Players who desperately need to make a leap in 2024

[GVGjr]

Kane Cornes has nominated 5 players who need to make a leap forward in 2024

Players who desperately need to make a leap in 2024

Kane Cornes has listed the five players in the AFL who he believes must make a leap in season 2024.

The Port Adelaide champion believes the players he has listed can step right up and become bona fide stars of the competition next year.

Cornes went through each of his five players, explaining what he wants to see from them in order to take that giant leap.

"Sometimes you get to a level and you stay there," Cornes said on SEN's Sportsday.

"That's who you are and you never make that leap".

"I've written down some names of players that I think desperately need to take the next step next year."

See his list below:

1 - Max King (St Kilda)

Is this just what he is?

Is Max King a player capable of kicking four or five (goals) three times a year and then for the rest he's a reasonably inconsistent forward who has his moments, but can let you down in front of goal.

Of course he needs a good run of it with his body, he needs to work on his kicking.

But is he good enough to make the leap into an All-Australian team? To be in contention to win a Coleman Medal?

In Tom Hawkins sixth season he made a giant leap. Hawkins kicked 62 goals, he took 54 contested marks, he had 19 goal assists and made the first of his five All-Australian teams in 2012.

They're not the same player, I get that, but they play the same position. They are the sort of numbers that I think King is capable of. He has all the talent.

This is King's sixth season (in 2024). He needs to make that leap next year.?

2 - Cam Rayner (Brisbane)

Cam Rayner is coming into his seventh year and he was a Pick 1.

24 years of age and he is entering his absolute prime. To be fair to him, I think he took a step forward this year, highlighted by his devastating Qualifying Final against Port Adelaide.

He finished top five in Brisbane?s best and fairest in a Grand Final team, that's a good effort.

But I didn't call it a leap, I called it a step. It's time for a leap now.

He's as close as anyone to Jordan De Goey, Dustin Martin, Christian Petracca, and at times he?s touched that level, but he hasn't been able to maintain that.

I want to know if he's fit enough, I want to know if he works hard enough, but he's definitely got the talent to make that leap.

I think his ceiling is a top 10 player in the game. That?s where I see him but he hasn't done that yet.

3 - Matt Rowell (Gold Coast)

He's always a divisive one. Whenever I speak about Matt Rowell I get heavily criticised.

Because he plays at a high level every week, but my interest is in whether that's his ceiling.

Is Matt Rowell 21 touches, eight tackles and six clearances a game for the rest of his career? Or is he Lachie Neale? Can he do it, can he get to 28 touches, and can he kick more than seven goals in a season? Can he break away and actually really hurt the opposition with his legs and with his disposals?

Or is he Ben Cunnington? Which is a nice level, it?s a good level to play at and he'll play 300 games, but?

4 - Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs)

He's got to improve significantly, the Bulldogs are paying him superstar money for average to good performances.

In 11 games this year he kicked one goal or less. If Cody Weightman hadn't have missed four games, he would have beaten him for the Bulldogs. goal kicking award, and this guy is 177cm.

If you sat down and did your Top 50 players in the game, Naughton wouldn't be there.

For him to take the leap, he's got to be in the squad of 44 for the All-Australian team. That's what he's capable of.

His goal return has got be in the 60s, particularly with the supply he's going to get.

5 - Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne)

I've got Kozzie Pickett written down because I think his last three seasons have been good, but they've been at the same level.

Pickett is at the same level he was in year two. He's closing in on 100 games.

I sat in on the All-Australian meetings and we are crying out for someone to put their hand up and say, I am the best small forward in the competition?. Because right now I couldn't tell you who that is.

There's got to be someone who says, Here I am, I'm (the next) Eddie Betts, I'm the best small forward in the game. It's got to be this guy.

He finished seventh in Melbourne's best and fairest, which isn't a disaster by any means, he kicked 37 goals, which also isn't a disaster, but he's got to be All-Australian.

He's good enough to do that.

[Grantysghost]

Agree re Naughton. Also he's a defender xD

[The Doctor]

Top 5 Bulldogs who need to make a leap in 2024


Bailey Smith - wouldn't it be great to see him get back to 2021 form?

Jack Macrae - wouldn't it be great to see him get back to pre 2023 form?

Rory Lobb - Can he play like he did the last few games in 2023 throughout 2024

Laitham Van Der Meer - needs to cement himself in a position in the backline, stay fit, and deliver

Anthony Scott - needs to crack in more and get more than 10 disposals per game. A nice player who is regularly picked but needs to lift

[bornadog]

Top 5 Bulldogs who need to make a leap in 2024


Bailey Smith - wouldn't it be great to see him get back to 2021 form?

Jack Macrae - wouldn't it be great to see him get back to pre 2023 form?

Rory Lobb - Can he play like he did the last few games in 2023 throughout 2024

Laitham Van Der Meer - needs to cement himself in a position in the backline, stay fit, and deliver

Anthony Scott - needs to crack in more and get more than 10 disposals per game. A nice player who is regularly picked but needs to lift

Great nominations Doc.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Agree re Naughton. Also he's a defender xD

We would be a far better team with Naughton at centre half back and Jones at full back with O’Donnell becoming our third tall defender.
A lack of run out of defence from the likes of
O’Brien Gardner Bruce and Keath has restricted quicker ball movement into our forward line.
Changing Macrae with Smith in the midfield and using Lobb more as a tap ruck man to allow English to play more as a key forward together with Ugle Hagen as the other key forward, would give us a more balanced combination.
Consideration should also be given to use Caleb Daniel with his footy smarts to become our small forward pocket which we have lacked.
There needs to be some radical new thinking by our Match Committee, otherwise we will continue with our two past years down hill spiral.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Top 5 Bulldogs who need to make a leap in 2024


Bailey Smith - wouldn't it be great to see him get back to 2021 form?

Jack Macrae - wouldn't it be great to see him get back to pre 2023 form?

Rory Lobb - Can he play like he did the last few games in 2023 throughout 2024

Laitham Van Der Meer - needs to cement himself in a position in the backline, stay fit, and deliver

Anthony Scott - needs to crack in more and get more than 10 disposals per game. A nice player who is regularly picked but needs to lift

Worth a thread by itself Doc. Quite a few who need to step up.

[ledge]

Problem here is he is judging Naughton on goals kicked, as a footballer who played at the highest level he should know it’s more than that . Eg he may have played up the ground a few games . He may have blocked defenders so his other forwards could mark or kick goals , he may have been the dummy forward at times leading he main backman away so Ugle Hagan was free, he may have marked and handballed off for a goal.
So next year if he kicks 50 and Jamarra kicks 50 he did his job. You can’t possibly make an article like this without it being so lazy.

[lemmon]

Anthony Scott - needs to crack in more and get more than 10 disposals per game. A nice player who is regularly picked but needs to lift

I like that call, but what is Anthony Scott? I think he's an inside mid that we force onto a flank because he's clean, a nice kick, can take a mark and can do a 'job'.

It's not that dissimilar to Robbie McComb. We grab the most well-performed Footscray player (an inside mid) but can't play them there because we're already stacked so ask them to do a job they aren't suited to. If we are getting a Footscray player this year, I hope we're a bit more inventive in looking to fill a need, not just selecting the next-best player on the conveyor belt (which would probably be Lachie Sullivan).

[azabob]

Taking on Doc's lead:

Luke Beveridge: Can he re-discover his enjoyment in all aspects of the coaching game?

Ryan Gardner: The full back role is his if he wants it. Can he remain fit and be that rock we desperately need down back?

Bailey Williams: Can be such a "meh" player at times. Has a lot of natural ability, can he become a consistent wingmen who can kick one to two goals a game? His best footy coincided with our best footy...

Bailey Smith: Our midfield is screaming out for some youth, pace, dash and dare. Bailey has those all in spades, can he deliver in the heat of the kitchen?

Rhylee West: Are you fit enough to take a midfield role? You certainly have the tools to make it... your on the smaller side so you will have to work twice as hard.

[Axe Man]

Bailey Williams: Can be such a "meh" player at times. Has a lot of natural ability, can he become a consistent wingmen who can kick one to two goals a game? His best footy coincided with our best footy...

Don't disagree in general but 1-2 goals a game from a wing is an unrealistic expectation. Gulden is the only wing that got near 1 goal a game this year (22 from 24 games). The other all Australian wing in Josh Daicos kicked 16.

Williams kicked 11 which isn't a bad return. I think there are other aspects of his game that need improving ahead of goal kicking.

[azabob]

Don't disagree in general but 1-2 goals a game from a wing is an unrealistic expectation. Gulden is the only wing that got near 1 goal a game this year (22 from 24 games). The other all Australian wing in Josh Daicos kicked 16.

Williams kicked 11 which isn't a bad return. I think there are other aspects of his game that need improving ahead of goal kicking.

It is and it isn't. Williams would have one or two shots at goal a game. No reason why he can't kick one goal a game.

[Axe Man]

It is and it isn't. Williams would have one or two shots at goal a game. No reason why he can't kick one goal a game.

Well you are correct in that he had exactly 1 shot per game average for the year, so if he never missed he could have kicked 1 goal per game. Not sure how he's going to get twice as many shots on goal that would likely be required for 1 goal a game average.

There's a very good reason why he isn't likely to kick 1 goal a game - because nobody outside Gulden did it this year and he is a far better player than Williams. I also imagine it would require him to be more offensively minded which is going to negatively impact his defensive game. It is just as important that he gets back and helps the backline as it is for him to hit the scoreboard.

[hujsh]

Goals is less of a concern for Bailey's game IMO. I think increasing his average possession count by 4 (to twenty) would go a long way to making him a more consistent and reliable player. In 15 games he had less than 20 touches. It's great when he impacts games but he needs to do it more often

[FrediKanoute]

4 - Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs)

He's got to improve significantly, the Bulldogs are paying him superstar money for average to good performances.

In 11 games this year he kicked one goal or less. If Cody Weightman hadn't have missed four games, he would have beaten him for the Bulldogs. goal kicking award, and this guy is 177cm.

If you sat down and did your Top 50 players in the game, Naughton wouldn't be there.

For him to take the leap, he's got to be in the squad of 44 for the All-Australian team. That's what he's capable of.

His goal return has got be in the 60s, particularly with the supply he's going to get.

I'm not sure I agree he has to make a significant leap. He has kicked between 40 and 50 goals for the last few seasons, so its a case of nudging that up a bit. He now takes the best defender and has the body strength to match. This opens up opportunities for JUH, the resting ruck and Weightman to flourish. If he scored 10 to 15 more goals a game that would be enough.

[jeemak]

Problem here is he is judging Naughton on goals kicked, as a footballer who played at the highest level he should know it’s more than that . Eg he may have played up the ground a few games . He may have blocked defenders so his other forwards could mark or kick goals , he may have been the dummy forward at times leading he main backman away so Ugle Hagan was free, he may have marked and handballed off for a goal.
So next year if he kicks 50 and Jamarra kicks 50 he did his job. You can’t possibly make an article like this without it being so lazy.

What Kane knows and what he says are two different things.

Everyone else would be leaning on Smith, he goes Naughton because he's been building on him for a couple of months now. In the lead up to his contract and the aftermath.

He's right, Naughton needs to tidy things up and convert more. But he's worth what the market says he is, shit, great, in-between, or whatever. People don't understand that bit, they think players who earn big have to deliver beyond incremental improvement on what they've delivered in the past.

Kane speaks to them.