Australian Football Hall of Famer Terry Wallace has listed the midfielders across the AFL who he believes will take a “quantum leap” in 2020.
These are the players who the former Hawthorn champion believes will go to another level next season.
“I think over a summer you can get players who take their game from one level to another major level,” Wallace told SEN Drive.
“Now, some of those are players around the edges who might have got a few games who really start to become good, regular players.
“Others are players who have been those good, regular players, or maybe even a little bit better, who I think can go to another level again.
“A couple of them, people will say they’re already at that level – I think that there’s another level in them again.
“These are the players that I expect in 2020 to take a quantum leap.”
Wallace started with the midfielders who he believes will jump to the next level, but not quite reach stardom just yet.
Jarrod Berry (Brisbane)
“He’s 193cm, he’s a big, strong bull of a player and I think that he can (get to that next level),” Wallace said.
Andrew McGrath (Essendon)
“He played his best game in the final against the Eagles. I thought that was his best game for the year and with more time through the middle of the ground I think that he can really step up,” Wallace said.
Adam Cerra (Fremantle)
“You might say he is more a high half forward/back user of the ball, but I think that he has the ability to go through the middle of the ground with a new coach in Justin Longmuir, I think he will be given more opportunity given they’ve lost a couple of their midfielders. I think his ball use could be very good in that area,” Wallace said.
Brandan Parfitt (Geelong)
“I’m a fan of Parfitt’s, I just think that with a little bit more continuity of play, he’s had a few injuries along the journey at times and lacked confidence and maturity at times. I think that he can be an excellent player for the Cats,” Wallace said.
Jye Caldwell (GWS)
“He was pick 11 in the National Draft. I think that he can get into the side. They’ve lost a couple of those senior players like Brett Deledio and Adam Tomlinson and I think that he can get his opportunity and I think he is good enough to take it,” Wallace said.
Jy Simpkin (North Melbourne)
“I think he will be a really good player for North Melbourne,” Wallace said.
Xavier Duursma (Port Adelaide)
“I love his work at Port Adelaide and I think that he will go on with it after his first year,” Wallace said.
Marlion Pickett (Richmond)
“I mean, anyone who watched the Grand Final in the VFL the week before (his AFL debut) he was best on the ground. Clearly he is good enough to really step up,” Wallace said.
Hunter Clark (St Kilda)
“I think that he really started to show signs in the back-half of the year that he belonged,” Wallace said.
Pat Lipinski (Western Bulldogs)
“As a running wingman, I think that he plays really good footy,” Wallace said.
Bailey Smith (Western Bulldogs)
“I think he is going to be a genuine young star for the Bulldogs,” Wallace said.
The next three are midfielders Wallace believes will become “rolled gold guns of the competition” in 2020.
Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane)
“He was right up there in calculations this year for All-Australian. I think he is going to be a genuine star. In his (draft) year I had him at number one,” Wallace said.
Tim Taranto (GWS)
“Somebody from that same draft, Tim Taranto. He finished high up in their best and fairest in his first year and won it in his second year,” Wallace said.
James Worpel (Hawthorn)
“I think with Tom Mitchell coming back, I just think Worpel is going to get better and better again,” Wallace said.
“They’re the three guys who have been in the system two to four years who I think are our up and coming rolled gold stars.”