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The Roar AFL Top 50 continues with the players the AFL expert panel rate just below the very best in the competition. Three defenders, two players returning from long absences and a former top 10 finisher are in this group – who could they be?
There are 817 listed AFL players and rookies on the books of the 18 clubs in 2017. So it holds that a player that the panel has rated inside the top 40 is considered in the top five per cent of players in the game.
» Missed yesterday’s countdown? Check out players 50-41
There are a couple of controversial picks in this group for mine, with two players making the list that didn’t make it into my personal top 50. There’s also a Greater Western Sydney midfielder that I had much higher who a few other panellists didn’t think worthy of a place at all. Let’s get to it then.
40. Dyson Heppell (Essendon Bombers)
This is another Ken Sakata-induced pick: the Bombers’ flex midfielder made it into the top 50 because Sakata ranked him as the 11th-best in the league. That’s fine, I had him up there in my Roar Top 50 debut in 2015, so I can see the reasons.
At his best Heppell is an interesting piece as comfortable playing as a true centre as he is a traditional ruck-rover. Prior to his Swiss court induced absence, Heppell averaged 26 touches, 335 metres gained, five clearances and five score involvements, in a Bombers team that won six games. He will enjoy helming a midfield unit that includes an interesting blend of youth and experience.
I didn’t have him in the top 50, but only because I found it hard to rate Essendon’s absentees – there’s every chance Heppell gets votes from every panel member next season.
39. Tom Scully (Greater Western Sydney Giants)
Tom Scully was a controversial choice of the panel: Josh had him 22nd, I had him 28th, and the others didn’t put him in their top 50s. In retrospect, and with my orange and grey goggles off, low 30s is about right.
Scully joined the Giants in their inaugural season to much fanfare, with a phat contract and limited pedigree beyond his draft pick number. In the six years since, Scully has become one of the most damaging pure outside players in the game. He is a critical cog in GWS’ precision engineered attacking machine, with one of the best aerobic capacities in the game and a strong, long left boot.
Scully averaged seven score involvements per game last season, but just one inside 50 entry, a sign of role he plays in linking the Giants up between half back and half forward.
38. Todd Goldstein (North Melbourne Kangaroos)
After an injury-affected 2016, Todd Goldstein has lost his hard-earned number one ruckman title to a new challenger. All five panellists had him in their top 50s, with Cam Rose (33rd) not Josh Elliott (36th) having him the highest.
We all know what peak Goldstein looks like: a rucking demi-god that can take a full game load week in, week out, and play a Dean Cox-like midfield role. His tap work was excellent the year before last, and came back to the pack just a little due to niggling injuries in 2016. He remains a significant figure in the AFL landscape, and should climb back up in our collective estimation in 2017 with a clean bill of health.
37. Easton Wood (Western Bulldogs)
From obscure, largely unknown third defender on a struggling Dogs outfit to a premiership captain in three years, it’s fair to say Easton Wood has earned his spot in The Roar AFL Top 50 this year. Wood’s ability to read the defensive play, marshal his defenders, and impose his will on the play puts him in the top class of stoppers in the game.
This year, The Roar AFL Top 50 has six tall defenders and a handful of players considered small or rebounding defenders. It’s a sign of how important the intercept marking, play-setting back six players have become in the current AFL meta-game. Wood and his Dogs are the exemplars of that.
36. Dayne Beams (Brisbane Lions)
Another player with some absence-related question marks, there’s little doubt Dayne Beams has the potential to be one of the top flight midfielders in the game. He’s critical to Brisbane’s medium term prospects. There was enough doubt about his ability to return to his 2013-14 form (28 touches, five tackles, 6.5 clearances, 12 contested possessions and a goal a game) that he was rated in the low 40s by most of the panel.
Cam Rose, who I know loves Beams as much as he loves Joel Selwood, had him at 18. That’s about right in terms of his ceiling for me.
35. Jeremy Cameron (Greater Western Sydney Giants)
The second of three Giants in my group, Jeremy Cameron has threatened to break out and become the best key forward in the game since an incredible 62-goal campaign in GWS’ one win 2013 season. He’s hardly been quiet though: after an injury-wrecked 2014 Cameron has booted 63 and 53 goals in 22 and 20 games in 2015 and 2016.
Like a lot of modern key forwards, Cameron is comfortable with the ball on the deck as well as in the air, making him a dangerous option when surrounded by Jonathon Patton and Rory Lobb. He made it into my top 30, so I’m pleased with his rating here.
34. Stephen Coniglio (Greater Western Sydney Giants)
But I simply cannot abide the disrespect thrown towards Giants’ prime mover Stephen Coniglio. It’s no secret that I’m having an extra-marital affair with GWS (no one tell West Coast), but even putting that aside Cam had Coniglio 40th and Josh and Ken didn’t have him in their list. Newsflash guys: he’s a really good footballer.
Coniglio is the centreman that every excellent club needs. He’s the Scott Pendlebury, Chris Judd, Lenny Hayes or Sam Mitchell of the Giants, a player whom the offence and defence flows, and who sets the play with his distribution by hand and foot. Coniglio can switch from positive to negative player, keeping pace with and negative the best midfielders in the competition. 28 disposals, 12 contested possessions, seven score involvements (and a direct assist) and just shy of six tackles per game, Coniglio has a stat line that shows his versatility.
Fourteenth might be too high, but 34th is certainly too low. And before you ask, I had one Giant higher than Coniglio, who you’ll see in tomorrow’s bracket.
33. Dane Rampe (Sydney Swans)
Sydney’s defence was far and away the best in the game last year, in no small part because of the role of Dane Rampe as an high marking interceptor. I always tend to compare Rampe to a slightly lesser version of Alex Rance, without some of the Jedi move but with more or less the same of everything else.
Rance was everywhere in the closing stages last night. Four plays, starting with his signature move #AFLTigersSwans pic.twitter.com/f9xsE5mBsX
— Ryan Buckland (@RyanBuckland7) May 15, 2016
He’s another ex-rookie lister that the Swans have turned into an outstanding player. I had him right around this mark, as did most of the panel. Rampe is a consistent player, capable of brilliance, playing an increasingly important AFL role.
32. Daniel Talia (Adelaide Crows)
Daniel Talia, on the other hand, is a bit too old school for my liking. I didn’t have him on my list, and to be honest he didn’t make my initial cut of around 90 players to whittle down to 50. I understand the appeal – every team needs a full back – but going forward I suspect more defenders will fit the mould of Rampe, Rance and Jeremy McGovern.
That’s not to say Talia is a spud, far from it in fact. He is an excellent defender, able to play on midsized and tall players and is adept at playing one-on-one or as a spare man. He’s just not my cup of tea.
31. Jack Gunston (Hawthorn Hawks)
Rounding out my bracket is the perennially under-rated Hawk Jack Gunston, who’s consistently amongst the top goal kickers in the competition. Guston is a new school sharp shooter, a flexible forward capable of kicking goals from the forward 50 flanks after a lead, or scooping up a ground ball running back towards goal.
Gunston has kicked 50 or more goals in three straight seasons, doing so last year as the team’s de-factor key forward despite his slight frame. It’s hard to believe Gunston will only be 25 come the start of this season. He’s another I had pretty much around this mark (33rd), so I guess good job by the panel once more.
That’s it for today’s bracket, come back tomorrow when Josh will run through picks 21 through 30, which I can exclusively reveal (rightly) contains no North Melbourne players.
The Roar’s 2017 AFL Top 50 players, so far
50. Toby Greene
49. Tom Liberatore
48. Dayne Zorko
47. Zach Merrett
46. Bryce Gibbs
45. Michael Hurley
44. Isaac Heeney
43. Nick Riewoldt
42. Rory Laird
41. Jack Steven
40. Dyson Heppell
39. Tom Scully
38. Todd Goldstein
37. Easton Wood
36. Dayne Beams
35. Jeremy Cameron
34. Stephen Coniglio
33. Dane Rampe
32. Daniel Talia
31. Jack Gunston