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The 10 best AFL rookie seasons of the last decade

We’ve ranked the best debut seasons since 2010.

Published by
Mitch Keating

Suns youngster and first overall selection Matt Rowell has ignited discussion around the league as having the potential to be one of the best first-year players we've had across the last decade.

A number of players - young and old - have given football fans sheer unmatched delight in their debut seasons. And while John Coleman's stunning 100-goal debut season will forever go unparalleled, we've decided to rank the top 10 from the last decade alone.

There's no age bias with this list - our criteria included players of any age who were playing in their debut season.

Honourable mentions go out to Tom Stewart, David Swallow, Adam Saad, Isaac Smith, Daniel Talia, Brett Goodes, Luke Shuey & Sam Menegola.

Here are the 10 best AFL rookie seasons of the last decade:

Dyson Heppell (2011)

Heppell was on track for stardom right from his debut. The eventual Bombers captain won his Rising Star nomination in round one and would eventually go on to win the award, polling 44 votes from a possible 45 after not missing a game.

Ranking second for Essendon for total disposals at an average of 21.4 touches per game and also finishing on the podium for kicks, handballs and marks at the club, Heppell had paved the pathway for his bright career very early on.

Playing off half-back, he finished seventh in the club's best and fairest as the Bombers bowed out of September against the Blues in an elimination final.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 22: Dyson Heppell of the Bombers celebrates kicking a goal during the round 21 AFL match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Essendon Bombers at Metricon Stadium on August 22, 2015 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Jaidyn Stephenson (2018)

Like Heppell, Stephenson was crowned the Rising Star winner after shooting onto the scene in his debut season for the Pies. The athletic forward notched up 26 games and played a vital role in Collingwood's push for a flag, booting two goals in their grand final loss to the Eagles.

Stephenson slotted 38 goals in his first year and averaged close to three tackles and 2.5 inside 50's per match, igniting a career that is sure to add plenty of September experience.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 06: Jaidyn Stephenson of Collingwood celebrates kicking a goal during the round seven AFL match between the Brisbane Lions and the Collingwood Magpies at The Gabba on May 6, 2018 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Dayne Zorko (2012)

The four-time Lions best and fairest had been overlooked three times before making his debut as a 23 years old. He ended his first year at a near 20 touches, 6.5 tackles, five inside 50's and a goal per match across 16 games.

The Lions had a mediocre season in 2012 - winning just 10 games - with Zorko playing in eight of those wins and relishing as a mature aged debutant under coach Michael Voss.

BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND - APRIL 16: Dayne Zorko of the lions celebrates a goal during the round four AFL match between the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns at The Gabba on April 16, 2016 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Jason O'Brien/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Jaeger O'Meara (2013)

The Gold Coast made plenty of leeway to secure the services of O'Meara through the 2011 mini-draft, and it certainly paid off for the highly-touted onballer.

O'Meara didn't make his AFL debut until 2013, with the wait awarding the youngster with a stellar first year. That campaign ended with the Rising Star award after collecting 21.6 possessions, five tackles, four clearances a game while kicking 16 goals and finishing third in the clubs best and fairest.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 25: Tom Curren of the Saints tackles Jaeger O'Meara of the Suns during the round 22 AFL match between the St Kilda Saints and the Gold Coast Suns at Etihad Stadium on August 25, 2013 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

 

Jesse Hogan (2015)

Another mini-draft selection, Hogan was taken second in the 2012 recruitment crop and ended his first year of development early with Casey after suffering a season-ending knee injury in August.

Fast forward to 2015 and Hogan broke onto the scene to make his long-awaited AFL debut with the Demons. Hogan drew comparisons to Chris Grant and Wayne Carey during his first year in the league and finished the year with 44 goals, the Rising Star award and a fourth-placed finish in his club's best and fairest count.

Toby Greene (2012)

Arguably the most underrated rookie campaign of the modern era - Toby Grene.

To no surprise, the Giants struggled in their first season, winning just the two games - but Greene found a way to win his own game as a midfielder. Greene averaged 28.4 disposals per game, the highest of anyone on this list, with 11 of those contested.

The ball magnet would have been a prime contender for the Rising Star award had he not have been ruled ineligible after being suspended during the season. Some things never change. However, Greene walked away with a second-place finish in the Giants' best and fairest count after a stunning debut campaign.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 22: Toby Greene of the Giants celebrates a goal during the round five AFL match between the Sydney Swans and the Greater Western Sydney Giants at Sydney Cricket Ground on April 22, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

James Podsiadly (2010)

"J-Pod" ended his first year with the Cats one goal shy of the 50 mark and secured his position as a key member of one of the greatest sides of the century.

Debuting as a 28-year-old, Podsiadly will go down as one of the best mature-age projects of the modern era. He averaged 2.6 goals and 2.7 contested marks per game and even polled 13 Brownlow votes, adding more than great service to Mark Thompson's side.

Podsiadly would go on to boot nearly 200 goals in his 104 game career and would end his second season with a premiership medal as the Cats' leading goal kicker.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 26: James Podsiadly of the Cats celebrates a goal during the round 18 AFL match between the Geelong Cats and the St Kilda Saints at Simonds Stadium on July 27, 2013 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

Sam Walsh (2019)

The only first overall selection from the national draft in our top ten. Walsh flourished as the headline of the 2018 draft, perhaps surpassing any first-year expectations.

The midfielder found his transition into the AFL as comfortable as anyone, collecting over 25 possessions, three tackles, three clearances and nine contested possessions a match.

The 19-year-old was awarded the Rising Star award after polling 54 votes from a possible 55, finished fourth in the Blues' best and fairest count and handed a position in the club's leadership group for the 2020 season.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 15: Sam Walsh of the Blues in action during the 2019 AFL round 13 match between the Carlton Blues and the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium on June 15, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Michael Barlow (2010)

Had it not have been for the broken leg ending his season in round 14, Michael Barlow's debut campaign would undoubtedly have topped our list.

His season to date amassed six games of 30 plus disposals, 66 total tackles (including 14 tackles in round eight), 15 goals and 12 Brownlow votes. All in just 13 games!

His debut in the opening round of 2010 was as successful as any, breaking the record for most disposals in a debut match since Champion Data began their collecting in 1992 -  surpassing Bradd Dalziell's debut record of 32 possessions with 33 of his own. He backed it up the next week with a lazy 34 disposals.

Barlow finished seventh in the club's best and fairest, finishing with 97 votes. David Mundy won the award with 190 votes having played in nine more games than Barlow.

Heck, if Barlow had played out the season, he might have been a smoky Brownlow contender!

Michael Barlow of the Dockers handballs during the round 17 AFL match between the Fremantle Dockers and the Geelong Cats at Domain Stadium on July 15, 2016 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Tim Kelly (2018)

The mature-aged recruit was taken by the Cats at pick 24 in the 2017 draft and is arguably the pick of the litter from Cats list guru Stephen Wells' selections.

Kelly amassed a staggering 22.9 disposals, 3.5 tackles, 4.3 clearances and 10.5 contested possessions and a goal per game in his first year in the hoops. If that isn't enough, he finished equal second in Geelong's best and fairest count, level with star midfielder Patrick Dangerfield.

His 27 touches on debut against the Demons was just the tip of the iceberg. He collected a career-high 36 disposals against reigning premiers Richmond and finished the year with 13 Brownlow votes as a key to the Cats' run to the finals.

GEELONG, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Tim Kelly of the Cats in action during the 2018 AFL round 22 match between the Geelong Cats and the Fremantle Dockers at GMHBA Stadium on August 18, 2018 in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Published by
Mitch Keating