AFL legend Gerard Healy has labelled West Coast's Oscar Allen as the game's best key position player.
Crucially, Healy capped a "young" player at 22 or under, ruling out the likes of Harry McKay, Eric Hipwood and Charlie Curnow.
Speaking on Sportsday,ย Healy said Allen had honed his craft really well with Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling leading the way.
โTheyโve got an amazingly good side, itโs ageing in some areas, but theyโve got Oscar Allen coming through โ and Oscar Allen is probably the best young tall in the game as we speak," he said.
โIf you were going to pick somebody whoโs 22 or under to play in a key position, Iโd like somebody to point out someone who is better than Oscar Allen?
โThis kid is a very good player.โ
Champion Data agree with Healy as well, rating the 21-year-old as elite in its controversial 2021 rankings.
Step aside Champion Data, we've got this! Here is every club's ELITE players entering the 2021 season ๐ช๐
Did we get it right? ๐ง #AFL https://t.co/N0P9JMd7hd
— Zero Hanger (@zerohanger) March 13, 2021
However, we respectfully disagree. There's no doubt Allen has been impressive, but to say he is the game's best young forward seems a stretch.
Allen averages a goal a game throughout his career to date. Sure, it's impressive, but he often picks up the third defender playing in such a potent forward line.
It contrasts the King brothers, who are often marked by the best defender week in and week out.
Max King played his first year of footy last year and was clearly St Kilda's number one forward. In 2020, King averaged just over a goal a game while Allen was spot on a goal every game.
The difference seems minor, but when you get the best defender every week in your first year and average over a goal a game you are doing plenty right.
King averaged nearly double the amount of contested marks and marks inside 50, as well applying more inside 50 tackles throughout 2020.
Ben King, just like his twin, averaged over a goal a game in 2020. He was super impressive as the Suns' go-to man - kicking 1.5 goals a game.
Ben averaged nearly four shots on goal per game throughout last season, which is very impressive in a developing team.
There is no doubt Allen's ability to play in the ruck makes him a valuable asset, but does he do enough in the middle of the ground to make up for what he lacks up forward?
The answer is no. While it's understandable, he doesn't dominate the ruck contest to be on the level of the King brothers. He needs more strings to his bow.
Another young star is we have ahead of Allen is Aaron Naughton - a genuine game-winner.
The young Dog has proven he can be unstoppable and rip a game apart on his day. Throughout their careers Naughton has averaged 4.7 marks as opposed to Allen's 3.3.
Naughton averages less goals but he has spent a fair chunk of his early days in defence. Since moving forward he has broken open some good defences with game-winning displays.
He slotted bags of four and five against Geelong and Richmond in 2019, both teams who pride themselves on defence and have good key back stocks.
Naughton bagged a career high six goals against Adelaide in 2020, but that doesn't read as strong as the 2019 hauls.
Allen's best tally in a game sits at three, while that's not be ignored, there's a giant difference between three goals and five or six.
Allen has had more support than most in Kennedy and Darling and has flown under the radar.
There's no doubt the high-flying Eagle has talent and is an exciting prospect, but he simply isn't the games best young forward.
