ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 16: Mattaes Phillipou of the Saints celebrates a goal during the 2023 AFL Round 05 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the St Kilda Saints at Adelaide Oval on April 16, 2023 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
There's nothing quite like finals footy.
This time of year offers a chance at immortality and glory for a handful of the competition's best. Perhaps just as importantly, it offers a chance at icon status for a rare few who appear pre-destined for the bright lights.
Every club has players primed to explode in September, we know who to keep an eye on this year, it's one of the joys of the business end of the season, seeing individuals embrace the spotlight and elevate their game.
One of the other joys is seeing a young player come of age and have an impact. The entire point of rebuilds and the draft is to see the next generation flourish, to put a club on their back and inspire their teammates to go the extra mile.
We marvelled at Nick Daicos' impressive finals campaign in his debut season (where he averaged 24.3 disposals and 5 rebound 50's per game) and at Marcus Bontempelli's phenomenal finals series in 2016 where, in just his third year, he dominated the finals, winning a best and fairest in a premiership season.
His team mate Bailey Smith, in just his third year, was immense in 2021, putting together four games of the highest quality, including an unforgettable Semi-Final against the Lions where he had 27 disposals and kicked 3 goals. Slotting the match-winner from deep in the pocket earned him instant icon status, if not that, then his celebration certainly did.
As with every Finals series, this year's provides us plenty of candidates who can shape the fortunes of an entire club. To help narrow down the field, we've opted to go for players who have played under 50 AFL games, yet may just be built for September.
Perhaps unsurprising given his debut last season came in the finals and he looked right at home. Darcy Wilmot's season in 2023 has been exceptional and were it most other years, he would have easily been a top 3 candidate for the Rising Star award.
As an interceptor who is damaging on the rebound, his ability to carve his way out of defence has been so good that he has kept veteran Daniel Rich out of the side for much of the year. Wilmot shot into the spotlight on draft night in infamous scenes, earning him cult status. He can cement that status this September.
In just his second year he ranks second among rising stars in total kicks and intercepts, averaging 15.5 disposals and 2.7 rebound 50's per game. While not overwhelming numbers, he loves the Gabba, where the Lions may play multiple finals, producing three games this season where he has amassed more than 20 disposals, including more than 15 kicks in each of those games.
With an underrated calmness in the heat of a game that defies his years, finals are the perfect stage for his composed style of play. If his celebratory work after his debut last year was anything to go by, Wilmot will be champing at the bit to have an impact in this year's finals series.
The livewire forward has had a rough second year in the AFL yet has fought his way back and re-established himself in the Collingwood forward line just in time for finals. After a quiet debut season which saw him play 5 games, Jack Ginnivan found himself in the spotlight early in 2022.
Once centre stage, he thrived, enjoying the attention, both positive from Magpies fans and negative from large sections of the football-attending public. There's a hint of Stephen Milne about him, seeming to enjoy getting under the skin of opposition players and fans alike, which appears to help drive his performances.
Following an impressive season 2022 where he kicked 40 goals, he found this year a bit tougher, and while he only managed 11 games, he managed to work his way back into form late in the season, particularly in the final game of the year against Essendon, where he had 17 disposals and kicked 3 goals.
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A player that opposition fans love to hate, he is built for big games and bigger crowds. His Anzac day medal would attest to that. Ginnivan seems to elevate his game in crucial moments, using his goal nous and reading of the play to great effect. He will undoubtedly relish the September spotlight and the chance to rile all outside of the Magpie community.
Having put his injury frustrations behind him, Brodie Kemp has established himself as a reliable component of the Carlton backline. It's always encouraging seeing high draft picks find their feet and Kemp has begun to show exactly what the Blues saw in him when taking him with pick 17 in the 2019 national draft.
His size (192cm) makes him able to play a variety of roles, with his intercept work allowing Jacob Weitering to lock down on the opposition's most dangerous key forward each week. The Blues backline can be seriously damaging on the rebound and Kemp's intercept work helps to release the likes of Adam Saad and Nic Newman.
Kemp has had an impressive year, ranking 8th in effective disposals percentage per game in the entire competition, averaging 16.1 disposals, 1.7 tackles, 10.9 kicks and 2.7 intercept marks per game, all of which place in the above average category. He also averages 2.9 rebound 50's per game, highlighting his own contribution to Carlton's rebound work.
Having gone from strength to strength in season 2023, the stage is set for him to play a crucial role for a Carlton backline that can be porous at times. If Kemp can step up his game in September and help the rearguard become stingier while maintaining their damaging transition play, there's no telling how deep into this finals series the Blues can go.
Having spent time in and out of the side over the past few seasons, Jake Riccardi has been impressive in 2023, particularly in the back half of the year as the Giants gathered momentum. While a little older than the other candidates on this list, he has played less than 50 games, which highlights how much he may yet still improve.
Having shown great promise in fits and spurts, yet finding it tough to cement a spot in a star-studded GWS line-up, this season has seen Riccardi find consistency. His strong marking and reliable kicking for goal has provided the perfect foil for Jesse Hogan and Toby Greene.
Riccardi has elevated his game in 2023, kicking 22 goals from his last 10 games, while he taking 47 marks from last his 11 games. He has used his great strengths to become integral to the Giants forward line and been a key part of their run to September.
Having worked his way into this well-balanced Giants side, the chance is there for Riccardi to take his game up yet another gear and stamp himself on this finals series. If he can do more than play his role, the Giants could create mayhem as this year's dark horses.
Despite their recent premiership success, the Demons have long-wanted a key forward to build their forward line around in a sustained way. In 2021 number 19 draft pick Jacob Van Rooyen, they appear to have found that man. Aggressive in the air and an elite shot for goal, Van Rooyen has quickly become a fan favourite.
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The Western Australian didn't see senior action in 2022 however his 2023 has been worth the wait, looking comfortable at AFL level against some of the biggest key defenders in the game. Alongside Bayley Fritsch and Kysaiah Pickett, Van Rooyen has helped create a young and dangerous forward line, one that's every chance to lead the Demons deep into September.
Going at 70% goalkicking accuracy, which ranks elite, he averages 3.2 marks and 1.5 goals a game and while the stats are perhaps not as impressive on paper, it's his presence in the forward line, one that has been crying out for a reliable target inside 50, that creates the most excitement.
The focus in September is frequently on the big men of the game, giving Van Rooyen a platform from which he can launch himself to stardom. If he continues to attack the football in the air with the same aggression that he has all season, he could provide even more spark to a dangerous Demons outfit.
Who else? It's crazy to think how much has been said about Jason Horne-Francis and much of it has not touched on the fact that he is a very, very good player in the making. Already no stranger to the spotlight, there's no doubting he will feel he is destined for September action.
With no shortage of confidence and an ability to devastate for periods at the stoppages, his aggressive and explosive style of play will be an asset in the heat of finals football. His only knock being that, for the moment, he is not yet as consistent as he could be. However, being in just his second season, it's easy to forgive that.
His second year in the AFL has been a marked improvement on his first, playing 22 games and averaging 17.6 disposals, 2.9 tackles, 4.9 clearances and 3.7 inside 50's per game. His stoppage work is incredibly damaging, leave him unattended or loosely-checked at your own peril.
The former number one draft pick is used to plenty of attention and September will take that to a new level, with footy fans everywhere keenly watching to see how he handles the pressure-cooker atmosphere. There's plenty to suggest he is made for the big stage and should he fire, this Power resurgence could go all the way to the last Saturday in September.
Another with vast reserves of confidence who generated plenty of buzz around last year's draft. Mattaes Phillipou said he wanted to play on the big stage and in his first season he gets that chance. A damaging player who will back himself at all costs, his first taste of September action will be exactly what he hoped for when the Saints grabbed him at pick 10 last November.
With unique size (190cm) and athleticism, Phillipou appears to have all the tools to become a star of the competition. A thumping left-foot and a confident shot for goal, he won't die wondering. His key asset at this stage is his x-factor and unpredictability, he can turn out of traffic on a dime and has a sixth-sense for goal. He has Saints fans salivating at what he might become.
Having played all 23 games this season, his stats are neither overwhelming nor underwhelming. He ranks fourth among rising stars for contested possessions and fifth for inside 50's. At this stage of his career, his impact can be measured more in memorable acts, the kind that will lift team mates.
September is full of those who love the big moments, who do the spectacular and inspire those around them. While Phillipou is still very young (he turned 18 at the start of this season) and very raw, a chance to do something special under the finals spotlight is something he will be unlikely to let pass him by.
As always, the Swans have plenty of candidates who fit the criteria for something like this and while the obvious may seem to be Logan McDonald, the absence of Buddy Franklin will likely see him get extra attention, which in turn, could grant Joel Amartey the chance to stamp himself on September.
A strong overhead mark with plenty of upside still to his game, Amartey can play at both ends of the ground and adds some ruck craft to this versatile Sydney outfit. If the Swans can isolate him one-on-one with the opposition's second best tall, there's no reason to suggest he can't kick a bag.
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While his stats are nothing too eye-catching, averaging 3.8 marks and 1.4 goals per game, he is an impact player that can quickly swing momentum or take the game away from the opposition. He is a difficult match up purely because he is still raw and unpredictable.
The Swans have lost their talismanic key forward, yet have his replacements waiting in the wings to take centre stage. Amartey is the kind of player who can shine under the bright lights of prime time, he will be one to watch for Sydney this September.