Mick McGuane: The best 23 and under players at every club ranked
AFL analyst Mick McGuane has rated every team’s group of players 23 and under, and it is happy reading for Hawks fans. Check out where your team ranks on his list.
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It takes a team to win premierships and create dynasties in the AFL.
However, having a few megastars in their prime can certainly help your cause.
Adelaide and Gold Coast stand out to me as two teams who have significant depth of talent in their wings when it comes to players aged 23 and under.
But when judging only the top-three players at each club who fit in that age bracket, it is Port Adelaide which comes out on top.
Between Zak Butters, Connor Rozee and Jason Horne-Francis, the Power look to have locked in a damaging midfield with plenty of X-Factor for the better part of the next decade.
Butters’ performances have been off-the-charts this season and if he keeps up his form, he may well win this year’s Brownlow Medal.
He might already be, but Collingwood’s Nick Daicos is my tip to be the best player in the competition in five years’ time, closely followed by Butters and Sydney’s Chad Warner.
But there are some big key forwards that also excite me.
It is just a matter of time before St Kilda’s Max King wins a Coleman Medal, while Bulldog Aaron Naughton is capable of the same thing if he stays forward.
Melbourne’s Jacob van Rooyen could also be right up there in the Coleman Medal count in three or four years’ time if he continues on his current trajectory, after an eye-catching debut season this year.
There’s no excuses for the Suns in coming years given the talent they have coming through.
The likes of Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell need to drive high standards and take this Gold Coast side to a long-awaited finals berth, and hopefully some finals wins.
They might sit lowly on the ladder this season, but I see the most upside in North Melbourne and Hawthorn on the back of the young talent on their lists.
Tarryn Thomas, Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw will excite Kangaroos fans for many years to come, while Will Day, Dylan Moore and Jai Newcombe headline a larger group of very talented young Hawks.
The future of the game from a talent perspective is in good shape.
Here are my best players aged 23 and under at every club.
*All players to have featured in at least one AFL game this season were considered for selection.
1. PORT ADELAIDE
1. Zak Butters
2. Connor Rozee
3. Jason Horne-Francis
This group is a standout in my eyes. There’s possibly a Brownlow medallist this year in Butters, who has taken all before him in the midfield this season. Rozee has been a revelation with his dynamic speed and agility since being injected into the midfield last year and Horne-Francis has been a super recruit with his hardness and two-way running. Unlike some midfield groups, this trio are also dangerous around goals when they push forward.
2. FREMANTLE
1. Andrew Brayshaw
2. Caleb Serong
3. Luke Jackson
This ranking might surprise a few, but I’m a big rap for these three Dockers. Brayshaw is a ball-winner with great two-way running ability, but also gets bonus points for the leadership he brings. Serong’s inside work has been exceptional for a 22-year-old and Jackson has elevated his game in recent weeks after a slow start at his new club.
3. SYDNEY
1. Chad Warner
2. Errol Gulden
3. Nick Blakey
I love what Chad Warner stands for. The harder it is, the better he performs, and he showed that under duress in last year’s grand final. Gulden brings great class and has added some hardness with his maturing body, while Blakey is growing in stature down back and brings great run and dash to kickstart the Swans’ offence. His intercept ability is understated.
4. GOLD COAST
1. Noah Anderson
2. Matt Rowell
3. Jack Lukosius
I wanted to include Ben King and Charlie Ballard, but five doesn’t go into three. Lukosius got the nod, especially on the back of what he has been able to do in King’s absence this year. He’s kicked five goals in three separate games this season and also has the versatility in his game to be moved to defence or even a wing. Anderson and Rowell complement each other so well and it’s been great see Rowell get back to his powerful best this season after overcoming some injury concerns.
5. COLLINGWOOD
1. Nick Daicos
2. Isaac Quaynor
3. Nathan Murphy
If Daicos doesn’t win the Brownlow Medal this year, he will snag one soon enough. He’s the best ball user and decision maker in the competition at the moment. Defenders Quaynor and Murphy are often unheralded, but I rate them highly for what they bring to the team. Quaynor is super competitive and hard to beat one-on-one and Murphy is a reliable hybrid defender who can do a job on medium and small forwards.
6. WESTERN BULLDOGS
1. Aaron Naughton
2. Bailey Smith
3. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan
Naughton hasn’t had his best year, but still provides a strong target in the air and is averaging 1.8 goals a game as a key forward. He also has the potential to be an All-Australian defender if the Bulldogs decide to make the switch. I’d like to see Luke Beveridge try it sooner rather than later. Smith is a competent midfielder who can also play forward, but needs to continue to work on his ball use to further elevate his game. Ugle-Hagan is growing before our eyes. The next challenge for him is to master his set-shot goalkicking.
7. CARLTON
1. Sam Walsh
2. Adam Cerra
3. Tom De Koning
It will be far from ideal for the Blues if they lose one of their best young talents in De Koning to a trade at the end of the year. Walsh and Cerra are two important players to the team and consistently bring great effort. They just need to work on hitting more targets by foot when entering forward 50 to further increase their impact.
8. HAWTHORN
1. Will Day
2. Dylan Moore
3. Jai Newcombe
I love what the Hawks are doing with their developing young list. Day has excelled since being moved into the midfield, with his creative nous, speed and quality ball use. Moore is a weapon in the forward half who sets up goals when he’s not kicking them himself, and Newcombe is a tough-nut in the contest. These three players all have an attacking mindset and will be a big part of Sam Mitchell’s plans going forward.
9. ST KILDA
1. Max King
2. Mitch Owens
3. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera
Having kicked 11 goals in three games since being sidelined with injury for the first nine rounds, King has quickly reminded us of the enormous talent he is. He draws the footy as a target player and will only continue to get better in time. Owens is super competitive and can always be trusted to give his all, while I’m a big fan of Wanganeen-Milera’s ball use. Mattaes Phillipou can count himself unlucky to miss the top-three cut.
10. ADELAIDE
1. Izak Rankine
2. Josh Rachele
3. Max Michalanney
What a recruit Rankine has been. Not only does he have some serious creative nous, but he is also winning plenty of contested ball. Rachele has pure talent, reads the game well and is having high numbers of score involvements on the back of his quality ball use forward of centre. Michalanney has shown maturity beyond his years on debut this season. Not many 19-year-olds come in and play a key role down back like he has.
11. GWS GIANTS
1. Tom Green
2. Finn Callaghan
3. Lachie Ash
There’s a lot to like about Green, who has taken another step forward as a big-bodied midfielder this season. He works incredibly hard to win the ball and often kickstarts the Giants’ offence on the back of his contest and clearance wins. Callaghan has got some tricks and will be a quality player, while Ash gives great energy and run and can also be used as a tagger at times.
12. NORTH MELBOURNE
1. Tarryn Thomas
2. Harry Sheezel
3. George Wardlaw
The Kangaroos certainly look to have got it right splitting their No.1 pick in last year’s draft to secure both Sheezel and Wardlaw. Sheezel’s ball use is remarkable and he’s going to be an absolute star, while Wardlaw has already shown in his first four games just what a competitor he is. Thomas is already a star who can change games. If he can sort himself out off-field – and he must – these three players will drive this young North Melbourne group forward.
13. MELBOURNE
1. Trent Rivers
2. Jacob van Rooyen
3. Kysaiah Pickett
After a super premiership year in 2021, Rivers found himself out of form and favour last season but has bounced back this year. He’s a huge part of the Demons’ rock solid defence when they’re at their best and shows real purpose as a backman. At the other end, van Rooyen competes hard and crashes packs in the air but can also win the ball at ground level. Pickett can make something out of nothing and has more upside to come.
14. ESSENDON
1. Nic Martin
2. Jye Caldwell
3. Archie Perkins
The Bombers found a gem in Martin through the Supplementary Selection Period at the start of last year and he has continued to improve on a wing this year. His running power is elite. Caldwell is a contested midfielder who can be trusted and has proven a great pick-up from GWS, while Perkins knows where the goals are and will only get better when he improves the defensive side of his game.
15. BRISBANE LIONS
1. Will Ashcroft
2. Zac Bailey
3. Brandon Starcevich
What Ashcroft has been able to do in his first year has been remarkable, slotting straight into an already strong Lions onball brigade. Bailey is a forward who kicks clutch goals but can also have a stint in the middle and impact, while Starcevich is an unsung hero who is regularly given big jobs down back by the coaching staff and doesn’t disappoint.
16. GEELONG
1. Sam De Koning
2. Max Holmes
3. Oliver Henry
These three are perhaps a touch unlucky to be ranked so low, but haven’t been able to get into gear on a consistent enough basis this year. De Koning and Holmes both had stellar seasons last year but haven’t quite reached the same heights in 2023. In fairness, De Koning has been thrown around a bit. Henry is a very good opportunistic marking forward, but has to keep working on his defensive traits.
17. RICHMOND
1. Noah Balta
2. Sampson Ryan
3. Jack Ross
Having been a top team in recent years, the Tigers haven’t exposed as many young players as some clubs. Balta is not a natural footballer but has grown into his role and was a premiership player in 2020. Ryan is an athletic and competitive big man who appears to have good footy IQ, while Ross has been in and out of the senior team but has shown good signs as an outside midfielder when he has played.
18. WEST COAST
1. Reuben Ginbey
2. Bailey Williams
3. Noah Long
The Eagles’ top draft pick from last year, Ginbey has made an eye-catching start to his career. He’s a big body and has not been fazed by taking on big tasks which have been thrown at him. In the absence of Nic Naitanui, Williams has given great effort as an undersized ruckman and should only get better. Long has some tricks and brings some creative flair on the outside but also has the capacity to win his own ball.
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