Young Crows guns Brodie Smith and Daniel Talia have been named in the 2014 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. To be eligible for this year’s team, players must be aged 22 or younger on Grand Final Day this year.

Smith and Talia have been picked in the initial 45-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 vote by liking the AFL Players’ Facebook page and selecting a 22Under22 team from the 45-man squad.

Last year’s 22Under22 captain, Essendon’s Dyson Heppell, says the concept is a great way to acknowledge the next generation of elite players.

“I think it’s a fantastic initiative from the Players’ Association to have a 22Under22 side,” says Heppell, who’s encouraging all footy fans to make their voice heard in the AFL’s only fan-voted award.

“There are a lot of fans that watch the game quite intently and there was a good spread of players, from across a lot of different sides, in the team last year. It’s great to see a lot of fans interacting with the concept.”

This year’s 22Under22 squad has at least one nominee from each AFL club, with Smith and Talia representing the Crows.

After cementing a spot in the Crow’s backline in 2013, Smith elevated himself to an elite half-back this season, becoming one of the leading rebound players in the competition. The 22-year-old has improved out-of-sight to be one the most important players to the Crows’ line-up.

Following his 2012 Rising Star award, the resilient Talia has played every game, regularly taking the opposition’s best tall forward. Playing on the likes of Roughead, Cloke, Hawkins and Cameron throughout 2014, Talia was rarely beaten. The 22-year-old may also find himself in All-Australian contention at season’s end after a meteoric rise in the last 12 months.

But Crows fans will be surprised by the absence from the squad of 2013 Rising Star runner-up Brad Crouch.

The final 22Under22 team will be announced at the AFL Players’ MVP Awards on Tuesday, September 9.

You can vote for Talia and Smith by submitting your 22Under22 team via the AFL Players’ Facebook page from Wednesday, August 20 to Thursday, September 4. Everyone who enters a team will have a chance to win the ultimate 22Under22 prize-pack.