David King has peered longingly into his crystal ball ahead of the 2022 season.
The North Melbourne champion has dug deep to predict what he believes will be the All-Australian 22 this year.
King made the selections on SEN Breakfast alongside new All-Australian selector Kane Cornes, explaining his choices for each position.
See Kingy’s full 2022 AA team below:
BP: Jake Lever (Melbourne)
FB: Jacob Weitering (Carlton)
BP: Brandon Starcevich (Brisbane)
“You’ve got to have the number one intercept marker straight in and that would be Lever.
“You’ve got to have the best full-back and I think that will be Weitering, in the second year cycle.
“Starcevich I’ve got in there as the best lockdown defender in the competition. Want a problem diffused, go to the best lockdown defender.
“I think you’ve got to have those types in.”
HBF: Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
CHB: Harris Andrews (Brisbane)
HBF: Christian Salem (Melbourne)
“You can have two aggressive half-back flankers and I’m putting Pendlebury in there automatically, I think he’ll have a fantastic year across half-back.
“Salem is part of the second year cycle after a brilliant year last year. He’ll have another good year this year.
“Harris Andrews has been fantastic and has been there before. He was banged up last year, so I’m putting him back in at centre half-back.”
W: Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane)
C: Sam Walsh (Carlton)
W: Karl Amon (Port Adelaide)
“I’m going to choose wingmen just for a novel change.
“I’m going to say McCluggage, who has two or three good years now, you’ll finally recognise him.
“I’ve got Karl Amon on the other wing. He might play a bit of midfield which might ruin me a little bit.
“You may only have to pick one wingman, but you’ve got to have one that’s played there remotely throughout the year.
“One of them has to be a classic wingman in 2022.
“I’ve got Walsh in the guts. I think he’ll have a fantastic season.”
HFF: Christian Petracca (Melbourne)
CHF: Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)
HFF: Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
“Across half-forward you’ll hide two midfielders, I’ve got Petracca and Bontempelli.
“I think Jeremy Cameron is going to have a huge season.”
FP: Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)
FF: Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs)
FP: Zac Bailey (Brisbane)
“I’ve got Zak Butters and Zac Bailey as my small forwards.
“Aaron Naughton at full-forward. I think he’ll win the Coleman this year just through sheer weight of supply.”
Ruck: Sean Darcy (Fremantle)
RR: Dustin Martin (Richmond)
Rov: Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
“In the ruck I’ve got Sean Darcy. Second year cycle, same thing again.
“Dusty Martin will bounce back and Clayton Oliver on-ball.”
I/C: Darcy Parish (Essendon) / Jack Steele (St Kilda) / Touk Miller (Gold Coast) / Callum Mills (Sydney)
“The bench is pretty simple.
“Darcy Parish, Jack Steele and Touk Miller were all there last year. They’ll dominate through weight of possessions.
“I’ve put Callum Mills in, second year cycle, not recognised last year, will be recognised this year.
“I’ve only got one ruck in there. I think that’s the way you can get around having the extra midfielder not boning the half-forward flankers.”