Young gun Lachie Neale has been named in the 2015 AFL Players’ Association 22Under22 squad.
The 22Under22 concept was introduced in 2013 to recognise the best young talent in the competition, as decided by the fans.
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To be eligible for this year’s team, players must be aged 22 or younger on Grand Final Day this year.
Neale has been picked in the initial 47-man squad selected by the AFL Players’ Association Board.
The final 22Under22 team will be decided by fans, with the AFL Players’ Association calling on all footy fans to cast their votes by liking the AFL Players’ Facebook page and selecting a 22Under22 team from the 47-man squad.
Record Neale-y there
Melbourne forward Chris Dawes, one of the AFL Players’ board-members given the task of selecting the initial squad, says he’s amazed by the quality of young talent he comes up against each weekend.
“It takes time to find your feet at AFL level, so it’s really astounding what these guys have been able to do – not just to get games but come in and perform well in games.
“A lot of the guys in this squad are fast becoming their team’s most important player.”
This year’s 22Under22 squad has at least one nominee from each AFL club, with Neale selected from Fremantle.
Brereton's high praise for Neale
The 22-year-old stepped up another gear this season, backing up his breakout 2014 and becoming a key cog in Fremantle’s experienced midfield. Neale announced himself early in the year with a monstrous 42 disposals and three goals against premiership hopefuls West Coast in Round 3 – a performance that earned him a second Ross Glendinning Medal.
The final 22Under22 team will be announced at the AFL Players’ MVP Awards on Tuesday 15 September.
You can vote for Neale by submitting your 22Under22 team via the AFL Players’ Facebook page before Wednesday 9 September. Everyone who enters a team will have a chance to win the ultimate 22Under22 prize pack.
