CARLTON vice-captain Patrick Cripps has been named in the 2018 Virgin Australian AFL All Australian squad, as revealed by the AFL on Monday morning.

This marks the midfielder’s first appearance in the initial 40-man squad, with the final team to be announced on Wednesday 29 August in Melbourne.

Under the format introduced in 2007, the All Australian selectors were not asked to nominate the leading players in each section of the field – forwards, defenders and midfielders / ruckmen – but simply to name the best players of the season 

As the Blues’ 2015 John Nicholls Medallist, ‘Crippa’ has been a shining light for Carlton this season, smashing statistical records, mentoring his younger teammates and taking his game to a new level.

At the conclusion of the 23-round competition, the 23-year-old ranked No.1 at the Club for disposals, contested possessions, handballs, clearances, score involvements and effective disposals, while also ranked second for tackles behind fellow midfielder Ed Curnow. 

On Saturday night Cripps broke the record for most contested possessions in a home and away season, amassing 388 to surpass Patrick Dangerfield’s 385 set in 2017.

Not surprisingly, with an average of 17.64 contested possessions per game, he topped the league in this statistical category and narrowly finished behind Tom Mitchell for the most clearances in the AFL this season.   

The All Australian selection panel is Gillon McLachlan (chairman), Kevin Bartlett, Luke Darcy, Danny Frawley, Steve Hocking, Glen Jakovich, Chris Johnson, Cameron Ling, Matthew Richardson and Warren Tredrea, while the All Australian selectors, along with Kevin Sheehan, also choose the winner of the NAB AFL Rising Star Award.

Selection bio: Patrick Cripps, Carlton. Never previously All Australian. 22 games in 2018. 259 kicks, 92 marks, 393 handballs (Fourth in the AFL in total handballs and fourth in the AFL in total disposals) averaging 11.8 kicks, 4.2 marks, 17.9 handballs. 11 Goals, 15 Behinds. 170 clearances (Second in the AFL in total clearances), 85 Inside 50m, 29 Rebound 50m. 138 tackles (Equal Seventh in the AFL in total tackles).