Connolly, who coached Freo for six years between 2002 and 2007, pointed the finger at former West Coast star Jakovich, after ball-magnet Neale missed the cut despite breaking the all-time record for possessions in a season.

But on his regular spot on Perth radio station 96fm, Jakovich hit back at Connolly in an extraordinarily scathing attack.

Referring to Connolly's time at Melbourne, Jakovich said: "That's his opinion, but look, he's a guy that's come from a club where he played and didn't win a lot of games, so he was always involved in a losing culture.

"He came to Fremantle... then he went back to where it all started. Went to a club and was part of a football department that actually created a losing culture. They actually started throwing games. And what was that called? Tanking. And they got fined from the AFL."

Despite leading the Dockers to their first ever finals series in 2003 and their first ever preliminary final three years later, Jakovich seemed to take aim at Connolly's time at Fremantle too.

"And he wants to tell me how to pick an elite team, and he's been involved in tanking and crap clubs all his life? He wouldn't even know how to spell elite," he said.

Jakovich, who is one of seven on the selection committee, said Neale was one of "three or four players extremely unlucky" to miss the cut, but said those who take aim at the selection process "need to have a clear understanding of facts."

"He pointed the finger straight at me, but if you're going to have criticism towards any of the selectors, why didn't this player get in, why didn't Luke Shuey get in, why didn't Matt Priddis get in when he won the Brownlow, why didn't Jack Steven get in this year, he's won his third best-and-fairest, please, please, like I always say, make sure you take someone out before you put someone in," he said.

"It's easy to sit on the fence and take splinters out of your backside Chris, but if you're going to throw potshots at people, you need to have a clear understanding of facts and figures.

"His only fact, was he won the most possessions in the competition, 730-odd. Well, we as a selection committee don't just look at possessions in a game, we look at what value you add to a team, how many games you might have propelled your side into winning situations and actually won them off your own boot.

"There is a number of criteria, but he [Connolly] only gave one because Neale got the most possessions.

"There are always going to be three or four that are extremely unlucky, but 25 don't go into 22, it's as simple as that. He was unlucky, he had a very good season, but he didn't have as good a season as those other players that got in."

The final 22-man squad only featured two players currently plying their trade in Western Australia, both of whom play for West Coast.

But Jakovich added that he has flown the flag for both WA teams in his role as a selector despite his 13-year career at the Eagles.

"My reponsibilities are for our two WA teams, to make sure i gather enough information put up a lot of players, both West Coast and Fremantle.

"I'm always flying the flag for Freo and West Coast, no doubt about it."