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.
8. Sydney - Joel Amartey
As always, the Swans have plenty of candidates who fit the criteria for something like this and while the obvious may seem to be Logan McDonald, the absence of Buddy Franklin will likely see him get extra attention, which in turn, could grant Joel Amartey the chance to stamp himself on September.
A strong overhead mark with plenty of upside still to his game, Amartey can play at both ends of the ground and adds some ruck craft to this versatile Sydney outfit. If the Swans can isolate him one-on-one with the opposition's second best tall, there's no reason to suggest he can't kick a bag.
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While his stats are nothing too eye-catching, averaging 3.8 marks and 1.4 goals per game, he is an impact player that can quickly swing momentum or take the game away from the opposition. He is a difficult match up purely because he is still raw and unpredictable.
The Swans have lost their talismanic key forward, yet have his replacements waiting in the wings to take centre stage. Amartey is the kind of player who can shine under the bright lights of prime time, he will be one to watch for Sydney this September.
