End Of Season- Top 50

[My Tilly]

Going into next year and with this season done where do your ratings sit?

Here is mine, I am sure I will miss someone but I'll have a crack.

1- Daicos
2- Bont
3- Heeney
4- Cameron
5- Serong
6- Rowell
7- Darcy
8- Anderson
9- NWM
10- Andrews
11- W Ashcroft
12- Rankine
13- Pickett
14- Newcombe
15- Holmes
16- Green
17- Gawn
18- Callaghan
19- Dawson
20- Smith
21- Mcluggage
22- Thilthorpe
23- Butters
24- Neale
25- Weitering
26- Taylor
27- Elliot
28- Dunkley
29- Jackson
30- JHF
31-Gulden
32- Richards
33- Bailey
34- King
35- Brayshaw
36- Stewart
37- Greene
38- Cripps
39- Rozee
40- Sheezel
41- Clark
42- Merrett
43- Hogan
44- Moore
45- Long
46- Warner
47- Day
48- Petracca
49- Worrell
50- Miers

You're love for Pickett is absurd.

 

[Fadge]

Here's my tip.

The quartet of Gulden, Heeney, Warner and Curnow will be significantly better than the quartet of Bont, Richards, Libba and Darcy in 2026.

Maybe not according to PLaYeR RaTiNGZ, but in terms of performing against and beating quality opposition.

 

[Lingsface]

You're love for Pickett is absurd.

Can't deny it....

 

[My Tilly]

Can't deny it....

The question is . . . why?
I mean I know he's a star but talk of him being a superstar and one of the top 13 players in the competition as of right now is a bit rich.

He's very much the icing on the cake when it comes to team success. He's not a match winner. These type of players are a dime-a-dozen. Bolton, Papley, Fritsch, Watson.

And Zac Bailey at 33?
Come on! He's a much better player than Kosi.

 

[Lingsface]

The question is . . . why?
I mean I know he's a star but talk of him being a superstar and one of the top 13 players in the competition as of right now is a bit rich.

He's very much the icing on the cake when it comes to team success. He's not a match winner. These type of players are a dime-a-dozen. Bolton, Papley, Fritsch, Watson.

And Zac Bailey at 33?
Come on! He's a much better player than Kosi.

I don't agree with that at all.

He had 3 games where he had 20 plus and 5 goals last year, added another part of his game going into the midfield and taking teams apart through there in patches. Some times is forced to play pretty much as their key forward and does a good job, he can do things other players can't even dream of. He was All Australian last year in a very average performing side. Beat Fremantle on his own, ran a muck against Sydney and Carlton. Averaged 19.5 and 2 a game not many people have hit the 20 and 2 in history. I would take Kosi before Bailey any day of the week.

 

[Wojcinski]

Kane has released his new top 50.

50. Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs)

49. Sam Walsh (Carlton)

48. Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)

47. Dayne Zorko (Brisbane Lions)

46. Mitch Georgiades (Port Adelaide)

45. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)

44. Josh Treacy (Fremantle)

43. Zac Bailey (Brisbane Lions)

42. Bailey Smith (Geelong)

41. Jordan Clark (Fremantle)

40. Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)

39. Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)

38. Jaspa Fletcher (Brisbane Lions)

37. Toby Greene (GWS Giants)

36. Charlie Curnow (Sydney)

35. Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)

34. Josh Dunkley (Brisbane Lions)

33. Tom Green (GWS Giants)

32. Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)

31. Dylan Moore (Hawthorn)

30. Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions)

29. Nick Blakey (Sydney)

28. Zach Merrett (Essendon)

27. Jack Gunston (Hawthorn)

26. Hayden Young (Fremantle)

25. Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn)

24. Nick Larkey (North Melbourne)

23. Chad Warner (Sydney)

22. Finn Callaghan (GWS Giants)

21. Izak Rankine (Adelaide)

20. Max Holmes (Geelong)

19. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)

18. Sam Taylor (GWS Giants)

17. Caleb Serong (Fremantle)

16. Riley Thilthorpe (Adelaide)

15. Errol Gulden (Sydney)

14. Max Gawn (Melbourne)

13. Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs)

12. Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne)

11. Matt Rowell (Gold Coast Suns)

10- Nasiah Wanganeedn-Milera (STK)

9-Harris Andrews (Brisbane)

8-Hugh Mcluggage (Brisbane)

7- Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)

6-Issac Heeney (Sydney)

5-Noah Anderson ( Gold Coast)

4- Zak Butter (Port Adelaide)

3- Marcus Bontempelli (Bulldogs)

2- Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

1- Sam Darcy ( Bulldogs)

Kane's had a mare, Washcroft at 45?

 

[My Tilly]

I would take Kosi before Bailey any day of the week.

I guess this explains it then.

 

[gungho]

Not a bad list but you can’t pick a guy like Darcy at 1 on potential.
He also overrates the South Australian guys he obviously watches more of - Georgiadies, Butters, Rankine, Rozee, Dawson, Horne-Francis.

There is no way, for example, that Horne Francis or Rozee had a better year than Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

25

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

last year.

 

[Lingsface]

Not a bad list but you can’t pick a guy like Darcy at 1 on potential.
He also overrates the South Australian guys he obviously watches more of - Georgiadies, Butters, Rankine, Rozee, Dawson, Horne-Francis.

There is no way, for example, that Horne Francis or Rozee had a better year than Bailey Smith last year.

Yes, the JHF selection is pretty questionable even if it is done on predictions. JHF is just so attention grabbing he draws you in and does make a difference at his best, it just isn't happening enough. I have probably rated him to high.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Going off Kane the dogs are a shoe in for the flag

 

[Mr Meow]

Going off Kane the dogs are a shoe in for the flag

No doubt his fantasies (which slip into his "analysis") involve Port smashing the Bulldogs in a grand final every year.

 

[Lingsface]

No doubt his fantasies (which slip into his "analysis") involve Port smashing the Bulldogs in a grand final every year.

I am actually a huge Cornes fan, love listening to him. I think his own agenda has got in the way of this list a bit though. He is fantasizing over being able to say something in a couple months time more than making a logical outlook. Some of the calls I respect though, Georgiades has had a huge effort for what support he has and his age.

 

[Mr Meow]

I am actually a huge Cornes fan, love listening to him. I think his own agenda has got in the way of this list a bit though. He is fantasizing over being able to say something in a couple months time more than making a logical outlook. Some of the calls I respect though, Georgiades has had a huge effort for what support he has and his age.

I don't hate listening to Cornes and King, but I take what they say with a grain of salt. For every opinion that makes perfect sense, there's one that makes you scratch your head. No different to most people. These lists are like all lists, just a bunch of people trying to rank things among a million variables + lack of knowledge/memory etc to make objective comparisons (especially when we are expanding it to top 50s or 100s). I'm more minded to call that fluff than analysis, but I have no issue with them doing what they know get clicks. They have bills to pay.

 

[Lingsface]

You're love for Pickett is absurd.

Please tell me you watched him today!

 

[My Tilly]

Please tell me you watched him today!

Are you talking about a preseason contest?

I watched the State game though.

 

[thehunterclarkhill]

Kane has released his new top 50.

50. Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs)

49. Sam Walsh (Carlton)

48. Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)

47. Dayne Zorko (Brisbane Lions)

46. Mitch Georgiades (Port Adelaide)

45. Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)

44. Josh Treacy (Fremantle)

43. Zac Bailey (Brisbane Lions)

42. Bailey Smith (Geelong)

41. Jordan Clark (Fremantle)

40. Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)

39. Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)

38. Jaspa Fletcher (Brisbane Lions)

37. Toby Greene (GWS Giants)

36. Charlie Curnow (Sydney)

35. Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)

34. Josh Dunkley (Brisbane Lions)

33. Tom Green (GWS Giants)

32. Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)

31. Dylan Moore (Hawthorn)

30. Lachie Neale (Brisbane Lions)

29. Nick Blakey (Sydney)

28. Zach Merrett (Essendon)

27. Jack Gunston (Hawthorn)

26. Hayden Young (Fremantle)

25. Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn)

24. Nick Larkey (North Melbourne)

23. Chad Warner (Sydney)

22. Finn Callaghan (GWS Giants)

21. Izak Rankine (Adelaide)

20. Max Holmes (Geelong)

19. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)

18. Sam Taylor (GWS Giants)

17. Caleb Serong (Fremantle)

16. Riley Thilthorpe (Adelaide)

15. Errol Gulden (Sydney)

14. Max Gawn (Melbourne)

13. Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs)

12. Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne)

11. Matt Rowell (Gold Coast Suns)

10- Nasiah Wanganeedn-Milera (STK)

9-Harris Andrews (Brisbane)

8-Hugh Mcluggage (Brisbane)

7- Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)

6-Issac Heeney (Sydney)

5-Noah Anderson ( Gold Coast)

4- Zak Butter (Port Adelaide)

3- Marcus Bontempelli (Bulldogs)

2- Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

1- Sam Darcy ( Bulldogs)

heavily biased saints fan here, so take with several grains of salt.... but I'd be a bit surprised if NWM isn't closer to top 3-5 by end of the year. Guess it depends if his form from back half of last year (when he went midfield) keeps up. Also suspect if he had gone to Port, Kaneo would have him at 1 lmao.

As an aside, I'd swap Thilthorpe and Cameron's spots. Thilth was winning games against quality sides off his own boot last year while Jez kicks bags against cellar dwellars (like us!)

 

[Lingsface]

Are you talking about a preseason contest?

I watched the State game though.

Yes the pre season contest, he was showtime. I know it is just pre season blah blah blah. But it was just great to watch as a footy supporter.

 

[_Mike_]

Kane has released his new top 50.


3- Marcus Bontempelli (Bulldogs)

2- Nick Daicos (Collingwood)

1- Sam Darcy ( Bulldogs)

Sam Darcy aint anywhere near #1 in the league, Kane has been indulging in too much of the green

 

[aussierulesrules]

Sam Darcy aint anywhere near #1 in the league, Kane has been indulging in too much of the green

He has Jaspa Fletcher (who has amassed a whopping 12 career coaches votes!) at 38, ahead of Bailey Smith and Will Ashcroft, while nowhere to be seen in his list are Tom Stewart, Jesse Hogan, Patrick Cripps, Cal Wilkie, Jack Sinclair, etc.

Ludicrous.

 

[Lingsface]

He has Jaspa Fletcher (who has amassed a whopping 12 career coaches votes!) at 38, ahead of Bailey Smith and Will Ashcroft, while nowhere to be seen in his list are Tom Stewart, Jesse Hogan, Patrick Cripps, Cal Wilkie, Jack Sinclair, etc.

Ludicrous.

Yes, watch Tom Stewart show how good he still is this season.

 

[NeutralFan]

Have an entire spreadsheet rating every player akin to how NBA 2K does ratings and such so it's not completely definitive I think this guy is better than the guy 1 spot below or worse than the guy above. Isn't solely off just 2025 performance so poor form isn't be all end all. Looking at Patrick Cripps

9

Patrick Cripps

Age

31

Ht

195cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.9

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

16.1

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

5.8

5star

CL

7.4

5star

D

21.0

5star

K

10.1

4star

HB

10.9

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

3.8

4star

CL

6.3

5star

D

12.6

4star

K

4.8

2star

HB

7.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

CL

1.4

4star

and James Sicily

6

James Sicily

Age

31

Ht

188cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

12.7

5star

HB

5.7

4star

M

6.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

MG

365.0

5star

D

19.4

4star

K

14.3

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

5.9

5star

T

1.0

2star

MG

437.4

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

173.8

3star

, even Danger but age is more likely to make him regress out of my Top 50 eventually.

1 M. Bontempelli
2 N. Daicos
3 I. Heeney
4 J. Cameron
5 N. Anderson
6 Z. Butters
7 M. Rowell
8 M. Holmes
9 S. Darcy
10 R. Thilthorpe
11 H. McCluggage
12 C. Serong
13 W. Day
14 L. Neale
15 E. Gulden
16 N. Wanganeen-Milera
17 J. Dawson
18 F. Callaghan
19 J. Newcombe
20 E. Richards
21 H. Young
22 J. Hogan
23 A. Brayshaw
24 Z. Merrett
25 C. Warner
26 M. Gawn
27 H. Andrews
28 B. Smith
29 J. Horne-Francis
30 P. Cripps
31 K. Pickett
32 C. Petracca
33 T. Greene
34 W. Ashcroft
35 I. Rankine
36 P. Dangerfield
37 H. Sheezel
38 L. Jackson
39 M. Georgiades
40 T. Miller
41 T. Green
42 J. Sicily
43 C. Curnow
44 N. Larkey
45 S. Taylor
46 B. King
47 S. Bolton
48 Z. Bailey
49 J. Elliott
50 D. Zorko

 

[Lingsface]

Have an entire spreadsheet rating every player akin to how NBA 2K does ratings and such so it's not completely definitive I think this guy is better than the guy 1 spot below or worse than the guy above. Isn't solely off just 2025 performance so poor form isn't be all end all. Looking at Patrick Cripps and James Sicily, even Danger but age is more likely to make him regress out of my Top 50 eventually.

1 M. Bontempelli
2 N. Daicos
3 I. Heeney
4 J. Cameron
5 N. Anderson
6 Z. Butters
7 M. Rowell
8 M. Holmes
9 S. Darcy
10 R. Thilthorpe
11 H. McCluggage
12 C. Serong
13 W. Day
14 L. Neale
15 E. Gulden
16 N. Wanganeen-Milera
17 J. Dawson
18 F. Callaghan
19 J. Newcombe
20 E. Richards
21 H. Young
22 J. Hogan
23 A. Brayshaw
24 Z. Merrett
25 C. Warner
26 M. Gawn
27 H. Andrews
28 B. Smith
29 J. Horne-Francis
30 P. Cripps
31 K. Pickett
32 C. Petracca
33 T. Greene
34 W. Ashcroft
35 I. Rankine
36 P. Dangerfield
37 H. Sheezel
38 L. Jackson
39 M. Georgiades
40 T. Miller
41 T. Green
42 J. Sicily
43 C. Curnow
44 N. Larkey
45 S. Taylor
46 B. King
47 S. Bolton
48 Z. Bailey
49 J. Elliott
50 D. Zorko

Will Day is the only one that I have a problem with, he just hasn't got enough runs on the board as of late. George Wardlaw has played more games than him in the last 2 years and looks likely to this year and all you hear about him is how little he has played so hasn't been able to fulfill his potential.

 

[NeutralFan]

Will Day is the only one that I have a problem with, he just hasn't got enough runs on the board as of late. George Wardlaw has played more games than him in the last 2 years and looks likely to this year and all you hear about him is how little he has played so hasn't been able to fulfill his potential.

Think that's completely fair. When he does play though I just think if you made up what a perfect modern day footballer would look like, he's it. He is awesome and he'd be in the Top 10 on potential alone. Like you said, needs to play and it's shocking he won't play for yet another 3-4 months

 

[Lingsface]

Think that's completely fair. When he does play though I just think if you made up what a perfect modern day footballer would look like, he's it. He is awesome and he'd be in the Top 10 on potential alone. Like you said, needs to play and it's shocking he won't play for yet another 3-4 months

Yes could be a gem of a player, I hope it works out for him.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Yes, watch Tom Stewart show how good he still is this season.

Yep, crazy to leave him and Hogan out in particular and I’m very confident that Cal Wilkie will likewise remind everyone how good he is this year.

Last year- after we lost Howard and Battle and replaced them with just a learning-on-the-job Caminiti, for the first half of the year, and then him and a baby Tauru for the second- Wilkie was often trying to cover 2 or 3 opponents, but it looks like we may be going with 4 “talls” back there this year (even on the weekend when Silvagni went down, we replaced him with Keeler), which could free Wilkie up to be an intercepting/rebounding force.

The unofficial stats for the game the other night had him with 30 disposals and 10 marks (in very greasy conditions) and if that’s a sign of things to come, he’ll have his 2nd AA guernsey this year.