Zeroย Hanger's next instalment of 'start, bench, cut' sees us examine a trio of electrifying hybrid forwards.
Richmond forward-midfielder Shai Bolton, Melbourne jackknife Kysaiah Pickett, and Geelong score-involvement maestro Gryan Miers culminate in three of the more dynamic front-half players in the competition.
These goalscoring smalls became premiership players early into their careers, with Richmond's Bolton the sole dual-flag-winner of this group.
As we dissect the careers and recent form of this trio of elusive offensive threats, we ponder who to hypothetically 'start' (our number one choice of the three), 'bench' (our runner-up) and 'cut' (our odd man out).
We reviewed the cases of Bolton, Pickett, and Miers before revealing our start, bench, and cut verdicts.
4. Verdict
Start: Shai Bolton
Bench: Gryan Miers
Cut: Kysaiah Pickett
Bolton's combination of sheer output and remaining potential outweighs that of Miers and Pickett, despite the duo's respective proficiencies.
The Western Australian Tiger is, simply put, unstoppable on his given day; utilising his unmatched elusiveness and attacking instinct to cause irreparable damage.
Meanwhile, Miers' contribution to Geelong's team success can't be understated, particularly as he's consistently played an integral role in score creation for the Cats. At present, his production tops Pickett's.
While the speed Demon undoubtedly possesses game-breaking ability, the argument can be made that he currently lacks the polish of a true top-line player.
For now, he's our 'bench' option, though his prospective ceiling outweighs that of Miers and can potentially challenge Bolton's in future seasons.
