To accompany Part 1 of the Lineball midfield ranking, we have decided to dissect another worthy group of premium midfielders. Within Part 2, we have brought forward another seven midfield stars, that are destined to help shape the 2024 AFL Supercoach season.
Throughout this list, I have aimed to balance what I believe to be plausible within the individual players scoring power and upside, as well as taking into account how their off-season will impact these other factors.
8. Clayton Oliver $674k
The former M2 is returning in 2024 after a range of setbacks in 2023, which have largely halted my expectations on the Demons star. At the beginning of last season, Oliver started as well as any, with only one score under 100 (98 SC) and a 124.7 SC average from 10 games played. He also held the highest CBA average amongst any Melbourne midfielder with 81%. Oliver's luck started to change during and post round 10, as he struggled with a hamstring injury and many other reported incidents. While Oliver still returned in the back end of 2023, he has faced a lackluster preseason and thus isn't as prepared as others on this list. He still managed a return to competitive match play against Richmond in a recent match sim, but he played alongside the Dees VFL side. With all that being said, Oliver is as strong a scorer as anybody in the game, but I struggle to see him reaching the heights of years gone by.
9. Caleb Serong $621k
Serong was one of the big improvers in 2023, as his price went up from $498k to $564k at the conclusion of the season, while it also reached a peak of $615k. This largely came from his production as the Dockers highest CBA getter, with an average of 82%. His SC average also improved a massive 20.6 on his previous best (90.6 - 111.2), as he firmed as one of the best SC midfielders for the future. He also achieved this in a struggling Fremantle team, that previously played finals in 2022 and will be looking to return to that level in 2024. Longmuir has also decided to switch both Hayden Young and Nat Fyfe to the midfield, which has caught the eye of many on-lookers, as their inclusion could hinder the likes of Serong and Brayshaw. Despite this, Serong still plays the pivotal in-and-under role in the Dockers midfield, which I hardly see changing from what it was in 2023. It should be interesting to watch Serong this season as I see him showing improvement on his 2023 best, as well as what the new look Dockers can produce.
10. Josh Dunkley $644k
Dunkley enjoyed a great season with his new team and runners up Brisbane Lions, as he accumulated a 115.2 SC average from 21 games. The gun recruit was second for CBA's amongst the Lions mids, with an average of 80%, which grew to 82% after Ashcroft's late season injury. Although this didn't translate to better scores for Dunkley, as he only managed a 95.4 five-round-average to end the year. This came directly after Ashcroft's injury, which is still set to become a factor in 2024 as the Lions father-son sits on the sidelines. Brisbane do expect Ashcroft to make a return in the middle of the season, which will no doubt be an interesting watch for Dunkley's scoring capabilities. The 27 year old had an incredible start to the 2023 season, as he averaged 121.9 SC up to round 16, illustrating the ceiling he does have. This is why Dunkley is still an undeniable midfield asset, especially at the age of 27, regardless of Ashcroft's impact.
11. Errol Gulden $622k
Another breakout of the 2023 season came through the Swans star, Errol Gulden, who posted an average of 111.3 SC. His previous best average was 85.7 SC in 2022, which he improved upon by 25.6 in a stellar third season. Gulden is known for his phenomenal ceiling, which he showed from rounds 15-24 last season, as he amassed six 120+ scores from ten rounds. But his flaw is his issue, as he held back his average with five scores under 90 SC for the season, which came as a result of occasional poor disposal efficiency and positioning across half-forward. The Swans also recruited Taylor Adams and James Jordon across the off-season, which should add to their inside mid depth of Parker (broken arm), Warner, Mills (recovering from shoulder reconstruction), Rowbottom and Sheldrick. This could then further push Gulden to the wing and harm his scoring, as well as the possible growth in point sharing amongst their midfield. With all that being said, Gulden should still be used heavily during Sydney's ball movement and I expect his flaw to rise as he grows into his career.
12. Zach Merrett $650k
The captain of the Bombers is coming off arguably his prime season at age 27, as he posted an average of 116.3 SC. He also achieved this in typical Merrett fashion, as he had a slow start to the season with only four 100+ scores in the opening nine rounds. Then in the back half of the season, he rebounded with only three scores under 100 and achieved a 123 SC average from round ten onwards. Merrett was the second highest average CBA mid in Essendon's team in 2023, behind Darcy Parish (81%), with an average of 74%. While it can already be a cause for concern with Merrett's slow starts, this is compounded with Essendon's first four rounds and the recognized taggers/run-with players they face. These include Hawthorn (Maginness) and Port Adelaide (Drew), as well as Sydney and St Kilda who occasionally deploy one of their midfielders to tag. If Merrett can get through the beginning of the year with a healthy scoring start, he could achieve a similar average as he did in 2023, but I struggle to see those heights as he moves on from his prime age.
13. Sam Walsh $576k
The winner of the 2023 Gary Ayres Award for best performing player in the finals, Sam Walsh enters 2024 underpriced after struggling with ongoing back issues, that previously required surgery. Walsh played a total of 15 games in 2023, with a SC average of 103.2, which is significantly down on his 2022 average of 111 SC from 20 games played. The young guns best season came in 2021, as he played every match and boasted an average of 117 SC. His CBA numbers in 2023 were lower than others on this list, with an average of 55%, but across the last four games of the year (including finals) he averaged 68.75%. Across these four games, Walsh scored 90, 111, 134 and 121 to produce a 114 SC average. Walsh also mentioned in a recent podcast that his back felt better during last years finals series, resulting in a bounce back to his best. But the Blues have still taken precautions, as he has been on light duties at recent training sessions and sat out of the Blues match sim. So if fit, Walsh can definitely make it to the top 8 mids, but his back injury could still take time to fully recover.
14. Andrew Brayshaw $608k
Brayshaw had a tough early season as Fremantle struggled, but he managed to improve his average up to 109 SC post-bye. Pre-bye, Brayshaw had to grapple with knee issues, which he played through and managed a 103.3 SC average. But post-bye, Brayshaw returned to his best with a 114.2 SC average, in which he only went under 100 once. Brayshaw was the 2nd highest CBA getter at Fremantle last season, behind Serong, with an average of 79%. His CBA average also rose to 82% post-bye as he became fully fit, while the likes of O'Meara and Hayden Young grew into the Dockers midfield. Despite this having little impact on his 2023 season, it is expected that Nat Fyfe, Hayden Young, Neil Erasmus and Matt Johnson should eat into Brayshaw's mid time this season. When summarising Brayshaw's prospects for 2024, it is important to consider the impact of Fremantle's new midfield brigade, as well as his evident scoring history, which sits him outside my top 10.
Lineball have also recently launched an open league for all viewers/readers, the code is 978256 and it would be much appreciated if as many new players as possible could jump in and join the Lineball community.
I thank you all again for reading and best of luck heading into the 2024 SuperCoach season.
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