Squads
In April 2008 the AFL announced 40 man squads for both teams, which would later be trimmed to 25 per side. The match was played with an extended interchange bench of seven players instead of four.
Several high profile players pulled out of the match in the final weeks before the game. The most notable was Gary Ablett, who had figured heavily in the event's promotion. Nick Dal Santo and Brad Johnson pulled out for Victoria, and Luke McPharlin and Irishman Tadhg Kennelly dropped out for the Dream Team.
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