![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZeroHanger_GamesCentre.png.webp.webp\"\/)
<\/a><\/p>\nA combination of established AFL<\/a> stars and youngsters on the rise headline our predicted 2030 All-Australian team.<\/p>\n The team has been selected based on current output at AFL<\/a> level, age profile and scope for improvement.<\/p>\n Here’s what the All-Australian team could look like in five years…<\/p>\n Defenders<\/p>\n Generational key defender Sam Taylor<\/a> shapes as one of the safer future All-Australian projections. Already regarded as the premier key defender in the game at 26, Taylor combines elite one-on-one defending with a strong intercept game and still has plenty of elite football ahead of him.<\/p>\n Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n Crows left-footer Josh Worrell<\/a> enjoyed a breakout 2025 campaign and quickly established himself as one of the competition’s most reliable hybrid defenders. Arguably unlucky to miss All-Australian selection in 2025, Worrell’s ability to take big matchups, read the play and use the ball well by foot make him an ideal third tall.<\/p>\n 22-year-old dual premiership defender Darcy Wilmot<\/a> has established himself as one of the more reliable defenders across the competition. Courageous, quick and skilful, he has quickly become one of the league’s best defensive prospects and looks bound to become an All-Australian calibre defender at some point.<\/p>\n Despite emerging as a prominent midfielder in the past two seasons, Bulldog Ed Richards<\/a> could find himself back across half-back as he approaches his early 30s. His line-breaking speed and lethal left foot could make him a weapon in the Bulldogs’ defensive half late in his career.<\/p>\n Connor O’Sullivan<\/a> has become one of the most promising key defenders in the AFL<\/a>. The 20-year-old played all but one game in 2025 while regularly matching up on the league’s best forwards, defending strongly and demonstrating an ability to pick off opposition high balls with his size and athleticism.<\/p>\n Dashing defender Archie Roberts<\/a> enjoyed a superb second season in the AFL<\/a> system, finishing runner-up in Essendon’s best and fairest at just 20. A smooth-moving left footer, he brings composure, class and line-breaking ability out of defence and looms as a future All-Australian rebounding defender.<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A combination of established AFL stars and youngsters on the rise headline our predicted 2030 All-Australian…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":424137,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-424136","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424136","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=424136"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/424136\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/424137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=424136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=424136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=424136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}