Five weeks into the 2021 AFL season, there have been plenty of unexpected storylines.
A number of teams that struggled during a COVID interrupted 2020 season have bounced back in spectacular fashion, whilst others have dropped in dramatic fashion.
Teams like Sydney and Adelaide have started the season in unexpected fashion, jumping the gun early with strong starts to the season. A heavy contrast compared to previous seasons, the young sides are showing plenty of upside and promise for success now and in the future.
This is heavily in contrast to sides with older lists. The likes of St Kilda, who have the oldest list in the competition, are struggling hugely with the new free flowing style of the game. With heavy losses to the reigning premiers Richmond (84 points) and young Bombers (75 points), the Saints find themselves 2-3 with a miserable 71.4% percentage.
It is starting to become apparent that the implementation of the new standing on the mark and interchange rules has made the game quicker, potentially suiting the younger, quicker players.
As such, we've highlighted the most promising young lists in the competition, emphasising that we aren't necessarily predicting these teams will be successful, but simply stating that they possess the best young talent.
4. Gold Coast Suns
With the second youngest list in the competition (23.8 years), Gold Coast have had a number of years at the bottom of the ladder with high draft picks to match. Since their debut season, they have great young talent come and go.
Both their 2018 co-captains Steven May and Tom Lynch left the club to better opportunities for success, the latter winning two straight flags with the Tigers. Since the co-captains left the club, the Suns struggled with consecutive years finishing in the bottom two on the ladder.
But after the appointment of coach Stuart Dew in 2018, the Suns have successfully secured young talent with huge upside in consecutive 2018 and 2019 drafts. With the acquired talent, the 2020 season saw an exciting brand of football being played.
An enormous victory against the highly-rated Eagles set the tone early for the Suns season. Despite a slight drop off as the season went on, an exciting and improved side were able to remain competitive, finishing the season 14th on the ladder.
Gold Coast's access to young talent through the draft has been unrivalled, with top picks being thrown their way ever since they were introduced into the competition. But in the last couple of years, it is finally starting to pay off into players with a huge promise and a team that look to be on the up.
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The likes of Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson have well and truly lived up to the hype. The top two picks in the 2019 draft collectively put together a special start to the 2020 season, with Rowell leading the Brownlow vote before injury finishing his season early. After another injury has set him back in 2021, Anderson has picked up the slack in the middle accumulating 25.6 disposals and 5.8 clearances a game.
Continuing to take major strides after a hugely improved 2020 season, Jack Lukosius has embraced the role of full-time defender. Now key a pillar to the song, the skills on display by a player standing 6 foot 4 is a rarity. Consistently impacting the contest and showcasing brilliant skills by foot, the 20-year-old already is one of the Gold Coast's most dependable players.
Another player who has taken the jump from a quiet 2020 season is Jack Bowes. After averaging 17 disposals a game in shortened quarters, the 23-year-old has started this season in elite form, with 28.2 disposals, 8 marks and 512 metres gained a game. The Suns considers Bowes as a key component for the club, after signing on to the end of 2024.
The forward line at Metricon Stadium is set to be torched in the future, with the big and small combo of Ben King and Izak Rankine teaming up for the first time last year. The scary level of pure talent that both possess is enough to have future opposition defenders trembling with fear, with both players featuring in the 2020 22 under 22 side.
Glimpses of superstardom have been put on display, with Rankine's debut against the Demons a reminder to the league why he was so highly touted as a junior.
In 2020, Gold Coast had the most Rising Star nominees with four players being celebrated for their efforts (Matt Rowell, Connor Buderick, Izak Rankine and Noah Anderson), an accurate reflection on what the future holds for a side that has the potential to take a significant leap forward in the coming years.
