Finals are typically known as the time where the cream rises to the top. The pretenders are separated from the contenders and champions rise on the biggest of occasions.
Last year, it was Mason Cox's out-of-the-blue prelim performance against the Tigers which shocked the AFL world, while Dom Sheed became the toast of Western Australia after his Grand Final heroics.
So who will it be this year? Which player is ready to take their game to the next level this 2019 finals series?
We've gone through each finalist and named the player ready to emerge this September.
7. Western Bulldogs - Aaron Naughton
With the likes of Josh Dunkley, Bailey Smith and Ed Richards playing well in recent weeks, the Doggies enter their finals campaign with a large list of players ready to breakout.
However, the aerial prowess of young Aaron Naughton could be the x-factor needed if the Bulldogs are to go deep into September.
The 195cm forward is entering his first finals campaign on the back of a stellar home and away season, which he finished with the most contested marks out of any forward in the competition.
Although GWS Giants defenders Phil Davis and Nick Haynes will likely make it tough for Naughton to continue his marking ways on Saturday, the young forward will likely have decent service from the likes of Jack Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli in the Dogs midfield.
Should he start well, Naughton certainly has the aerial capabilities to break a game open similar to the way Mason Cox did against the Tigers last year.
While Cox has not kicked on to bigger and better things since that performance, at such as young age Naughton certainly has the potential to develop into an elite marking forward.
It is very often said that young key position players take longer to develop, so for Naughton to sustain elite level play over to coming weeks should the Dogs win, would be very difficult.
However, this list is about players displaying their first signs of elite level performance in finals matches and Naughton has the potential to be a big game player.
