Herald Sun: AFL's 40 Best Rising Stars Under 24 Years Of Age Ranked (as of September 1st 2024)

[Danger in Texas]

That is a fair comment. On output, Soligo would be higher than most. And I did consider that somewhat. I just don't think he will ultimately be as good a player as some of these guys. Not comparing them as players, but he reminds me of what I always thought Liam Shiels would have been at another club with a bigger role. But your comment definitely comes from logic and not bias, and I can see why you would have him here.

Respect the response and the reasoning. I personally think he still has a couple of levels to go to, especially once he gets to peak fitness (still learning to effectively burst from packs), but I understand the analysis

 

[Meteoric Rise]

AFL Player Ratings for 2024 season only puts players turning 24 this year or younger in the following order(only those who played 10+ games included):

1. Serong 16.99
2. N Daicos 16.8(not number 1, in a tight cluster of 4 near the top)
3. Butters 16.74
4. Rankine 16.64(top forward)
5. Rowell 16.15
6. Young 16.14
7. Anderson 15.77
8. Warner 15.45
9. Sheezel 15.21
10. Gulden 14.96(Top non inside-mid though h attends 36% centre bounces)
11. Newcombe 14.84
12. Flanders 14.7
13. Holmes 14.6
14. T Green 13.99(career high 15.43 2023)
15. Walsh 13.72(career high 14.02 2021)
16. Rowbottom 13.57
17. Blakey 13.41(top genuine defender)
18. Jackson 13.12(top ruck/forward)
19. N Martin 12.73
20. Durham 12.64
21. Wardlaw 12.26
22. Horne 12.2
23. Rozee 11.91
24. T Powell 11.72
25. K Pickett 11.70
26. Wang-Milera 11.55
27. D'Ambrosio 11.44
28. Weddle 11.41(top player designated key position - hybrid?)
29. Caldwell 11.32
30. H Reid 11.28
31. Day 11.17
32. Idun 11.04
33. Rivers 11.03
34. J Treacy 10.68(top genuine key position)
35. Soligo 10.54
36. Wilmott 10.53
37. J McInerney 10.4
38. J Clark 10.29
39. L Henry 10.23
40. M Keane 10.11
41. Darcy Jones 10.04
42. Dempsey 9.99
43. E Holland 9.91
44. Sam Darcy 9.69
45. Rachele 9.52
46. J Jeffrey 9.49
47. M Bergman 9.43
48. Comben 9.9
49. Ash 9.38
50. Bruhn 9.36

Some notables not in top 50

68. Weightman 8.58
89. B Hill 7.86
94. C McKercher 7.61
101. L Mcdonald 7.28
112. J Ginnivan 6.97


Rucks

1. L Jackson 13.12
2. B Williams 8.78

No other ruck who qualifies by age has played 10 games+

Key Position Players

1. Weddle 11.41
2. Treacy 10.68
3. Keane 10.11
4. Sam Darcy 9.69
5. Comben 9.40
6. S DeKoning 9.31
7. Worrell 9.19
8. M Andrew 8.65
9. B Kemp 7.98
10. Georgiades 7.58

Notable omissions from top 10:

11. Log Mcdonald 7.28
13. J Hagan 7.02
16. B King 6.78
19. Van Rooyen 6.41
20. M King 6.39
21. O Henry 6.16
22. Cadman 6.15
29. Amiss 5.56
30. N Caddy 5.5
31. C Dear 5.43
33. J Walter 2.73(he is the last of the qualifiers.)

 

[Mr Meow]

AFL Player Ratings for 2024 season only puts players turning 24 this year or younger in the following order(only those who played 10+ games included):

1. Serong 16.99
2. N Daicos 16.8(not number 1, in a tight cluster of 4 near the top)
3. Butters 16.74
4. Rankine 16.64(top forward)
5. Rowell 16.15
6. Young 16.14
7. Anderson 15.77
8. Warner 15.45
9. Sheezel 15.21
10. Gulden 14.96(Top non inside-mid though h attends 36% centre bounces)
11. Newcombe 14.84
12. Flanders 14.7
13. Holmes 14.6
14. T Green 13.99(career high 15.43 2023)
15. Walsh 13.72(career high 14.02 2021)
16. Rowbottom 13.57
17. Blakey 13.41(top genuine defender)
18. Jackson 13.12(top ruck/forward)
19. N Martin 12.73
20. Durham 12.64
21. Wardlaw 12.26
22. Horne 12.2
23. Rozee 11.91
24. T Powell 11.72
25. K Pickett 11.70
26. Wang-Milera 11.55
27. D'Ambrosio 11.44
28. Weddle 11.41(top player designated key position - hybrid?)
29. Caldwell 11.32
30. H Reid 11.28
31. Day 11.17
32. Idun 11.04
33. Rivers 11.03
34. J Treacy 10.68(top genuine key position)
35. Soligo 10.54
36. Wilmott 10.53
37. J McInerney 10.4
38. J Clark 10.29
39. L Henry 10.23
40. M Keane 10.11
41. Darcy Jones 10.04
42. Dempsey 9.99
43. E Holland 9.91
44. Sam Darcy 9.69
45. Rachele 9.52
46. J Jeffrey 9.49
47. M Bergman 9.43
48. Comben 9.9
49. Ash 9.38
50. Bruhn 9.36

Some notables not in top 50

68. Weightman 8.58
89. B Hill 7.86
94. C McKercher 7.61
101. L Mcdonald 7.28
112. J Ginnivan 6.97


Rucks

1. L Jackson 13.12
2. B Williams 8.78

No other ruck who qualifies by age has played 10 games+

Key Position Players

1. Weddle 11.41
2. Treacy 10.68
3. Keane 10.11
4. Sam Darcy 9.69
5. Comben 9.40
6. S DeKoning 9.31
7. Worrell 9.19
8. M Andrew 8.65
9. B Kemp 7.98
10. Georgiades 7.58

Notable omissions from top 10:

11. Log Mcdonald 7.28
13. J Hagan 7.02
16. B King 6.78
19. Van Rooyen 6.41
20. M King 6.39
21. O Henry 6.16
22. Cadman 6.15
29. Amiss 5.56
30. N Caddy 5.5
31. C Dear 5.43
33. J Walter 2.73(he is the last of the qualifiers.)

Fantastic research.

A rebuilding side forced to play a lot of kids, like Richmond, should probably have a couple in here.

 

[jakson68]

AFL Player Ratings for 2024 season only puts players turning 24 this year or younger in the following order(only those who played 10+ games included):

1. Serong 16.99
2. N Daicos 16.8(not number 1, in a tight cluster of 4 near the top)
3. Butters 16.74
4. Rankine 16.64(top forward)
5. Rowell 16.15
6. Young 16.14
7. Anderson 15.77
8. Warner 15.45
9. Sheezel 15.21
10. Gulden 14.96(Top non inside-mid though h attends 36% centre bounces)
11. Newcombe 14.84
12. Flanders 14.7
13. Holmes 14.6
14. T Green 13.99(career high 15.43 2023)
15. Walsh 13.72(career high 14.02 2021)
16. Rowbottom 13.57
17. Blakey 13.41(top genuine defender)
18. Jackson 13.12(top ruck/forward)
19. N Martin 12.73
20. Durham 12.64
21. Wardlaw 12.26
22. Horne 12.2
23. Rozee 11.91
24. T Powell 11.72
25. K Pickett 11.70
26. Wang-Milera 11.55
27. D'Ambrosio 11.44
28. Weddle 11.41(top player designated key position - hybrid?)
29. Caldwell 11.32
30. H Reid 11.28
31. Day 11.17
32. Idun 11.04
33. Rivers 11.03
34. J Treacy 10.68(top genuine key position)
35. Soligo 10.54
36. Wilmott 10.53
37. J McInerney 10.4
38. J Clark 10.29
39. L Henry 10.23
40. M Keane 10.11
41. Darcy Jones 10.04
42. Dempsey 9.99
43. E Holland 9.91
44. Sam Darcy 9.69
45. Rachele 9.52
46. J Jeffrey 9.49
47. M Bergman 9.43
48. Comben 9.9
49. Ash 9.38
50. Bruhn 9.36

Some notables not in top 50

68. Weightman 8.58
89. B Hill 7.86
94. C McKercher 7.61
101. L Mcdonald 7.28
112. J Ginnivan 6.97


Rucks

1. L Jackson 13.12
2. B Williams 8.78

No other ruck who qualifies by age has played 10 games+

Key Position Players

1. Weddle 11.41
2. Treacy 10.68
3. Keane 10.11
4. Sam Darcy 9.69
5. Comben 9.40
6. S DeKoning 9.31
7. Worrell 9.19
8. M Andrew 8.65
9. B Kemp 7.98
10. Georgiades 7.58

Notable omissions from top 10:

11. Log Mcdonald 7.28
13. J Hagan 7.02
16. B King 6.78
19. Van Rooyen 6.41
20. M King 6.39
21. O Henry 6.16
22. Cadman 6.15
29. Amiss 5.56
30. N Caddy 5.5
31. C Dear 5.43
33. J Walter 2.73(he is the last of the qualifiers.)

Thank you for taking the time to compile that list.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Fantastic research.

A rebuilding side forced to play a lot of kids, like Richmond, should probably have a couple in here.

Richmond will get back from injury:

Jack Ross(made same list last year around #40, probably would have this year barring injury costing him most of the season)
Maurice Rioli who is tracking up the list of <25yo medium forwards, missed most of the season
Josh Gibcus who could possibly have given it a shake this year had he not done an ACL
Jacob Bauer who was number 4 on the list of key forwards if you didn't need to play 10 games to qualify, missed majority of season injured.
Tom Brown - hampered by shoulder issues in his late games eventually sent for 2 operations.
Jud Clarke ACL

Banks appeared to play well in a series of late season games.
There are several others who showed some promise and a few who got found out.

They will be joined by probably 6 or more rd 1 picks in this years draft, including the top pick. I think we will just give the best of the Tiger youngsters a mulligan for having so many injury issues and having to play in a team in total malfunction. We can judge them more fairly next year.

 

[Mr Meow]

Richmond will get back from injury:

Jack Ross(made same list last year around #40, probably would have this year barring injury costing him most of the season)
Maurice Rioli who is tracking up the list of <25yo medium forwards, missed most of the season
Josh Gibcus who could possibly have given it a shake this year had he not done an ACL
Jacob Bauer who was number 4 on the list of key forwards if you didn't need to play 10 games to qualify, missed majority of season injured.
Tom Brown - hampered by shoulder issues in his late games eventually sent for 2 operations.
Jud Clarke ACL

Banks appeared to play well in a series of late season games.
There are several others who showed some promise and a few who got found out.

They will be joined by probably 6 or more rd 1 picks in this years draft, including the top pick. I think we will just give the best of the Tiger youngsters a mulligan for having so many injury issues and having to play in a team in total malfunction. We can judge them more fairly next year.

Gibcus isn't giving anything a shake except the medical room.

Ross was unimpressive when he played this season. Players such as Dempsey were filling out the bottom of the top 40. Ross was no chance.

Brown is a good shot at the top 60 in 2025.

 

[giantsully]

I'm assuming that Blakey, who turned 24 in Feb, wasn't eligible for this team. If he was, he'd clearly be top 20 at worst.

 

[Back One Out]

Every hawthorn player under 24 should occupy all the top positions. Other than that it's apparently a good list.

Nah... I think we should crap on endlessly about how awesome all the Swannies are... We've been hearing it non-stop for the past 5-6 months... All their superheroes: Heeney, Warner, Gulden, Blakey, Papley, Grundy, Rowbottom, Parker, Jordan, McInerney, Hayward, McDonald, Amartey, Florent...

It really pisses me off when people turn their attentions to the other clubs. What are they thinking? Don't they realise this year's premiership is a one-horse race?

 

[MF]

Nah... I think we should crap on endlessly about how awesome all the Swannies are... We've been hearing it non-stop for the past 5-6 months... All their superheroes: Heeney, Warner, Gulden, Blakey, Papley, Grundy, Rowbottom, Parker, Jordan, McInerney, Hayward, McDonald, Amartey, Florent...

It really pisses me off when people turn their attentions to the other clubs. What are they thinking? Don't they realise this year's premiership is a one-horse race?

Exactly. I'm glad someone gets it.

Also... you left out Mills & Rampe

 

[OniAu]

Nah... I think we should crap on endlessly about how awesome all the Swannies are... We've been hearing it non-stop for the past 5-6 months... All their superheroes: Heeney, Warner, Gulden, Blakey, Papley, Grundy, Rowbottom, Parker, Jordan, McInerney, Hayward, McDonald, Amartey, Florent...

It really pisses me off when people turn their attentions to the other clubs. What are they thinking? Don't they realise this year's premiership is a one-horse race?

In all honesty, Sydney have been talked up disgustingly OTT this year. They wont win the flag. They would be lucky to not go out in straight sets if they had have had Hawks or Dogs on their side if they lose week 1

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Gibcus isn't giving anything a shake except the medical room.

Ross was unimpressive when he played this season. Players such as Dempsey were filling out the bottom of the top 40. Ross was no chance.

Brown is a good shot at the top 60 in 2025.

Dempsey highest player rating ever 2024, 23 matches, 9.99.

Jack Ross highest player rating ever 2023, 19 matches, 10.91.

In 2024 Oliver Dempsey rated above 15.0 twice from 23 matches. Jack Ross rated above 15.0 twice from 7 matches, playing streaks of 5 matches back from injury then 2 matches back from injury.

You don't seem to have any idea what you are talking about.

 

[beerbandit]

Daicos #1

Well derrr!

 

[Mr Meow]

Dempsey highest player rating ever 2024, 23 matches, 9.99.

Jack Ross highest player rating ever 2023, 19 matches, 10.91.

In 2024 Oliver Dempsey rated above 15.0 twice from 23 matches. Jack Ross rated above 15.0 twice from 7 matches, playing streaks of 5 matches back from injury then 2 matches back from injury.

You don't seem to have any idea what you are talking about.

Derp derp pLAYeR rAtINgS.

Why continue to reference something that gives laughable results so often?

I also said this season and your first bit talks about Ross 2023.

Dempsey is a very important part of the side that has finished 3rd.

Ross is nowhere near Dempsey's level despite being older and more experienced.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Derp derp pLAYeR rAtINgS.

Why continue to reference something that gives laughable results so often?

I also said this season, although your illiteracy no longer surprises me.

Dempsey is a very important part of the side that has finished 3rd.

Ross is nowhere near Dempsey's level despite being older and more experienced.

Stop thinking your general biased impression knows better than a professionally compiled ratings system that is derived from placing a value on every single action a player undertakes match by match. It is easy to see from the ratings I listed in my first post in this thread the output from the ratings is not laughable. The same cannot be said for the Herald Sun top 40. Ginnivan 34.

 

[Guardian Hawk]

Which Vic club does he play for?

Yeah, that must be it...VICBIAS again....hence 4 of the top 6 named being from Non-Victorian clubs...and 9 of the top 14, and 12 of the top 20.

Despite the top of the list being over represented proportionally by players from Non-Victorian clubs again, it's obviously another clear case of Vic bias!

 

[Mr Meow]

Stop thinking your general biased impression knows better than a professionally compiled ratings system that is derived from placing a value on every single action a player undertakes match by match. It is easy to see from the ratings I listed in my first post in this thread the output from the ratings is not laughable. The same cannot be said for the Herald Sun top 40. Ginnivan 34.

Just to be clear, you along with player ratings think Ross 2023/2024 has performed better than Dempsey's 2024. That is essentially all I need to rest my case on this matter. Dempsey's class, poise, decision making and X factor have him leagues above Ross. It isn't even close. Dempsey has broken games apart on the wing and half forward in a way Ross never will in his career.

 

[adammania9]

Noah Anderson

15

Noah Anderson

Age

23

Ht

192cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.0

2star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

6.0

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

0.0

1star

CL

0.0

1star

is a comically overrated footballer. A home ground merchant who struggles to influence games anywhere else. He's not an elite ball winner and his ball use on the run is sub par, as is his defensive application.

 

[PhatBoy]

Ratingz

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Just to be clear, you along with player ratings think Ross 2023/2024 has performed better than Dempsey's 2024. That is essentially all I need to rest my case on this matter. Dempsey's class, poise, decision making and X factor have him leagues above Ross. It isn't even close. Dempsey has broken games apart on the wing and half forward in a way Ross never will in his career.

To also be clear, player ratings rates Dempsey 2024 above Ross's 7 injury interrupted matches in 2024 on average. It rates Ross 2023 above Demsey 2024 on average.

Ross 2023 v Dempsey 2024

Player Rating 10.91 v 9.99

Disposals 18.2 v 17.7

Kicks 9.7 v 9.2

Disposal efficiency 78.3% v 67.2%

Kick Efficiency 75.7% v 52.8%

Inside 50 2.8 v 2.3

Rebound 50 2.4 v 0.8

Metres Gained 338 v 276

Disposals per clanger(higher better) 8.7 v 6.5

Disposals per turnover 5.9 v 6.0

Contested Possessions 5.7 v 6.7

Intercept Possessions 3.2 v 2.5

Hard Ball Gets 1.3 v 1.0

Clearances 1.7 v 1.1

Contested Marks 0.1 v 0.5

Marks inside 50 0.7 v 0.9

Intercept marks 0.7 v 0.2

Goals + Assists 0.9 v 1.9

Score Involvements 3.9 v 5.4

Score Involvement % 16.9 v 22.4

Score Launch 1.1 v 1.0

Tackles 1.7 v 2.5

Pressure Acts 12.4 v 13.3

Spoils 0.8 v 0.3

1%ers 1.3 v 1.0


We can see Ross 23 was ahed of Dempsey 24 in 15 of these 24 statistics, with Dempsey leading 9. You could argue the ones Dempsey leads are on average higher tariff, but this seems accounted for in their player ratings being reasonably close together with Ross only about 10% ahead.

Dempsey is playing often on the end of the 3rd highest scoring team in the AFL. Ross was playing for the 11th highest scoring team.

 

[Mr Meow]

To also be clear, player ratings rates Dempsey 2024 above Ross's 7 injury interrupted matches in 2024 on average. It rates Ross 2023 above Demsey 2024 on average.

Ross 2023 v Dempsey 2024

Player Rating 10.91 v 9.99

Disposals 18.2 v 17.7

Kicks 9.7 v 9.2

Disposal efficiency 78.3% v 67.2%

Kick Efficiency 75.7% v 52.8%

Inside 50 2.8 v 2.3

Rebound 50 2.4 v 0.8

Metres Gained 338 v 276

Disposals per clanger(higher better) 8.7 v 6.5

Disposals per turnover 5.9 v 6.0

Contested Possessions 5.7 v 6.7

Intercept Possessions 3.2 v 2.5

Hard Ball Gets 1.3 v 1.0

Clearances 1.7 v 1.1

Contested Marks 0.1 v 0.5

Marks inside 50 0.7 v 0.9

Intercept marks 0.7 v 0.2

Goals + Assists 0.9 v 1.9

Score Involvements 3.9 v 5.4

Score Involvement % 16.9 v 22.4

Score Launch 1.1 v 1.0

Tackles 1.7 v 2.5

Pressure Acts 12.4 v 13.3

Spoils 0.8 v 0.3

1%ers 1.3 v 1.0


We can see Ross 23 was ahed of Dempsey 24 in 15 of these 24 statistics, with Dempsey leading 9. You could argue the ones Dempsey leads are on average higher tariff, but this seems accounted for in their player ratings being reasonably close together with Ross only about 10% ahead.

Dempsey is playing often on the end of the 3rd highest scoring team in the AFL. Ross was playing for the 11th highest scoring team.

My favourite findings about Dempsey 2024 vs Ross 2023, or Dempsey vs Ross in general:

Dempsey 5 times in the coaches votes, compared to 1 time for Ross.

Dempsey scored 20x as many coaches votes as Ross (20 vs 1).

Dempsey 2024 was 2 years younger than Ross was in 2023.

Ross had 44 senior AFL games before 2023. Dempsey had 7 senior AFL games before 2024.

Take Dempsey out and pop a plodder like Knevitt on the wing in 2024, and Geelong are possibly not even playing finals this season (such was the closeness of the comp). He had crucial moments in important games that could've gone either way, throughout the season.

Dempsey finished 5th on our board's MVP (weekly 1-5 voting system), for the side that finished 3rd on the ladder.

It is Dempsey by an absolutely staggering amount. There is not one neutral in Australia that would take Ross' 2023 over Dempsey's 2024, or Ross over Dempsey in general.

 

[HairyO]

Anyone who thinks Sheezel is better than JHF and Warner clearly only care about fantasy scores

He'd be Brownlow favourite if he was at a good club.

 

[PhatBoy]

Ratingz

 

[PhatBoy]

God I just hope Ratingz trained well this week and comes up fresh

 

[ClintEastwood]

Port fans just being clueless dicks in here and starting arguments for no reason. Well done.

Or y'know ... maybe it's a forum for football debate

 

[Meteoric Rise]

My favourite findings about Dempsey 2024 vs Ross 2023, or Dempsey vs Ross in general:

Dempsey 5 times in the coaches votes, compared to 1 time for Ross.

Dempsey scored 20x as many coaches votes as Ross (20 vs 1).

Dempsey 2024 was 2 years younger than Ross was in 2023.

Ross had 44 senior AFL games before 2023. Dempsey had 7 senior AFL games before 2024.

Take Dempsey out and pop a plodder like Knevitt on the wing in 2024, and Geelong are possibly not even playing finals this season (such was the closeness of the comp). He had crucial moments in important games that could've gone either way, throughout the season.

Dempsey finished 5th on our board's MVP (weekly 1-5 voting system), for the side that finished 3rd on the ladder.

It is Dempsey by an absolutely staggering amount. There is not one neutral in Australia that would take Ross' 2023 over Dempsey's 2024, or Ross over Dempsey in general.

Lol, great to see you so passionately supporting the latest player you think is your 2nd best youngster over Jack Ross. Last year it was Henry. The year before it was DeKoning. Can't wait to see who your golden child will be next year if the slings and arrows of outrageous AFL fortune affect Oliver "Crucial Moments" Dempsey similarly. Mitch Knevitt and Jhye Clark must be thinking this is their big chance.

And coaches votes....now isn't that interesting. You obviously now think Dustin Martin is more than twice as good a finals player as anyone else we have seen in the coaches vote era. Congratulations for finally getting it after all these years. And Cats supporters votes....

You are carrying on like just another in a long line of delusional Cats fans that is secretly half expecting Geelong to be just too good in the coming finals series but is afraid to say it publicly because you also half expect they will be nowhere near good enough and players like "Crucial Moments" Dempsey will be found out. Especially given he has an average player rating of just 7.9 from 10 matches against teams that finished in the 8, and even more tellingly, an average of a very poor 3.8 player rating in 4 matches v the top 4 teams outside Geelong this season. You don't get to fill your boots against bottom 8 teams in finals the way Dempsey has. By the way, this is where his monumental 20 coaches votes came from, all v bottom 8 teams, half of which were v the lowly bottom 3 teams. I'll get the popcorn out and watch for him to crucial moment his way through the finals series, lol.