50m, Two Rebound 50m. 60 Tackles.
Josh Kennedy: All Australian 2012. 20 games in 2014. 243 kicks, 63 marks, 336 handballs (second in the AFL in handballs and tenth in the AFL in total disposals), averaging 12.1 kicks, 3.1 marks, 16.8 handballs. 12 Goals, 18 Behinds. 126 Clearances (eighth in the AFL), 91 Inside 50 (tenth in the AFL), 16 Rebound 50m. 114 Tackles.
Nick Smith: Never Previously All Australian. 20 games in 2014. 165 kicks, 75 marks, 145 handballs, averaging 8.2 kicks, 3.8 marks, 7.2 handballs. Zero Goals, One Behind. 12 Clearances, Six Inside 50m, 53 Rebound 50m. 53 Tackles
Nick Malceski: Never Previously All Australian. 21 games in 2014. 390 kicks (first in the AFL), 84 marks, 130 handballs, averaging 17.6 kicks, 4.0 marks, 6.2 handballs. Eight Goals, Six Behinds. 24 Clearances, 80 Inside 50, 107 Rebound 50m. 64 Tackles.
