Charlie Dixon

Nick Dal Santo names the five players who will become elite in 2020

The St Kilda great lists five players who he believes will take the league by storm.

Published by
Lachlan Abbott

Nick Dal Santo has raised the names of five players who he believes will take another step up in 2020.

"This is not for Nat Fyfe, Dustin Martin and all the other superstars in the competition, this is the next run below," Dal Santo said on SEN Afternoons.

"Who's had a solid start to their career, but who's going to take the next jump? So we sit here in 12 months time and say: 'Wow, they had a burst out year, didn't they?"

Apart from these five players, Dal Santo also gave honourable mentions to Aaron Naughton, Charlie Curnow and Izak Rankine.

In no particular order, Dal Santo said he believes these five will breakout into the upper echelons of the competition next season:

Eric Hipwood (Brisbane Lions)

The 22-year-old Brisbane forward has shown considerable talent from the early stages of his career.

This season, Hipwood was a solid contributor to a Lions side which enjoyed an extremely successful campaign.

After only missing on game for the season, Hipwood finished the year with a respectable total of 35 goals.

While it's a decent tally in the modern game, for the Lions to take the next step in 2020, the 203 centimetre forward will need to take another leap as the focal point of the Brisbane attack.

After 75 games in the AFL and with another preseason under his belt to add to his relatively light build, Hipwood looks primed to produce in 2020.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 25: Eric Hipwood of the Lions celebrates during the 2019 AFL round 23 match between the Richmond Tigers and the Brisbane Lions at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on August 25, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide)

Dixon has been somewhat of an enigma across his AFL career.

The former Gold Coast Sun was highly touted as one to watch from the start of his career.

With a move to Port Adelaide, Dixon's role as the focal point of a relatively good Power side led many to believe he would kick on to become a star forward.

However, set shot woes combined with the deteriorating state of Port Adelaide's overall form along with the odd injury setback or two, has not allowed Dixon to consistently play his best footy.

Last season, Dixon could only manage nine games over the back half of the season after recovering from severe leg and ankle injuries.

At the age of 29, Dal Santo believes this is the year the 200 centimetre forward will get a clean run of injuries and produce his best consistently.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 09: Charlie Dixon of the Power looks on during the AFL First Elimination Final match between Port Adelaide Power and West Coast Eagles at Adelaide Oval on September 9, 2017 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)

 

Matt Rowell (Likely Gold Coast Sun)

Without having ever played a game of senior AFL football, Dal Santo believes likely number one pick Matt Rowell will follow a similar path to Carlton's Sam Walsh and hit the ground running in 2020.

In his final year with the Oakleigh Chargers in the NAB League Under 18 competition, Rowell led his side to the NAB League premiership and picked up best-on-ground honours in the grand final.

Rowell will almost certainly be picked up by the Gold Coast Suns with the first pick in the draft this November and will likely slot into a prominent midfield role in his first season.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 20: Best on ground, Matt Rowell of the NAB AFL Academy in action during the NAB AFL Academy v Casey match at the MCG on April 20, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos/Getty Images)

Nick Blakey (Sydney Swans)

After playing 21 games in his debut season, Blakey has impressed many inside and outside of the Sydney Swans.

Already, Fox Footy's David King believes Blakey could be the best player taken from the 2018 National Draft.

A standout performance in Round 14 against Hawthorn earned him a rising star nomination.

In the absence of Lance Franklin, Blakey kicked two crucial goals in the final term, allowing the Swans to come away with a 19-point win.

The Sydney academy player has the ability to mark the football and also has a fantastic tank which could give him opportunities in midfield in the future.

Dal Santo believes with an aging Franklin, Blakey has shown enough to potentially take a leap and become a more prominent feature in the Swans forward line in 2020.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 26: Nick Blakey handballs during a Sydney Swans AFL training session at Bat & Ball Oval on November 26, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Reilly O'Brien (Adelaide Crows)

O'Brien has cemented himself as the number one ruckman in Adelaide for the long-term after veteran Sam Jacobs left the club for GWS in the off-season.

O'Brien's tenacity has drawn comparisons with star Magpie ruckman Brodie Grundy, however, the young Crow has not been able to play with the same level of consistency and polish as the Collingwood star.

However, with just 20 games under his belt, the 24-year-old will only get better as a part of a younger Adelaide outfit in 2020.

Despite not as playing as many games as other ruckman last season, O'Brien ranked 7th in total hitouts across the 2019 season.

His ruckwork may well be one of the only bright spots for Adelaide fans next season as the club prepares for a rebuild of their list.

ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 05: Reilly O'Brien of the Crows competes with Rory Lobb of the Dockers during the 2019 AFL round 07 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Fremantle Dockers at Adelaide Oval on May 05, 2019 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos/Getty Images)
Published by
Lachlan Abbott