Following comments made by Brent Harvey last week suggesting Carlton duo Patrick Cripps and Charlie Curnow are the game's best young players, AFL.com.au have gone one step further, ranking the 10 best players under the age of 23.
Cripps and Curnow both make the list, although they're at opposite ends of the table, with Cripps rated second, while Curnow rounds out the countdown in the number 10 position.
The list is made up of two key forwards, five genuine midfielders, two mid-forward types and just one defender, with Melbourne's Jake Lever the only backman to make the list.
Somewhat surprisingly given Carlton's youthful side, Melbourne have the most players inside the top 10, with Jesse Hogan and Christian Petracca joining Lever among the game's young stars.
At the top of the countdown is the only premiership player on the list, as Western Bulldogs midfielder Marcus Bontempelli has the runs of the board despite his young age.
The two-time best and fairest winner - with one of those in a premiership year - also has an All-Australian guernsey to his name, and is arguably the best young player in the game at the moment.
AFL.com.au's top 10 players under 23
- Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
- Patrick Cripps (Carlton)
- Josh Kelly (GWS)
- Jesse Hogan (Melbourne)
- Isaac Heeney (Sydney)
- Christian Petracca (Melbourne)
- Zach Merrett (Essendon)
- Jake Lever (Melbourne)
- Matt Crouch (Adelaide)
- Charlie Curnow (Carlton)
