Nick Dal Santo believes five young players stood out from the rest and had breakout seasons in 2019.
Speaking onย SEN, Dal Santo mentioned he should have included Blues midfielder Sam Walsh in the following list.
However, the following five players have all had outstanding years that have set them apart from the rest according to Dal Santo.
2. Tim Taranto (GWS)
Despite Grand Final day ending up being a miserable occasion for the Giants, Taranto - at the age of just 21 - stood up for GWS on the day and finished the game as the club's best player.
Across the whole of the 2019 season, Taranto was a star for the Giants.
He averaged 27 touches per game, was 9th in total score involvements, 2nd in total tackles and 4th in total disposals.
Dal Santo says he is mightily impressed with the job Taranto has done in stepping up into an elite midfield.
"This is a Giants midfield that has lost multiple midfielders. You go back 12 months and Dylan Shiel leaves for Essendon and you wonder how this midfield would hold up. Thankfully theyโve got Tim Taranto. There was no void left by those other midfielders. Between Taranto and Jacob Hopper, they filled the position. Tim Taranto stood up and got the job done."
