The time has come for me to reveal who I believe are the Top 50 players of the 2018 AFL Season, and this one was perhaps the toughest one I've had to do since I began doing Top 50's a couple of years ago.
It's tough because names such as Dustin Martin, Patrick Dangerfield and Nat Fyfe who have been number one in the past, have had indifferent seasons. Alex Rance and Lance Franklin - who have been in the top five or thereabouts in recent years - are not in the top five this year.
So who was the number one player in the competition? Is it Brownlow Medal winner Tom Mitchell? Is it either Max Gawn or Brodie Grundy? - both of whom have established themselves as the best ruckmen in the current AFL or could it be a young gun such as Patrick Cripps, Clayton Oliver or someone from left field?
Over the next week I'll reveal my top 50 as I have done in previous years. Today I name players 50-41, with a number of players unlucky to miss out. Tom McDonald, Shane Edwards, Ollie Wines and Joel Selwood can all consider themselves the stiffest of the lot.
50. Ben Cunnington – North Melbourne Pre-Season Ranking: N/A
2018 Games: 22 2018 Goals: 10 Cunnington had a solid 2017 season and backed it up with an equally-impressive 2018 in a year which saw the Roos improve unexpectedly. Averaged 25.6 disposals – 15.4 of them contested – along with 6.6 clearances, 5.1 tackles and 3.7 marks per game. It was very difficult to leave him off the list after being so consistent in congested spaces this season.
49. Tim Kelly – Geelong Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 23 2018 Goals: 24 Even though Tim Kelly is a mature-aged recruit, I can't think of anyone in recent times who has had an exceptional first year in the AFL quite like this man. It's a shame for Cats' fans that he has requested to go back home to WA, but his first year in the AFL has proven that he will be a star in the near future. His 2018 averages consist of 22.8 disposals, 4.2 clearances, four inside 50s, 3.5 tackles and good for a goal per game. 48. Luke Shuey – West Coast Pre-Season Ranking: 43 2018 Games: 20 2018 Goals: 6 His 2018 season might have been a little down on his previous couple of years, but he stood up at the right time for the Eagles this year. His performance in the Grand Final was worthy of his Norm Smith Medal and if it weren't for a bad hamstring injury earlier in the year, he could've found himself higher up the order. He averaged 23.8 disposals, 6.6 clearances, 4.9 inside 50s and 4.8 tackles this year.
47. Luke Parker – Sydney Pre-Season Ranking: 25 2018 Games: 22 2018 Goals: 25 Started 2018 with a bang by nailing that incredible overhead volley goal against West Coast and whilst he had some good games all throughout the year, he also drifted out of games a fair bit and thus the reason for a bit of drop. Still, he was good enough to average 23 disposals and a goal per game, as well as averaging 5.4 clearances, 5.6 tackles and 3.6 inside 50s for the Swans this year. 46. Jack Redden – West Coast Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 25 2018 Goals: 10 12 months ago, Jack Redden looked like he was just making up the numbers in a West Coast squad that had a lot of question marks, but today he stands before us all as a key cog in their premiership team. His start to the year wasn't overly impressive, but as they say, it's not about how you start, it's how you finish, and he finished the year superbly. Finished the year averaging 25.1 disposals, 5.6 marks, 4.7 tackles and 4.8 marks per game.
45. Lachie Hunter – Western Bulldogs Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 21 2018 Goals: 8 Not many people will agree with Lachie Hunter winning the Western Bulldogs' best and fairest, but it's hard to ignore the season he produced in a side that had it's struggles. Averaged a career-high 29.8 disposals per game, which shows his ability to find the footy. Also averaged 5.6 marks, 3.6 inside 50s, 2.8 rebound 50s and 2.4 clearances per game. His ability to cover the ground is extraordinary. 44. Mark Blicavs – Geelong Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 23 2018 Goals: 1
Moved into a full-time key defender this season and relished the jobs ahead of him, keeping some of the game's bigger names extremely quiet. The stats won't say a great deal – averaging 14.6 disposals, four marks, 2.5 rebound 50s and 3.3 tackles per game – but the Cats saw more than enough to deem him as Geelong's best and fairest this year. Beating out Patrick Dangerfield and Tim Kelly. 43. Justin Westhoff – Port Adelaide Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 22 2018 Goals: 24 He turned 32 at the start of this month, but it looks incredibly apparent that Justin Westhoff is playing career-best footy. Highlighted by winning Port Adelaide's best and fairest this year. Averaged nearly 20 disposals, 5.3 marks, 4.8 tackles, 2.6 clearances and 2.1 rebound 50s, playing nearly every role possible for the Power this season. He has shown incredible versatility this season and has come a long way from being just a lanky forward. 42. Jake Lloyd - Sydney Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 23 2018 Goals: 3 Jake Lloyd has cemented himself as one of the game's better rebounding defenders at the conclusion of this season. He is super consistent and he rarely misses a target. So much so that Sydney named him as their best and fairest this season. Averaged 27.8 disposals, 6.5 marks and 6.1 rebound 50s per game this year – all of them career-highs. I like the way he goes about it, could be well-placed to average over 30 next year. 41. Dyson Heppell – Essendon Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 22 2018 Goals: 10 It was another solid year from the Essendon captain, who showed his consistency in a year that saw the Bombers struggle in the opening half of the year, which ultimately cost them a second-straight trip to the Finals. Heppell finished the year just 10 votes behind winner Devon Smith in the club's best and fairest, averaging 26.8 disposals, 5.5 marks, 4.9 clearances, four tackles and 4.3 inside 50s per game this year.
Stay Tuned For Tomorrow I Reveal Players 40-31