CHRIS Judd might still be short of his peak fitness and yet to kick the ball more than 40 metres but the dream of football lovers that Judd and Jonathan Brown appear together in the same jumper resplendent with a large V on the chest will not be denied. Judd will play in the Hall of Fame game on May 10.

"He'll be in the side, don't worry about that," assistant coach Kevin Sheedy said yesterday at the announcement of the squads.

"He'll be vice-captain. Everybody in Victoria's been waiting for Jonathan Brown and Chris Judd to come back and play for their home state, and that's why this is a great game and what this is about. Win, lose or draw, it's going to be an exciting, super-competitive match, no-holds barred."

A total of 13 Geelong players were named — eight for Victoria and five for the Dream Team — while struggling Melbourne had just ruckman Jeff White.

Eleven of the 80 players in the two squads were indigenous — nine for the Dream Team, two for Victoria.

Among notable omissions were Bulldog pair Daniel Cross and Jason Akermanis and the rucks for the Dream team, where Brad Ottens and Brendon Lade were overlooked in favour of Dean Cox, Jamie Charman and exciting young rising star ruck from Brisbane Lion Matthew Leuenberger.

Victoria on paper looks weaker in the ruck with David Hille, Josh Fraser and White.

"Well, the ball's going to end up on the ground most of the time. History says that," Sheedy reasoned.

The only certainty of a team under Kevin Sheedy's albeit assistant coaching rein was that line-ups were subject to change.

"There will be late changes into this team, there's no doubt about that," he giggled.

The squads for the May 10 game can be altered between now and then to allow for form and fitness, with more players added or dropped.

Sheedy said the Dream Team was perhaps stronger on paper but warned that "talent can be beaten … it's amazing what can happen with an excellent team wanting to play as a team". "And then of course, you've got tactics — tactics can beat talent, too. It's all about the way Bomber (senior coach Mark Bomber Thompson) wants to run the game.

"In the end, it's going to be a very, very talented side. You'd have to look at the Geelong players that have been selected on either side — they're very, very talented players. The All-Star team is going to have some Geelong players in it, and we're probably going to pick five or six."

Sheedy was untroubled by the idea that players would withdraw at late notice as became a problem for the final state-of-origin games, saying the desire to play was extremely strong among players.

He also believed the game would be open and attacking as a showcase of the code.

"Defence? I wouldn't have thought so, there hasn't been much so far this year. They wouldn't even know how to spell it, let alone flood," he said. "I think this game is what Australian football needs right now."

■No sooner had the Dream Team squad been announced than coach Mark Williams hinted that Hawthorn's Shane Crawford and the Western Bulldogs' Daniel Cross would be added after this coming round.

Selection is based on where someone lived from the age of 10 until they were drafted, and Williams said it was only two days ago that the selectors realised that Cross was from NSW and not Victoria, and was therefore eligible for his side.

And Crawford needs only to produce a reasonable performance against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night and he's in. "He's played one game (from suspension) and I thought he played tremendously well," Williams said.

Only four of Williams' players at Port Adelaide have been named, but again he made no apologies, claiming selection was based on form and not reputations.

He also stood by the selectors' choice to name seven Adelaide players. "We have got such a great group of people to choose from," he said. "If any one player doesn't play, it is not going to make a huge difference. There are brilliant players who are very much line-ball compared with the next one. Out of the 40, we probably have 20 midfielders, and you try and pick them. Whoever misses out is going to be extremely unlucky.

"Having 10 Aboriginals in the squad is just brilliant. I read in The Age where one or two clubs in the past have been racist with their selections, and you can see right now there's no degree of that with our selections.

"We are really excited about having Lance (Franklin) and the other indigenous players. I don't care where they have come from, really."

Williams dismissed a suggestion that his Dream Team commitment would be a distraction, given Port's dismal form. He, and the players, will only become involved once the squad of 30 is picked on the Sunday night before the match.

With ASHLEY PORTER