We have arrived at the tail end of this year's list of top 50 AFL players post-season. It's been a cracking year, and I feel that each one of this group of 10 thoroughly deserves their place inside the top 10. Although I must say that it was very hard to settle on the best player in the competition, let alone pick a top 10.
If you have missed who made the top 50 this past week or you have missed a certain part, the full list will be below, as well as links to the first four parts
50. Ben Cunnington (North Melbourne)
49. Tim Kelly (Geelong)
48. Luke Shuey (West Coast) 47. Luke Parker (Sydney)
46. Jack Redden (West Coast)
45. Lachie Hunter (Western Bulldogs) 44. Mark Blicavs (Geelong)
43. Justin Westhoff (Port Adelaide)
42. Jake Lloyd (Sydney)
41. Dyson Heppell (Essendon)
40. Phil Davis (GWS)
39. Jack Steven (St. Kilda) 38. Harris Andrews (Brisbane)
37. Lachie Whitfield (GWS)
36. Neville Jetta (Melbourne) 35. Dayne Zorko (Brisbane)
34. Taylor Adams (Collingwood)
33. Dylan Grimes (Richmond) 32. Tom Stewart (Geelong)
31. Josh Caddy (Richmond)
30. Andrew Gaff (West Coast)
29. Lachie Neale (Fremantle/Brisbane)
28. Luke Breust (Hawthorn)
27. Tom Hawkins (Geelong) 26. Devon Smith (Essendon)
25. Shannon Hurn (West Coast)
24. Jack Darling (West Coast)
23. Angus Brayshaw (Melbourne)
22. Ben Brown (North Melbourne) 21. Jack Gunston (Hawthorn)
20. Jack Macrae (Western Bulldogs)
19. Dayne Beams (Brisbane/Collingwood)
18. Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
17. Shaun Higgins (North Melbourne) 16. Callan Ward (GWS)
15. Alex Rance (Richmond)
14. Jordan De Goey (Collingwood)
13. Elliot Yeo (West Coast)
12. Stephen Coniglio (GWS)
11. Dustin Martin (Richmond)
So without further ado, let's introduce the final 10 in my top 50 for this year.
10. Clayton Oliver – Melbourne Pre-Season Ranking: 37 2018 Games: 25 2018 Goals: 12 After an impressive second-year in the AFL, Clayton Oliver established himself as one of the brightest young stars in the league right now with a third season that just about equals last year. Averaging 29.3 disposals, 3.4 marks, 6.7 tackles and 6.4 clearances per game, Oliver was awarded a spot on the All-Australian team for the first of what I'm sure will be many times to come in his career. 9. Rory Laird – Adelaide Pre-Season Ranking: 19 2018 Games: 20 2018 Goals: 3
Danny Frawley said during the year that Rory Laird will be amongst one of the best running backs of all time. It's hard to argue against it, In 2019, Laird averaged a career-best 32.2 disposals, along with 6.2 marks, five rebound 50s and 2.1 inside 50s per game. He gets into all the right spots and it makes him the best running defender in the competition today. Took home his second-straight All-Australian selection and won Adelaide's best and fairest for the first time. 8. Lance Franklin – Sydney Pre-Season Ranking: 2 2018 Games: 19 2018 Goals: 57
People will question the decision to name him All-Australian captain – I certainly have – but the facts are that Buddy played 19 games, struggled with injury for the most part of the year, and still managed 57 goals, and won games off his own boot. See his six goals against Collingwood and his five against GWS and also the eight he kicked on West Coast at the start of the year. He's in his 30's now, but he's etching himself closer to that rare milestone of 1000 goals. 7. Steele Sidebottom – Collingwood Pre-Season Ranking: 33 2018 Games: 26 2018 Goals: 12
Steele made it back-to-back Copeland Trophies as one of two Collingwood's best and fairests this year, after a 2018 season that I can describe as incredible. Also staggering that he only has one All-Australian selection to his name, that coming this year after a season which he averaged 29.4 disposals, 5.1 marks, 4.2 inside 50s, 3.9 clearances and 3.7 tackles per game. Has been critically underrated for so long, but that is no longer the case. 6. Jack Riewoldt – Richmond Pre-Season Ranking: 32 2018 Games: 24 2018 Goals: 70
2018 was Jack Riewoldt's year in terms of the forwards. He took home his third Coleman Medal of his career, kicking 65 goals at the end of the home and away season, and was deservedly awarded a spot in the All-Australian team. He was also awarded his second club best and fairest, ending up with 70 goals with averages of 14.2 disposals, 6.2 marks and 3.2 inside 50s.Watching him and Tom Lynch next year will be interesting and fun to see. 5. Jeremy McGovern – West Coast Pre-Season Ranking: 21 2018 Games: 24 2018 Goals: 6
Not only has Jeremy McGovern stamped himself as the best intercept defender of the game today, but his performances this year have seen him overtake Alex Rance as the best key back in the league currently. He was named an All-Australian for the third consecutive year and averaged 14.8 disposals, seven marks and 3.8 rebound 50s.per game. He was excellent in the Grand Final, made even better when it was revealed he had internal bleeding from the week before. 4. Patrick Cripps – Carlton Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 22 2018 Goals: 11
I cannot believe I had left this guy out of top 50 at the start of the year – props to the people who gave me stick for it. Patrick Cripps has elevated himself into the game's elite this year. Averaged 29.6 disposals, 7.6 clearances, 6.2 tackles and 4.2 marks per game to take home his second Carlton best and fairest award and claim his first-ever All-Australian selection. He, alongside Sam Docherty, will be the co-captains for next year, I have a feeling his best footy is still ahead of him. 3. Tom Mitchell – Hawthorn Pre-Season Ranking: 17 2018 Games: 24 2018 Goals: 13
12 months after Tom Mitchell burst onto the scene with a year in the midfield that had to be seen to be believed, he backed it up with an equally-impressive 2018 campaign, highlighted by his first Brownlow Medal and back-to-back Hawthorn best and fairests and All-Australian selections. He averaged 35.3 disposals per game – including two 50-plus possession games – as well as eight clearances, 6.3 tackles, 4.9 inside 50s and 4.7 marks per game. It's fair to say he's really earned his accolades and perhaps stiff not to be number one.
2. Brodie Grundy – Collingwood Pre-Season Ranking: N/A 2018 Games: 26 2018 Goals: 9
Brodie Grundy has become one of the game's better ruckmen in the competition and although he's starting on the bench behind Max Gawn on the All-Australian team, it's more than fair to say he's earned his spot on the team. Averaged 39.9 hitouts, along with 20.2 disposals, 5.1 tackles, 5.3 clearances and 3.5 marks per game this year. He took home the Copeland Trophy this year as Collingwood's best and fairest, along with Steele Sidebottom. 1. Max Gawn – Melbourne Pre-Season Ranking: 34 2018 Games: 25 2018 Goals: 13
It's been the topic of discussion for a chunk of 2019 – Gawn or Grundy? I'm taking Gawn at the moment, because why Grundy has him covered with disposals, clearances and midfielder qualities, it's Gawn's work in the middle that is mighty impressive. He lead all ruckmen for hitouts this year, averaging 44.7 per game and it's with those that helps the players such as Oliver, Brayshaw, Viney, Jones and get first use of the footy. Also averages 4.5 marks, 15.8 disposals, and 2.6 clearances per game.