There's nothing quite like finals footy.
This time of year offers a chance at immortality and glory for a handful of the competition's best. Perhaps just as importantly, it offers a chance at icon status for a rare few who appear pre-destined for the bright lights.
Every club has players primed to explode in September, we know who to keep an eye on this year, it's one of the joys of the business end of the season, seeing individuals embrace the spotlight and elevate their game.
One of the other joys is seeing a young player come of age and have an impact. The entire point of rebuilds and the draft is to see the next generation flourish, to put a club on their back and inspire their teammates to go the extra mile.
We marvelled at Nick Daicos' impressive finals campaign in his debut season (where he averaged 24.3 disposals and 5 rebound 50's per game) and at Marcus Bontempelli's phenomenal finals series in 2016 where, in just his third year, he dominated the finals, winning a best and fairest in a premiership season.
His team mate Bailey Smith, in just his third year, was immense in 2021, putting together four games of the highest quality, including an unforgettable Semi-Final against the Lions where he had 27 disposals and kicked 3 goals. Slotting the match-winner from deep in the pocket earned him instant icon status, if not that, then his celebration certainly did.
As with every Finals series, this year's provides us plenty of candidates who can shape the fortunes of an entire club. To help narrow down the field, we've opted to go for players who have played under 50 AFL games, yet may just be built for September.
3. Carlton - Brodie Kemp
Having put his injury frustrations behind him, Brodie Kemp has established himself as a reliable component of the Carlton backline. It's always encouraging seeing high draft picks find their feet and Kemp has begun to show exactly what the Blues saw in him when taking him with pick 17 in the 2019 national draft.
His size (192cm) makes him able to play a variety of roles, with his intercept work allowing Jacob Weitering to lock down on the opposition's most dangerous key forward each week. The Blues backline can be seriously damaging on the rebound and Kemp's intercept work helps to release the likes of Adam Saad and Nic Newman.
Kemp has had an impressive year, ranking 8th in effective disposals percentage per game in the entire competition, averaging 16.1 disposals, 1.7 tackles, 10.9 kicks and 2.7 intercept marks per game, all of which place in the above average category. He also averages 2.9 rebound 50's per game, highlighting his own contribution to Carlton's rebound work.
Having gone from strength to strength in season 2023, the stage is set for him to play a crucial role for a Carlton backline that can be porous at times. If Kemp can step up his game in September and help the rearguard become stingier while maintaining their damaging transition play, there's no telling how deep into this finals series the Blues can go.
