Gary Ablett stocks as the games best player continued to soar in Melbourne on Monday night, when the GC SUNS skipper was named in the All Australian team for the sixth consecutive season.
In claiming his All Australian selection, Ablett was named as Rover in the 2012 team and was also awarded with the Vice Captaincy honour.
Ablett said he was humbled by the honour.
It’s fantastic to be recognised with All Australian selection and I am extremely humble to be named in the team along with so many great players.
Ablett sixth consecutive selection is the longest run of any current player and equalling the six-year runs of Stephen Kernahan between 1985-90, Robert Harvey between 1994-1999 and Nathan Buckley between 1996-2001 as the best run of selection of any player in history.
Ablett’s six selections also equalled the mark of Dean Cox, Matthew Pavlich, Chris Judd and the recently-retired Matthew Scarlett as the most of any current player, and leaves him just two short of father Gary’s amazing record of eight All Australian selections.
Arguably the best player in the game, Ablett took his game to a new level in 2012, the SUNS skipper contesting twenty games to finish the regular season with 389 kicks (first in the AFL), 61 marks, 287 handballs (tenth in the AFL), averaging 19.5 kicks, 3.1 marks, 14.4 handballs. Second in the AFL in total disposals. 26 goals, 19 behinds. 132 clearances (ninth in the AFL), 101 inside 50m (ninth in the AFL), 61 rebound 50m. 110 tackles.
2012 ALL AUSTRALIAN TEAM
B: Sean Dempster (St Kida), Luke McPharline (Frem), Darren Glass (WCE - Captain)
HB: Beau Waters(WCE), Ted Richards (Syd), Grant Birchall (Haw)
C: Trent Cotchin (Rich), Jobe Watson (Ess), Dayne Beams (Coll)
HF: Patrick Dangerfield (Adel), Lance Franklin (Haw), Cyril Rioli (Haw)
F: Stephen Milne (St Kilda), Tom Hawkins (Gee), Dean Cox (WCE)
Foll: Nic Naitanui (WC), Scott Thompson (Adel), Gary Ablett (GC - Vice Captain)
Inter: Brett Deledio (Rich), Josh Kennedy (Syd) , Scott Pendlebury (Coll), Dane Swan (Coll)