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Who will be the next elite player at each AFL club? These are my predictions, club-by-club.
Adelaide: Brad Crouch
With Patrick Dangerfield off to Geelong, Brad Crouch and his inside ball-winning ability becomes of paramount importance to the Adelaide football club this year.
After missing all of 2015 due to recurring foot injuries Crouch himself will be keen to continue his solid form from the end of the 2014 season where he polled more votes than any other Crow in the club champion besides runner-up Rory Sloane.
Brisbane: Tom Bell
A promising big-bodied midfielder fresh off the trade table from Carlton, Bell looks like he could be special with the right coaching.
During 2015 Bell played 22 games for the Blues averaging 21.1 disposals, four marks and four tackles each week, Bell commented that he wants to continue his push to become more up tempo and composed. For a struggling Brisbane side he could well be the next big thing.
Carlton: Patrick Cripps
No debate here Cripps was a classy player taking on some of the premier midfielders in the game in just his second season, often coming out on top of the contest. He proved to be a hard hitter and capable of some elusive tactics when operating in traffic.
In 2015 Cripps played 20 games averaging 23.5 disposals, three marks and five tackles per game, interestingly also as a third man up in the ruck contests he averaged two hitouts per game.
Collingwood: Adam Oxley
A talented Collingwood side has quality spread all over the ground and much of that talent still early in their careers, rebounding half-back flanker Adam Oxley stands out to me though. Oxley played 17 games in 2015 and was a standout in some spectacular individual performances but was perhaps a little inconsistent.
Oxley has the potential to become the Grant Birchall of Collingwood with some added poise and despite inconsistency he still averaged 19 disposals and four marks, and also became a goal threat, often coming up the ground and launching from outside the 50m arc.
Essendon: Joe Daniher
Unfortunately Essendon’s young talent hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of the troubled club so I have chosen Joe Daniher because he is one of the only players to play week in week out.
Daniher slotted a team high 34 goals in 2015 and managed to play all 22 games which proves the young man has good durability. A six goal haul in Round 8 against Brisbane perhaps gives us an indication of what’s to come.
Fremantle: Lachie Neale
The young lad from Glenelg in South Australia exploded into something of an ace up Fremantle’s sleeve. If teams were able to shut down premier midfielders Nat Fyfe or Michael Barlow, Neale was often there to add to his reputation as Fremantle’s next star.
Neale’s outside speed accompanied with his ability to always find the football shown by his average of 27.8 disposals per games gives us an insight of what’s to come in this young player’s career.
Geelong: Nakia Cockatoo
The No.10 pick in the 2014 AFL draft was not prominent for his first season in 2015 but possesses blistering pace, elite evasive skills, excellent disposal and is slippery around goals.
Geelong has shown plenty of faith in the 185cm on-baller by handing him the club’s revered No. 5 – worn by Gary Ablett snr and Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer.
Gold Coast: Jaeger O’Meara
A young player that will become a perennial force for the Gold Coast, with he, Dion Prestia and Gary Ablett all operating in the same midfield the Suns will be much improved.
The West Australian is as hard as nails and loves crashing packs, averaging more than 10 contested possessions and four clearances a match.
Coming into the AFL as an 18 year old, O’Meara looked like a 10-year veteran with a muscle build similar to Scott Thompson of the Adelaide Crows. Perhaps not as big, but impressive for a young lad.
GWS: Jack Steele
The team with the most young talent in the league, GWS are going to be a powerhouse sooner or later and much of that will be down to leaders Jeremy Cameron, Callan Ward, Phil Davis and Dylan Shiel yet I chose to steer clear of these names and talk about Jack Steele.
Steele, a strong and powerful midfielder, shows excellent poise and balance when in possession and is a clever user by hand or foot. With just seven games in 2015 he showed class in solid games against a strong North Melbourne side and a revamped St Kilda.
Hawthorn: Will Langford
Hawthorn’s obvious talent has seen them not able to blood their young players consistently but if we look back to 2014 we can review an impressive Will Langford. In the space of a month he went from fringe player to finals hero for the Hawks.
Being a run-with player for much of the 2014 season, it was when he was taken out of that role and allowed to attack he showed his worth. In the grand final he kicked 3 goals to help Hawthorn over the line against the Swans, will be one for the future.
Melbourne: Jesse Hogan
Again no debate here, will be a magnificent forward, Melbourne have had their fair share of elite key forwards and they’ve found themselves another one here. His debut season saw him play 20 games and boot 44 majors, key defenders will dread to hear his name soon if not already.
North Melbourne: Ben Jacobs
With Ryan Crowley not on a team Ben Jacobs became the best tagger in the league this past season and had several big-name scalps. He had played inconsistently for 70 career games but has now found a role that will see him become the pest every midfielder hates the sight of.
Port Adelaide: Brendon Ah Chee
Ah Chee announced himself with a standout performance in a win over Hawthorn in Round 21 with high disposal efficiency and long sweeping handballs out of tight packs to an outside runner. His handballs are somewhat of a legend now, covering distances of 35m or more.
Richmond: Anthony Miles
A strong-bodied mid who has the ability to consistently find the football, he started his career with GWS but was recycled by Richmond where he has taken flight.
22 games and one final in 2015 saw him rack up 25 disposals per game and he was a back-up run-with option if opposition midfielders got on top of the Tigers. Best game of the year was a 30-disposal haul against Hawthorn is Round 18.
St Kilda: Jack Lonie
A small forward with silky skills and a quick step, Lonie was selected with pick 41 at the 2014 National Draft. He could become the next elite forward pocket that St Kilda have needed since the departure of Stephen Milne. Had a special moment with a goal that defies physics.
Sydney: Isaac Heeney
A controversial AFL academy bidding pick the almost certain No.1 draft choice was instead snapped up at pick 18 for the Swans, Heeney has developed into a versatile midfielder who is extremely competitive and courageous.
The first-year midfielder had a good year in front of goal averaging at least one per game, a welcome trait in any AFL midfielder. Season-best game in Round 22 with 23 disposals and four goals.
West Coast: Dom Sheed
Strong-bodied left-footer who uses the ball well. Played 23 games in 2015, including the Grand Final where he was less than impressive.
His potential shown by earlier finals games and during the home-and-away season though indicates he will become a household name in the coming years. Season best performance was against St Kilda in Round 23 with 34 disposals.
Western Bulldogs: Caleb Daniel
An unusual choice for the next budding star in a talented young team who boasts the likes of Jake Stringer, Marcus Bontempelli and Jack Macrae. But the shortest player in the AFL has a Bulldog-ike mentality, literally.
Daniel is a prolific ball-winning midfielder, an astute decision-maker and executes well by hand or foot considering he is only 167cm tall and 63 kg he makes up for it in other areas.
A late draft pick from South Adelaide, I like the grunt in him, he plays with a helmet and is the epitome of old school football.
Watch out for these guys in the future!
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