These are the players who need to step up and take their game to a new level in 2020.
Adelaide – Darcy Fogarty
Entering his third season in 2020, Fogarty will likely receive a lot more exposure at AFL level as the Crows look to rebuild amidst an off-season exodus.
Josh Jenkins is finally no longer a Crow, meaning Fogarty will slot in the side’s best 22 and play far more than the four games he did in 2019.
He kicked nine goals from those four games, matching his efforts in his first season where he played 10 games.
With Jenkins gone and Taylor Walker ageing, the Crows need Fogarty to take his game to a new level and when you consider his steady progression, it’s hard to argue why he can’t.
Brisbane – Cam Rayner
Rayner has remarkably played in every game possible since getting drafted with pick no.1 in the 2017 draft, but he has shown many glimpses of his star power but failed to be consistent.
The Lions shocked the footy world when they finished the 2019 season in second place, but they faltered in the finals as they lost back-to-back home finals to exit in straight sets.
If the Lions are to build on their incredible 2019 season, then Rayner is a player who needs to step up in a big way.
We can all see the potential he holds, but at times during 2019 he was on the brink of getting dropped for the first time in his career – so if he is able to play a far more consistent brand of footy, he may prove to be Brisbane’s greatest asset.
Carlton – Harry McKay
In what will be his fourth season in 2020, McKay’s game went to another level in 2019 where he missed just two games.
The young forward booted a career-high 26 goals, and was ranked equal third in the league for contested marks which was where his game really progressed.
Now, with the Blues finally appearing to be taking big strides in the right direction, McKay needs to build on from his 2019 season and be the forward force his side desires.
The Blues are a finals smoky in 2020, and an improved McKay will go a long way to making it a reality.
Collingwood – Mason Cox
After one his career-best games in the 2018 Preliminary Final where he booted three goals and tore the Tigers to shreds, Cox has failed to produce anywhere that sort of performance.
In 2019, Cox played just 14 games after he had the end of his season disrupted by a gruesome eye injury. He kicked 19 goals from those games, but he was never able to leave a mark on the game as he did in that famous Preliminary Final win.
If the Pies are to get back to playing on the last day in September, then Cox needs to have a big progression in 2020 and prove that he isn’t just a one-trick pony.
Essendon – Joe Daniher
Despite requesting a trade out of Tullamarine to join the Swans, Daniher was held to his contract and is a much-needed player for the Bombers.
Daniher has been cruelled by injuries for the past two years, playing in just seven and four games respectively.
2020 will be his eighth season in the AFL, but he will need to not only get his body right, but get back to his 2017 form where he played in every game and slotted a club-high 65 goals.
That was two years ago, and he’s played in just 11 games since. If he can elevate his game and produce a similar or better season, then the sky is the limit for the Bombers.
Fremantle – Jesse Hogan
Hogan came to the Dockers via the 2018 trade period, but he was barely noticeable in his first year back playing in his home state.
He had long been rumoured to be seeking a trade away from the Demons and that finally came to fruition in the 2018 off-season, but a season-ending knee injury cruelled him of coming into his own.
He had played in 12 games before the injury and kicked just 13 goals, but Hogan looked nowhere near the play that had Melbourne supporters licking their lips.
If the Dockers are to have a successful season under new coach Justin Longmire, then an improved Jesse Hogan will go a long way to making them a finals threat.
Geelong – Esava Ratugolea
In what will be just his third season in the AFL system, Ratugolea played in 20 games last season and was a force to be reckoned with whether it be up forward or in the ruck.
He booted 15 goals for the season, but his marking was something else, proving to be a real weapon for the Cats as they finished the home-and-away season in top spot.
But there is no doubting he can take his game to a new level, and that may be the thing that Geelong needs to elevate them one week further than what they accomplished in 2019.
Gold Coast – Ben Ainsworth
Taken at pick 4 in the 2016 draft, Ainsworth has failed to live up to the hype so far.
He is yet to play a full season, but the small forward still has the potential to not only be a Suns’ regular, but also one that can propel them to the success they so desperately desire.
2020 will be his fourth season on the Gold Coast, and with the side going through a wealth of changes in the off-season, Ainsworth’s spot in the side is in doubt.
He will likely start in the best 22, but he needs to have a breakout season in 2020 to both prove his worth and elevate the Suns up the ladder.
GWS Giants – Sam Taylor
Taylor showed just how good he can be during the Giants’ incredible finals run in 2019, but if he can produce that on a week-by-week basis, then the Giants may very well go all the way in 2020.
Taylor played in all but three games in 2019, after playing just eight games in his debut season.
An injury hinted at ruining his season after he missed three games in a row, but Taylor came back in round 23 and took his game to new heights, with his intercept marking and craftsmanship in defence proving critical in the Giants’ charge to Grand Final day.
He is only 20 years old, and can undoubtedly take his game to even greater heights, so the future is exciting for the tall defender.
Hawthorn – Chad Wingard
2020 will be Wingard’s ninth season in the AFL system and just his second at the Hawks, but the livewire forward’s form has stagnated in what should be his most prosperous years.
Wingard kicked over 40 goals from 2013-15, and was a big reason to why the Power made consistent runs into the finals.
But ever since then, Wingard has failed to live up to his early career heroics, and as such he was traded at the end of 2018 to the Hawks.
Hawthorn missed finals for the first time since 2009 last season, and will be looking to return with a strong young group.
Wingard is a key piece, so if he is able to snap out of his slump, then the Hawks may very well achieve more success in September.
Melbourne – Sam Weideman
Unfortunately for Weideman, his short 2019 season will be remembered for his botched set shot in the dying stages of the Dees’ heartbreaking two-point loss to the Crows back in round 11.
After a strong 2018 finals series which was full of promise, Weideman was expected to stand up as the Dees’ key forward in 2019 following the departure of Jesse Hogan.
But with form lapses and injury affecting his season, Weideman failed to live up to the expectation thrust onto him.
The Dees missed out on finals in 2019 after a Preliminary Final appearance in 2018, and if they are to make a return to the top eight, a strong and consistent up forward from Weideman may be exactly what the doctor ordered.
North Melbourne – Jy Simpkin
Simpkin didn’t have the greatest of starts to his 2019 season, but he finished strong and should be able to build on his finish in 2020.
He was dropped to the VFL in round six, but responded strongly and was recalled the week after where he failed to miss another game. He recorded three 30+ disposal efforts for the season, including a career-high 36 in round 16.
The Roos looked a much better outfit once Rhys Shaw took over from Brad Scott midway through the season as head coach, and Simpkin’s form was a big reason for that.
The question now is whether or not he can do it for the full duration of a season, and if he is able to in what will be just his fourth season at North, the Roos may prove to be a finals smoky.
Port Adelaide – Willem Drew
After being selected with pick 33 in the 2016 draft, Drew finally broke through for his first game in round one last season.
Drew featured in every game up until round nine, where he was dropped and played in just two more senior games for the year.
He is one of the Power’s up and coming midfielders, and his consistently strong SANFL performances were reasons as to why he was recalled twice after getting dropped in round nine.
The Power missed out on finals by one game in 2019, and will be looking to make an appearance in 2020. Drew could prove to play a key role in achieving that, and he is primed to do so after breaking through in his third season on the list.
Richmond – Shai Bolton
Bolton got consistent games for the first time in his third season as a Tiger, and it resulted in him being a key cog in the Tigers forward line for their second premiership in three years.
Bolton played 19 games in 2019, surpassing his career total prior to that which was nie games across two seasons.
But Bolton was able to break through into the Tigers' forward line and never looked back, booting 15 goals for the year and providing much needed forward half pressure.
But his spot may be in jeopardy given the rise of the likes of Marlion Pickett and Sydney Stack, so Bolton needs to prove his worth in 2020 and take his game to a new level to not only help the Tigers go back-to-back, but to also secure his spot in the side’s best 22.
St Kilda – Josh Battle
After playing just seven games in his first two seasons at the Saints, Battle featured in 19 games in 2019 as he established himself as a regular in the Saints’ backline.
His strong marking and penetrating right boot were reasons why Battle featured regularly for the first time in his young career, with his ability to read the play proving a big winner.
But despite his efforts in 2019, the question remains if he is able to back it up in 2020 and take his game to even greater heights.
The goal for Battle will be to play in every game for the season, especially given the recent addition of Dougal Howard who will bolster up the Saints’ back stocks.
If Battle can take his game to a new level, then the pairing of him and up-and-coming star Howard may see the Saints backline be one of the most feared in the competition.
Sydney – Lewis Taylor
Taylor left the Lions seeking greater opportunities elsewhere having played just five games in 2019, the lowest in his six-year AFL career which saw him miss just three matches prior to 2019.
He was pushed out of an emerging Lions side which took the AFL world by storm, but Taylor now finds himself in Sydney where his services will most certainly be required.
He will likely be in the Swans’ best 22 come round 1, and it presents an opportunity for Taylor to prove his worth and show the AFL world that he can still cut it with the best.
He will be out of contract at the end of the 2021 season so Taylor will need to be at his best in his first season at the Swans as he begins to get his AFL career back on track.
West Coast – Jack Petruccelle
Petruccelle is a speed machine, regularly leaving his opponents in the dust as he has proven to be one of the quickest players in the competition.
With the retirement of Mark LeCras at the end of 2018, Petruccelle played in 20 games in 2019, but was dropped midway through the season as well as in the Elimination Final against the Bombers.
He was only recalled due to Willie Rioli’s doping suspension, but his place in the side is undoubtedly under threat.
The Eagles will be looking to relive their 2018 premiership success after adding Tim Kelly in the offseason, meaning spots will be hard to come by in the Eagles’ best 22 with Petruccelle certainly needing a breakout season to stay in the side and help the Eagles return to Grand Final day.
Western Bulldogs – Josh Schache
Schache was in and out of the Bulldogs’ best 22 for the second straight season after getting traded to the Kennel from the Lions at the end of the 2017 season.
Schache’s form has been inconsistent in all of those seasons, but he did boot a career-best 24 goals in 2019. The Dogs finished the season in seventh place but were unable to progress past the first stage, with Schache having little impact on the Giants as he kicked just the one major.
But Schache’s spot will be under threat with the rise of Aaron Naughton and the offseason acquisition of former Saint Josh Bruce.
It’s hard to put Schache ahead of those two and if he is to feature he will likely have to come off the bench.
But when his opportunity does come, this is the season he needs to take it with both hands, as if he can’t, it remains to be seen how much longer he’ll spend at the Kennel.
