Former Melbourne great Garry Lyon has re-ranked the top 10 players from the 2018 AFL Draft on Fox Footy's On The Couch last night.
In what is shaping as a super draft, a plethora of rising stars have emerged with genuine claims of being the best prospect from the class.
Carlton's Sam Walsh was originally taken with Pick 1 and had one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory, breaking the record for most disposals in a player’s first AFL season to claim Rising Star honours.
Port Adelaide's Connor Rozee was widely seen as the next best talent, booting a team-best 29 goals in 2019 to finish runner-up in the Rising Star.
However, Lyon now has four players ahead of Walsh and Rozee in his rankings.
Max and Ben King occupy the first two spots after sensational starts to this season, booting eight and 11 goals respectively after six games.
Suns sensational Izak Rankine comes in third on Lyon's rankings, who is coming off a superb three-goal performance in his AFL debut against Melbourne last weekend.
Lyon has Bulldog Bailey Smith as the fourth best player, with Rozee then Walsh rounding out his top six.
“Izak Rankine is the asterisk as we’ve only got one game to go on,” Lyon told Fox Footy's On The Couch.
“(Connor) Rozee would be the one that would be hotly debated, I have Smith ahead of him.
“Bailey Smith you’ve got to say has had a better year than (Sam) Walsh.
Essendon champion Tim Watson said on SEN Breakfast that Bailey Smith hasn't been given enough recognition from the draft class.
“Bailey Smith … I don’t think we talk about him enough. He is an outstanding player. Outstanding young player,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.
Check out Lyon's re-rankings below!
LYON's RE-RANKED TOP 10 PLAYERS OF THE 2018 AFL DRAFT
- Max King (St Kilda)
- Ben King (Gold Coast)
- Izak Rankine (Gold Coast)
- Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
- Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)
- Sam Walsh (Carlton)
- Nick Blakey (Sydney)
- Tarryn Thomas (North Melbourne)
- Jack Lukosius (Gold Coast)
- Chayce Jones (Adelaide)
ACTUAL 2018 AFL DRAFT ORDER
- Sam Walsh (Carlton)
- Jack Lukosius (Gold Coast)
- Izak Rankine (Gold Coast)
- Max King (St Kilda)
- Connor Rozee (Port Adelaide)
- Ben King (Gold Coast)
- Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
- Tarryn Thomas (North Melbourne)
- Chayce Jones (Adelaide)
- Nick Blakey (Sydney)
