Zero Hanger's next instalment of 'start, bench, cut' sees us examine a trio of electrifying hybrid forwards.
Richmond forward-midfielder Shai Bolton, Melbourne jackknife Kysaiah Pickett, and Geelong score-involvement maestro Gryan Miers culminate in three of the more dynamic front-half players in the competition.
These goalscoring smalls became premiership players early into their careers, with Richmond's Bolton the sole dual-flag-winner of this group.
As we dissect the careers and recent form of this trio of elusive offensive threats, we ponder who to hypothetically 'start' (our number one choice of the three), 'bench' (our runner-up) and 'cut' (our odd man out).
We reviewed the cases of Bolton, Pickett, and Miers before revealing our start, bench, and cut verdicts.
3. Gryan Miers
Miers has consistently showcased his distributive capabilities under Chris Scott, instigating a plethora of goalscoring opportunities for his teammates not only throughout the 2023 campaign but also through Geelong's 2022 premiership sojourn.
Miers was the competition's unmatched goal-assist leader in 2023, recording an astounding 41 goal assists; eleven more than Hugh McCluggage's next-best tally of 30.
In spite of his official classification as a 'small forward', Miers still ranked within the league's top ten in score involvements. His 7.2 score-involvements-per-game average was just shy of league-leading Christian Petracca's 8.4.
Further, the 24-year-old's 19.0 disposals per game this year was a figure considered elite in comparison to other forwards across the league.
While the Geelong Falcons product boasts one of the most unorthodox drop-punt actions we've seen in recent times, Miers' right foot has proved to be one of the most efficient scoring sources in the AFL.
