The 2009 All Australian line-up announced on Monday night reads as impressively as any of recent years.

But it could have been so much better.

What on earth is Leon Davis doing there for a start? When 'Neon' Leon was switched on, he was dazzling and his boundary-line dribbles had the Magpie Army positively dribbling in the stands.

But there was nothing sustained about Davis' excellence, his season was uneven and for every flash of brilliance there were as many anonymous performances on a par with his efforts in the finals series so far where he just went missing, plain and simple.

There are many criteria by which to assess his effectiveness, but his 34 goals from 20 home-and-away matches for an All Australian forward pocket simply does not compare with Mark LeCras' outstanding haul of 58 from 21 or Jason Porplyzia's 52 from 22.

Sure there's defensive pressure to be applied, but LeCras' impact on the scoreboard was so much more compelling than Davis'.

LeCras' case is stronger too considering that for much of the season he was not a foil but a focal point in a fairly ordinary side.

Brisbane's Mitch Clark is another who was stiffed by the selectors.

Whether in place of Aaron Sandilands or as the squad's No.2 ruckman with a spot on the bench ahead of Adam Goodes, Clark simply had to be included.

Goodes could only manage fifth place in voting for his club's best-and-fairest behind Ryan O'Keefe, Rhyce Shaw, Brett Kirk and Darren Jolly, none of whom could crack a single nomination between them for the 40-man squad from which the All Australian line-up was selected.

Like Davis, Goodes' best was eye-catching, but there were plenty of flat spots as well in the veteran Swans' season.

On his day, Sandilands is unstoppable, but Clark's stats for 2009 were clearly superior in every category apart from two - hitouts (naturally) and clearances.

The fact that Clark was able to achieve so much when thrust into the No.1 role at Brisbane following season-ending injuries to Matthew Leuenberger and Jamie Charman, is to his credit but ultimately irrelevant.

He was entitled to All Australian selection because he was the best, most consistent, effective and exciting big man in the game in 2009.

Sam Gilbert's the other who can count himself unlucky not to have made it, and it's Nick Maxwell's spot on the half-back flank that should have been his.

Gilbert has been a revelation for the Saints as a rebounding defender in the meanest defence in AFL history after being flagged for a defensive forward role during the pre-season by senior coach Ross Lyon.

Gilbert's numbers, run and creativity are far superior to Maxwell's and his hardness is comparable - but he's not a club captain and doesn't play for Collingwood.

Maxwell got the gig for his profile and leadership as much as anything, but Gilbert's breakout year was better by far.

Unlike High Court judges, the All Australian selectors are not required to provide reasons for their determinations.

They open a window to their thinking with the announcement of the extended squad and then, two weeks later, we can all decide for ourselves the merits of the final 22.

Ultimately, there's no right or wrong, apart from the indisputable fact that a team with LeCras, Clark and Gilbert in it is heaps better than one without.