An AFL player who excels in multiple positions is enormously valuable for his club, but a potential headache for All Australian selectors.

Under AFL criteria, the representative team that is announced on Monday night will not necessarily be a collection of the nation's best 22 players, but "selected to best fit team balance as if to play a match".

Some positions are obvious.

Western Bulldogs defender Brian Lake is unrivalled as the season's best fullback.

Fremantle giant Aaron Sandilands is certain to be the No.1 ruckman, while Jack Riewoldt's Coleman Medal for Richmond should guarantee him full-forward.

Collingwood ball magnet Dane Swan, the AFL player's association's choice as most valuable player and the Brownlow Medal favourite, seemingly has a mortgage on an on-ball position.

There are others who seem assured of a spot, but with no certainty as to which one.

Three of them, Hawthorn's Luke Hodge, St Kilda's Brendon Goddard and Geelong's Gary Ablett are among the top five Brownlow favourites.

Goddard has provided huge drive from defence, also ranks among the game's elite midfielders and has spent stints in attack, kicking 20 goals for the year.

Wherever he is named, it could cause debate if he keeps out another contender who has permanently occupied that position.

Likewise, Hodge could be handed a spot on the halfback line, due to the depth of quality midfielders, despite having spent more of his time this season in a midfield role.

That could prove interesting should he keep a player who has excelled this year as a permanent defender, such as Collingwood's Harry O'Brien, out of the back six.

Ablett and Cats teammate Paul Chapman are others whose versatility is a complication, having shared time between midfield and attack.

Reigning Brownlow Medallist Ablett could command a midfield spot, but might be named in a forward pocket, given his 44 goals.

But, it is debatable whether his part-time work in attack should deprive a permanent forward, such as West Coast's Mark LeCras (63 goals) of a berth.

Sydney's dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes, a three-time All Australian, and Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich, a six-time representative, are in a similar situation.

Both can turn a game as a key forward or midfielder.

But, given All Australian selectors are meant to honour the year's best players in each position, they might miss out altogether in favour of less brilliant overall players who have achieved more in a single role.

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