We have arrived at the final part of my top 50 AFL Players. This morning sees me name the top 10 players.
These players I believe have made the most impact over the past few years and I feel these players will be the 10 players that will have the most impact in 2018. In case you've missed any of the previous four parts of my top 50: Have a look at who made the cut at the start of the 2018 AFL season: 50. Jake Carlisle (St. Kilda) 49. Dane Rampe (Sydney) 48. Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs) 47. Shaun Burgoyne (Hawthorn) 46. Jack Steven (St. Kilda) 45. Ollie Wines (Port Adelaide) 44. Steven May (Gold Coast) 43. Luke Shuey (West Coast) 42. Lachie Neale (Fremantle) 41. Michael Hibberd (Melbourne) 40. Jack Macrae (Western Bulldogs) 39. Jake Lever (Melbourne) 38. Ben Brown (North Melbourne) 37. Clayton Oliver (Melbourne) 36. Callan Ward (Greater Western Sydney) 35. Jason Johannisen (Western Bulldogs) 34. Max Gawn (Melbourne)
33. Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood) 32. Jack Riewoldt (Richmond)
31. Dylan Shiel (Greater Western Sydney) 30. Toby Greene (Greater Western Sydney) 29. Sam Jacobs (Adelaide) 28. Dayne Beams (Brisbane) 27. Zach Merrett (Essendon) 26. Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn) 25. Luke Parker (Sydney) 24. Paddy Ryder (Port Adelaide) 23. Joel Selwood (Geelong) 22. Eddie Betts (Adelaide) 21. Jeremy McGovern (West Coast) 20. Michael Hurley (Essendon) 19. Rory Laird (Adelaide) 18. Gary Ablett (Geelong) 17. Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn) 16. Joe Daniher (Essendon) 15. Rory Sloane (Adelaide) 14. Matt Crouch (Adelaide) 13. Dayne Zorko (Brisbane) 12. Tom Lynch (Gold Coast) 11. Josh Kennedy (Sydney) To read the explanations, click below for the following links: Part One: 50-41 Part Two: 40-31 Part Three: 30-21 Part Four: 20-11 10. Robbie Gray – Port Adelaide Career Games: 178 Career Goals: 258 Robbie Gray is perhaps one of my favourite players to watch. The way he manages to turn a game on his head is exactly why he gets a spot in the top 10. Whether you put him into the midfield, he'll give you a solid 26-27 disposals a night or whether you put him up forward, where he gives you a solid tally like his 2017 total of 47 last season, Gray does more than his fair share for the team. A three-time All-Australian and a three-time best and fairest, Gray has become one of Port's most valuable players. 9. Josh Kelly – Greater Western Sydney Career Games: 84 Career Goals: 53 Taken with the second pick in the 2013 AFL Draft, Josh Kelly emerged as a superstar at the conclusion of the 2017 season. He averaged career-high averages in disposals, tackles, inside 50s, and clearances, and was rewarded accordingly with a spot on the wing in the All-Australian team. He showed his commitment to the Giants, turning back big-money offers to come home to Victoria last year, and given that he possesses such elite skills, amazing decision-making and terrific vision, it was a massive win for the Giants.
8. Scott Pendlebury – Collingwood
Career Games: 252
Career Goals: 157
If you look up the word consistency in the dictionary, don't be shocked if you found a photo of Scott Pendlebury in it. He has now averaged 25 disposals or more now for the past nine seasons, and the list of accolades will back up how good he's been for so long. Five club best and fairests, five All-Australians and a further three All-Australian squad selections. For years now, Pendlebury has been finding himself able to win the ball, weave through traffic and uses his disposals neatly. Despite hitting 30 in January, expect more of the same for a few years to come.
7. Marcus Bontempelli – Western Bulldogs Career Games: 85 Career Goals: 78 The way you watch Marcus Bontempelli play football, you wouldn't have thought that he is only just 22 years of age. Despite a 2017 season that failed to even match the weathering heights of his 2016 season, 'The Bont' still had a very good year in 2017. He nearly averaged a goal per game, as well as averaging 23 disposals, six tackles, four inside 50s and four clearances, taking home his second-straight club best and fairest award. He's got his whole career ahead of him, it's going to be scary to see what he's like in his prime.
6. Josh Kennedy – West Coast Career Games: 207 Career Goals: 519 A lot of people will have their criticisms of West Coast's Josh Kennedy, but there's no denying that his presence in the forward line was crucial to the Eagles' successes last year. Despite missing over a month of footy with a calf injury, Kennedy was primed to take home another Coleman medal before Buddy Franklin's ridiculous 10-goal game in the final round of the season. Named All-Australian for the third-straight year last year with 69 goals in 19 games and has always been able to be a great goal-kicker over the years.
5. Nathan Fyfe – Fremantle Career Games: 138 Career Goals: 121 2017 was a strange year for the 2015 Brownlow medallist. After his 2016 season was cut short with a broken leg, Fyfe slowly got himself back into the thick of things. But as the season progressed, we witnessed the Nat Fyfe of old, averaging 26 disposals, six clearances, four inside 50s and four tackles per game by seasons end, along with 17 goals for the year, but all of this has Fyfe primed for a massive year. I can't wait to see him break open the congestion and take strong contested marks that we missed for the majority of the past two years.
4. Alex Rance – Richmond Career Games: 175 Career Goals: 9 There is no doubts here that Alex Rance is the best key defender in the game today, and there is a bit of debate sparking whether or not Rance deserves to be in discussion as the greatest key defender of all time. 2017 saw him named as an All-Australian for the fourth consecutive year as well as being named captain of the All-Australian team for the first time to go with a premiership. It's a head-scratching decision for some, but Rance is the man that intercepts nearly everything that comes his way and his almost unbeatable in the one-on-ones.
3. Dustin Martin – Richmond Career Games: 178 Career Goals: 187 It's funny to believe that this time last year, I had Dustin Martin outside the top 20. He then proceeded to produce one of the most outstanding individual seasons of recent memory, scooping up every individual award in sight. A premiership – a key part at that – as well as All-Australian, a Brownlow Medal and a Norm Smith Medal. He proved time and time again last year that he was a menace wherever you placed him. As a midfielder he was a clearance beast. Up forward he was a headache for any defender that went toe-to-toe with him.
2. Lance Franklin – Sydney Career Games: 271 Career Goals: 860 It's hard to argue against the fact that Lance Franklin is amongst the game's greatest forwards today. One could even argue the fact that he is amongst the greatest goal-kickers of all time. 2017 saw Buddy play every game for the Swans and claim his fourth Coleman Medal of his career, kicking 73 goals for the year taking his tally to 860 for his career. He is well placed to get to 900 goals this year, and looms as a very strong chance to kick 1000 career goals before his career is done. His combination of speed, strength, agility and his football IQ makes him a very dangerous man on the footy field.
1. Patrick Dangerfield – Geelong
Career Games: 202 Career Goals: 232 After breaking out to win his first Brownlow Medal in 2016 in his first year as a Cat, Patrick Dangerfield backed it up with a 2017 season that could definitely match it, maybe even better it. Averaged 30 disposals per game, along with seven clearances, six tackles and five inside 50s per game, along with kicking 45 goals for the year, nearly doubling what he kicked in 2016 (24 goals). Dangerfield, love him or hate him, this man has been outstanding both as a midfielder and has been very dangerous as a forward weapon and could easily be the first picked player in the eyes of millions.