The Roar
The Roar

AFL
Advertisement

Opinion

Top five first-year players in the AFL

Autoplay in... 6 (Cancel)
Up Next No more videos! Playlist is empty -
Replay
Cancel
Next
Roar Guru
14th August, 2020
4

Here are my choices for the top five first-year players right now in the AFL. They have starred in their debut season.

Gold Coast, Matt Rowell
Well, I can’t say much but in his first four games, he looked like a freak. It is bringing us back to an era of genuine freaks like Gary Ablett Senior, Leigh Matthews and Gary Ablett Junior. In Rowell’s four games he averaged 17 touches a game, four clearances a game and his best game was against the Eagles with 26 touches and a goal. Not bad for someone who has only played four games of footy. He will be one to watch next year and will lead the Suns to glory in the future and could lead the Suns to their first premiership.

Gold Coast, Izak Rankine
Again I can’t say too much about Rankine, another freak player who has been a star for the Suns with 1.5 goals a game and 12.5 touches a game. He has looked dangerous every time the ball goes near him. Rankine is someone to keep watching into the future and if he stays for a long time he could be a star and he will be an All Australian. These sort of players are once in a generation so if he stays with them for a long time, the Suns will finally have glory and success in the future.

Izak Rankine of the Suns celebrates

(Photo by Ryan Pierse/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Port Adelaide, Mitch Georgiades
He has been excellent for Port. He looks like a genuine gun and a physically built player. Georgiades has been averaging nine touches a game, one goal a game and two tackles a game. In addition to this he has been a huge influence for Port’s forward line with six goals this season. He has been key to Port’s forward pressure, which has helped Port be on top of the ladder. Georgiades is a star and will be someone to watch into the future and could be part of a premiership-winning team.

Gold Coast, Noah Anderson
Another Suns player makes this list. Averaging 14 touches a game, he has been key in the midfield and has been a key to the Suns’ forward ball movement and pressing style of game. Anderson has been great for the Suns and provided great chemistry with Brandon Ellis and Touk Miller and has helped in the clearance battle as well, which has helped Gold Coast stay in games and win the midfield battle.

Richmond, Jake Aarts
He has been very handy for Richmond, kicking nine goals for the season as a small forward. Aarts has been a great inclusion to Richmond’s forward line. Being a small forward he has helped Richmond’s forward structure. He has been a great find for Richmond and is someone that will be playing first-team footy for the Tigers for a while and could be a part of a back-to-back premiership side.

Advertisement
close