I’m not sure who the Ugliest Man In The AFL mantle belonged to before last week, but Magpie new boy John Anthony surely became the new title-holder on Friday night. The unveiling of his hideously shaved head was the biggest rookie-related news of the round, overshadowing the 119-point debut by Brisbane’s Bradd Dalziell. So horrible was Anthony that he even eclipsed the announcement that Chook’s Rooks poster boy Rhys Palmer could be sidelined until 2009.

This week we’re asking Chook’s Rooks readers to vote on their ultimate first-year midfielders. Check out the nominees below and pick six rookie centres for the Chook’s Rooks All-Rookie Team. Oh, and you can still vote on your best seven backs, too. Rucks and forwards coming soon.

All-Rookie Centre Nominees

Rhys Palmer: Palmer had been a lock for the Rising Star award and, more importantly, the highest individual honour that can be bestowed upon a first-year player – Chook’s Rooks’ King Cock – but his omission last week and his ongoing injury concerns have been like piss on the sauna-rocks of his red-hot season. Have you been in a sauna when someone takes a leak on the hot-rocks? It stinks so bad, you feel like spewing even more than when you look at John Anthony. Nah, just kidding. Nothing makes you spew more than looking at that ugly bastard. Whatever happens with Palmer’s knee, though, his 85 points-per-game average to date is unlikely to bettered by another rookie – not only this year but every season until the Gold Coast Mathletes throw all those kids into the fray. Along with the best average, Palmer boasts the most selections (53,000) and best total change ($231,500) of any centre rookie.

Trent Cotchin: The rookie most capable of stealing the 2008 King Cock title from Palmer, Cotchin has averaged 71 ppg over nine games since his long-awaited debut in round 8. His average over the past three games is 90, including a monster 120-point game in round 15.

Cale Morton: The skinny kid from Melbourne made a lot of coaches happy when he busted out a 97-point game on the week of his first price rise in round 3. He’s had just one 90 since, but has put together back-to-back 70s in the past two rounds to lift his average to 63ppg.

Chris Masten: This bloke’s coaches were left wondering what could have been (and giving his little DT icon the finger) when the highly-touted West Coast midfielder suffered a season-ending injury after averaging 69 ppg over nine games.

Brad Ebert: Fellow Eagle Ebert went nuts in round 9, scoring a captain Cox-like 135 points. Unfortunately, that game appears to have been an aberration as Ebert averages only 63 for the season and a meagre 48 over his past three.

Travis Tuck: Got his coaches a little excited in round 2 when he became one of only five rookie centres to crack the ton this year (the others being Palmer, Cotchin, Ebert and Dalziell). He’s back in the Hawks side again after a injury-eforced lay-off, but hasn’t quite been able to replicate his early-season heroics. Still, a couple of 58s in his past three are nothing to sneeze at. Averaging 61 on the year.

Sharrod Wellingham: Proved a popular downgrade option before rounds 9 and 10 after first-up scores of 66, 71 and 82. He hasn’t scored higher than 61 since, however, and angered a lot of his owners with his late withdrawal in round 14. Averages 61, a clip you’d expect him to maintain this season. That is, of course, as long as he doesn’t indulge in another spot of drink driving anytime soon.

Jamie McNamara: Just the five games for McNamara, and none of them have been consecutive. For his DT coaches, that kind of inconsistent selection has got to be more frustrating than yet another Calvin’s Captains comment from Bozzy Lad that simply says: “DDDIIIIIIIDDDDDDDAAAAAAKKKKKKKK”. Those five games have yielded a 40, a 50, a 60, an 80 and a 90, so I’m banking on a score of 70-something this week, if he plays. Averages 67 this season.

Josh P. Kennedy: Only featured in three games for the Hawks, but averaged 61 in that period. Plus, JPK gets bonus points for appearing in the DT Talk pre-season episode this year.

Robert Eddy: Has played the last four after debuting in round 13, and has proven a decent late-season cash cow, averaging 59 ppg. Interestingly, Eddy shares with Robert Harvey a first name, a football club and the appearance of someone on day release from the local old people’s home. The only difference is Harvey actually is ancient, while Eddy only looks it. Oh, and Eddy is yet to win a Brownlow or two.

David Armitage: Averaging slightly less (56 ppg) is fellow Saint David Armitage. An inflated initial price tag made Armitage less appealing than his $83k and $72k colleagues, but he’s knocking on the door of $200k now, so hasn’t been the worst selection for his 9700 coaches.

Jarryn Geary: Considering the young talent on offer at St Kilda, Geary’s selection at the start of the season was a little surprising. He responded with an inspired 77 and 58, but has dipped significantly since, scoring just 28 and 29 in his last two games (back in rounds 12 and 13). You’d think two sub-30s would spell the end of this bloke’s season, but he seems to be something of a favourite of coach Ross Lyon, and was named first emergency last week. He has averaged 49 this year, but could get another chance to improve that yet.

Sam Lonergan: The courage of this Essendon hard-nut was demonstrated recently when he returned from a head-high bump to rack up a solid 78 points. m0nty even gave him the heart that game. Lonergan has averaged 58 ppg this year, including five games above 70.

Kieren Jack: A lot of coaches plumped for one of either Jack or teammate Craig Bird at the start of the season, and Jack has proven the better choice at this point, averaging 56 ppg this season. Importantly, the tagger is the only rookie centre to have played every game this season.

Craig Bird: The boy who inherited Sydney’s famous no. 14 has had a solid first season, missing only one game en route to a 50 ppg average. While that’s 6 DTs per game fewer than Jack, Bird has shown the better recent form of the two signets. Over the past three games, Bird averages 48 ppg compared to Jack’s 43 ppg.

Clint Bartram: This guy is another to have missed just one game this year – the first. The Demon has averaged 56 ppg in that time.

Steven Browne: Like Bartram above, Browne is a real-life defender mis-classified as a centre in Dream Team. He looked a must for your midfield after an auspicious start in which he racked up scores of 79 and 72. He tricked us all, however, failing to soar to those heights again. A bunch of 20s, 30s and 40s later, Browne is averaging 54 for the season.

David Mackay: An 87 and 76 have been horribly overshadowed by far too many scores in the 30s – 6 in 12 games, in fact. Mackay hasn’t been seen in Crow colours since round 12. Averaging 47 ppg.

Callan Ward: Three games for an average of 45. Nominated, but can’t see him come under serious consideration with so many others more deserving.

Brad Dalziell: Would usually expect nominees to have played more than one game, but what a game it was. Double-D dumped a steaming 119 points last week in his first crack at AFL level. I don’t expect 100s each week, but I do expect his selections (currently in under 700 teams) to rise.

The All-Rookie Backline nominees are: Nathan J. Brown, Austin Wonaeamiri, Garrick Ibbotson, David Myers, Gavin Urquhart, Dennis Armfield, Scott Selwood, Harry Taylor, Darren Pfeiffer, Tom Lonergan, John Anthony, Tim Houlihan, Beau Wilkes, Matt Riggio, Tayte Pears, Nick Lower, James Frawley, Albert Proud, Scott D. Thompson and Tom Collier. Get more info on these blokes here.