SYDNEY superstar Lance Franklin has joined rare air by being named as the captain of the 2018 AFL All-Australian side.

Incredibly it is the eighth time the forward has been named an All-Australian. It is his fourth All-Australian award as a Swan, with four coming in his time at Hawthorn.

But it is perhaps even more notable that Franklin has been named as the team’s captain, as it is just the third time in the last decade the All-Australian captain has not also been a club captain.

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Alex Rance was named skipper last year while in 2010, Luke Hodge was named All-Australian captain, just before taking the mantle at Hawthorn.

Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield was named as vice-captain of the team in his sixth All-Australian nomination, with his teammate Tom Stewart one of the big surprises in gaining his first. It is just Stewart’s second season at AFL level.

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Reigning premiers and 2018 minor premiers Richmond led the team with four players named - Alex Rance, Dustin Martin, Jack Riewoldt and Shane Edwards.

West Coast and Hawthorn each provided three players - Shannon Hurn, Jeremy McGovern and Andrew Gaff for the Eagles, and Jack Gunston, Luke Breust and Tom Mitchell for the Hawks.

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Collingwood and Melbourne each had a pair of players named - Brodie Grundy and Steele Sidebottom for the former, and Max Gawn and Clayton Oliver for the latter - with two ruckmen being named in the side.

Adelaide (Rory Laird), Greater Western Sydney (Lachie Whitfield), Sydney (Franklin), Port Adelaide (Robbie Gray) and North Melbourne (Shaun Higgins) all had one player named, while even 2-20 Carlton provided an All-Australian this year in the form of young star Patrick Cripps.

Ten players were named as an All-Australian for the first time - Cripps, Grundy, Sidebottom, Stewart, Whitfield, Gunston, Oliver, Higgins, Edwards and Hurn.

THE 2018 AFL ALL-AUSTRALIAN TEAM

B: Tom Stewart (Geelong Cats), Alex Rance (Richmond), Rory Laird (Adelaide Crows)

HB: Shannon Hurn (West Coast Eagles), Jeremy McGovern (West Coast Eagles), Lachie Whitfield (GWS Giants)

C: Andrew Gaff (West Coast Eagles), Dustin Martin (Richmond), Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood)

HF: Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong Cats) [VC], Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans) [C], Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)

F: Jack Gunston (Hawthorn), Jack Riewoldt (Richmond), Luke Breust (Hawthorn)

FOLL: Max Gawn (Melbourne), Patrick Cripps (Carlton), Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn)

I/C: Brodie Grundy (Collingwood), Shaun Higgins (North Melbourne), Clayton Oliver (Melbourne), Shane Edwards (Richmond)

MISSED OUT

Harris Andrews (Brisbane Lions), Dayne Beams (Brisbane Lions), Jordan de Goey (Collingwood), Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), Devon Smith (Essendon), Lachie Neale (Fremantle), Mark Blicavs (Geelong Cats), Tom Hawkins (Geelong Cats), Callan Ward (GWS Giants), Ben Brown (North Melbourne), Tom Jonas (Port Adelaide), Josh Caddy (Richmond), Trent Cotchin (Richmond), Dylan Grimes (Richmond), Kane Lambert (Richmond), Jake Lloyd (Sydney Swans), Elliot Yeo (West Coast Eagles), Jackson Macrae (Western Bulldogs)