After we announced our top 20 players over the past two days, I have the unenviable pleasure of following on from Ryan and Josh with the next ten, the 21st to 30th best players.
This is where the list starts to get interesting, and it was the section where we had some of the biggest discrepancies in our list rankings.
21. Tom Lynch
Lynch was one of the most polarising players for the group – three of us had him ranked in the 20s, but two outliers had him in their top ten, and as their 51st player respectively.
Perhaps this is a result of Lynch playing as a key forward in a fairly non-competitive, non-Victorian team. However, as this list is based on potential and what we think they’ll be able to do in 2018, I was comfortable having him in ranked in this group.
He’s young, at 25, and already one of the best key forwards in the game – still behind Josh Kennedy and Buddy Franklin – averaging 15.2 disposals, 2.3 goals and 6.3 marks per game in 2017.
If he can have a clear run with injury, and under the guidance of new coach Stuart Dew, Lynch may well push himself into the top 20 next season.
Tom Lynch. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
22. Toby Greene
If not for his suspensions in 2017, Greene may be ranked higher on this list. Given a clean bill of health and a better suspension record this season, we’ll likely have him in our top 15 next year.
Despite playing only 19 games last year, Greene was ranked sixth in goals per game, tenth in score involvements, and 15th in contested marks – with average figures of 18.2 disposals, 2.4 goals and 2.8 tackles.
Toby Greene of the Giants (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
23. Dylan Shiel
One of the best developing contested midfielders in the game, his importance to the Giants was evident when he was missing for their finals through injury.
I had Shiel ranked at 31, a result of having several players who I judged to be slightly ahead of him at this stage. It’s really splitting hairs though – Shiel should be much higher next time.
Dylan Shiel. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
24. Matt Crouch
All five of us had Crouch ranked around this mark, so he was a fairly unanimous choice. The fact that he was able to step up to practically lead Adelaide’s midfield last year in the absence of the injured Rory Sloane and the departed Patrick Dangerfield – averaging 33 disposals, three marks and 4.8 tackles per game – is testament to his ability.
Matt Crouch of the Crows. (AAP Image/David Mariuz)
25. Joe Daniher
Daniher was the player with the biggest ranking differential between the five of us. Cam and Josh had him in their top ten, Jay had him raked around this mark, while Ryan and I had him (either very astutely or very stupidly) ranked 51st and 53rd respectively.
I suspect Ryan’s reasoning may be that he personally rates ‘small ball’ forwards more highly than key position players, and I’m a bit the same.
Daniher finished third on the Coleman Medal tally last year, a fantastic feat for a player only 23 years old. Based on potential, maybe he should be ranked higher, but I’m not sold on Essendon’s forward line, which may affect Daniher’s form.
Joe Daniher. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
26. Dayne Beams
The fact that Beams is ranked this far down is probably a result of the injuries he’s had over the past two years.
He’s a gun, and after averaging 27 disposals, 4.5 marks and 4.2 tackles in his 19 matches in the side that finished on the bottom of the ladder last season, a clean bill of health should see him much higher up next year.
Dayne Beams of the Lions. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
27. Zach Merrett
Merrett was rewarded for another excellent season with All Australian selection, and was a fairly unanimous choice at this stage on our list.
He averaged nearly 30 disposals (ranked fourth in total disposals per game in the competition), 4.3 marks and 5.5 tackles last season, and developed into one of the competition’s most consistent midfielders, pushing himself close to the elite bracket.
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28. Mitch Duncan
Researching this article, it was a surprise to learn Duncan is only 26 – it seems like he’s been around for ages, and he’s constantly getting better and better.
Last year, with Patrick Dangerfield going forward for periods of time, Duncan was one of the prime movers in the Cats’ midfield, which should continue this season as returning favourite son Gary Ablett and Dangerfield share midfield and forward time.
One area where he can improve is goal scoring – he only scored 15 in 2017 and would be hoping to develop into a ‘goal-kicking midfielder’, to use a current AFL buzzphrase.
Mitch Duncan of the Cats. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
29. Eddie Betts
Betts was another player who divided opinion, with the five of us ranking him 16th, 51st, 38th, 27th and 23rd respectively.
I had him 38th, which is only fair – he didn’t perform as consistently well in 2017 as he did the year before, but we all know he has the talent to be one of the best players in the competition.
I’d still rate him as one of the best small forwards going around, probably behind Green and Michael Walters.
Eddie Betts of the Crows. (Photo by Morne de Klerk/Getty Images)
30. Jack Riewoldt
Riewoldt’s stellar 2017 culminated in a well-deserved premiership. He played a lone hand as the tall, marking forward in the Tigers’ forward 50, and looks set to reprise that role this year.
He ranked first in the competition for total marks inside 50, and finished eighth on the Coleman Medal tally, with 54.
dontknowmuchaboutfootball
Guest
I was wondering whether either Walters or Neale would rate a mention. Figured they were the two most likely to be noticed, though I'm not holding my breath. I'm encouraged by Maddy's remark about rating Walters above Betts. Neale, however, remains consistently underrated by the non-Freo supporting punditariat.
Don Freo
Guest
HTH misses a bit, doesn't he? Maybe he forgot to post as JonBoy.
Don Freo
Guest
Still no Neale or Walters. Is this just an eastern seaboard list. Yeo still not there?
Scorching
Guest
Yes I see the perspective but I had to correct that point
Sammy
Guest
This little ‘discussion’ has gone on too long but did you even think to fact check yourself? They have had 4 top 10 picks from 2000-on and that doesn’t include Crouch who as I explained makes it 5 in my opinion Still a low number I know but surely you know not to make such an absurd claim. Yep - I got a little carried away there. But all up in the clubs 26 seasons it has had 5 top 10 picks - 2 of those were pick 10 and never had a pick inside the top 5. Crouch is different and it is an absolute hypothetical where he would have been drafted so you cannot say he is a top 5 or whatever. Also for some perspective Carlton got the same number of top 10 draft picks that the crows have had in their entire history in the last 3 seasons alone, or GWS got more top 10 picks in the 2011 draft alone
Mattician6x6
Guest
Macca-Patrick Cripps all day, if some of these selections have been based on potential and past seasons worth of performances Cripps deserves a top fifty position imo. Last season had issues but his trajectory before injury should see him rated higher than what he will be, especially higher than merrett.
Mattician6x6
Guest
Priddas with little support?doing basically the same thing as Murphy to win a brownlow? Yep that's a zinger
Macca
Guest
Also Slane on Cripps, I think the stats from last year and his evolvement points to you being correct about the dusty/danger comparison
Macca
Guest
Slane - your observation about Murphy and Judd is probably pretty accurate, which will make things interesting if Cripps does take the next step this year, even more so if a Kennedy emerges as well.
Scorching
Guest
This little 'discussion' has gone on too long but did you even think to fact check yourself? They have had 4 top 10 picks from 2000-on and that doesn't include Crouch who as I explained makes it 5 in my opinion Still a low number I know but surely you know not to make such an absurd claim.
Harsh Truth Harry
Roar Rookie
Newsflash Macca! You do realise this list in The Roar is an opinion piece? So the three authors have got together, put a lot of work and thought into it and given it their best shot. You are acting like it is The Ten Commandments son! If you want Blues players in write your own list bloke!
Harsh Truth Harry
Roar Rookie
Sammy don't forget Carlton are the side that gave away the best small forward the game has ever seen in Eddie Betts for nought!
sammy
Guest
' But by all means feel free to think that Jacobs was some fringe VFL player that only Adelaide saw the value in and they gently nurtured his unknown talent.' You have missed the point, he was a decent player with potential - he was not a finished article at Carlton and having been dropped after round 16, was he really ahead of Warnock and Kreuzer or did injuries allow him to come in for the final. As I said “Every pick adelaide have ever had was above 80 and it has just been that you are such a fantastic club that makes everyone into a champion.” Yeah..the crows do have a good record of having moulded players to become top players - considering the club has never had a top 10 draft pick in it's history
Macca
Guest
Sammy - Yes Carlton had 4 ruckmen on the list, yes Jacobs got his opportunity through injury - but guess what he took it. His form got him in front of Hampson and Warnock. So by the end of the season; "The Blues knew Jacobs was going to be a very good player which is why they wanted pick 17 (AFL clubs don’t ask for first round picks for players they don’t think are any good) Adelaide knew Jacobs was going to be a very good player so they chased him – they simply had the leverage to get him for a bargain." But by all means feel free to think that Jacobs was some fringe VFL player that only Adelaide saw the value in and they gently nurtured his unknown talent. As I said "Every pick adelaide have ever had was above 80 and it has just been that you are such a fantastic club that makes everyone into a champion.”
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
How on earth do you think they measure how they think a player will go in 2018? Perhaps, just perhaps, they look at the players performances in past years? The only reason any player gets onto a top 50 list is because they've accomplished a fair bit and performed well in the years gone past.
sammy
Guest
FFS Macca - you are talking up Jacobs in his carlton days like he was Simon Madden reincarnated. What is so hard for you to realise that you had 4..FOUR ruckmen on your list. Clearly Kreuzer and Warnock were ahead of Jacobs in the pecking order and it is debatable that Hampson was also. Through injury, Jacobs got a run of games, but was dropped late in the season and then recalled for a finals game - injuries again?. He was no finished article- not by a long stretch and if he was, he would have been Carlton's 1st choice all season, but he wasn't. You got a 2nd round pick for him even though he was out of contract - that is fair quid for a non 1st choice ruckman who was not a rising star, all australian or club champion. Or have i got this wrong, were Kreuzer, Warnock and Hampson all in the all Australian team that year?
Macca
Guest
FFS Sammy this isn't that hard to understand. The Blues knew Jacobs was going to be a very good player which is why they wanted pick 17 (AFL clubs don't ask for first round picks for players they don't think are any good) Adelaide knew Jacobs was going to be a very good player so they chased him - they simply had the leverage to get him for a bargain. This isn't the case of the crows finding a diamond in the rough and polishing hard - they got a known valuable commodity for a bargain. I don't know why it is so hard for you to admit that.
sammy
Guest
Plenty of players come out of contract and move on - particularly ones who want to move back to their home state and for the crows, the ducks lined up in that they needed a ruckman and Jacobs happened to come out of contract and wanted to return home to SA. He has gone on to become one of the best in the league but when he came across, he was just 1 of 4 ruckmen on Carlton's books who had potential but at the time had been in and out of the team and was behind others in the pecking order when injuries were not a factor. He had 1 good final and that apparently against an injured mumford (if scribes on another forum are to be believed). I am not undervaluing him and the crows were not with picks 33 & 67 either - based on a whole plethora of other trades that have come and gone over the years
Macca
Guest
As I said a while back Sammy - I am not admitting I lost, just realising you can only see what you want to in this case. So again "OK Sammy – Every pick adelaide have ever had was above 80 and it has just been that you are such a fantastic club that makes everyone into a champion." And "Hindsight says the crows got a very good deal" You didn't need hindsight, the blues saw the value and asked to be compensated commensurate to that value. The value the blues put on him has been proved to be correct. The Crows saw the value and sensed an opportunity and chased Jacobs. The only person who seems to have needed hindsight to see the value is you.
sammy
Guest
That is subjective - plenty of players traded and the club trading them wanted more and the club wanting the player wanted to pay less. Was Brad Hill (triple premiership player) with Hawthorn worth only a 2nd rounder? - only a few pick higher than what the crows paid for Jacobs?, what about Bernie Vince - one of the crows best mids for a number of seasons - a crow gold jacket winner and he was traded for only a few picks higher than what the crows paid for Jacobs. See it is subjective. Hindsight says the crows got a very good deal, but Jacobs at the time was by no means an A grade ruckman. Also in the elimination final, having read on a particular forum, Mumford was injured for that game and only back in round 16 he had towelled up Jacobs thus resulting in Jacobs being dropped. I mean, hey, I want a 1st round pick for every crow player that leaves for another club, but it does not work out that way unless they are a real topline player