Opening Round is etching ever closer as we hit the second half of our top 50 players list of 2024. This week we're looking through spots 30-21.

Rather than naming the best performers of 2023 or the top players entering Opening Round, this list will look at the best players currently with some projections as to how they may rank at the end of the year.

Many established stars made the cut in our last edition but may have been ranked lower than expected.

As we reach the cream of the crop in the top 30, the scope of talent in our league becomes glaringly apparent, with a host of top tier All-Australians and even Brownlow contenders featuring outside the top 20.

PART I: BEST PLAYERS OF 2024 (50-41)
PART II: BEST PLAYERS OF 2024 (40-31)

9. 22 - Noah Anderson

Few would have predicted last year that Noah Anderson would grow into Gold Coast's clear-cut best player come 2024, with Touk Miller and number one pick Matt Rowell in the same midfield.

An unfortunate run of injuries to both teammates opened the door for Anderson to come barging through with his own career-best and unexpected Brownlow smokey campaign.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JULY 09: Noah Anderson of the Suns celebrates kicking a goal during the round 17 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Richmond Tigers at Metricon Stadium on July 09, 2022 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images )

His 26 disposals per game in 2022 came at a relatively inefficient clip and with a near league-high in turnovers.

In response, last year saw him clean up the mistakes and become one of the most impactful players winning the ball on the inside, while finding space and using it to damaging effect on the outside.

23 years old entering this season under fresh new eyes at Gold Coast, further improvement is almost a given for the young superstar in a side on the rise.