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Important update on 1476AMLyon: The emerging star who should reach Bont, Daicos and Heeney status
Andrew Slevison • April 15th, 2026 10:09 am
It’s widely regarded that Marcus Bontempelli and Nick Daicos are the top two players in the AFL.
On current form and with a very good body of work to back it up, Sydney’s Isaac Heeney is also firmly in the conversation.
But there is an emerging player who has already shown superstar glimpses who Garry Lyon believes can reach their level of stardom.
That player is Port Adelaide’s Jason Horne-Francis who can force his way into the very top echelon of current day players over the course of the next 12 months.
The former No.1 draft pick has had a slowish start to 2026 after an injury-interrupted pre-season but produced a scintillating second half in the 14-point loss to St Kilda on Sunday night.
Lyon was particularly taken by his third-quarter efforts when 'JHF' amassed 10 disposals, seven contested possessions, six clearances (three centre clearances), five score involvements, a goal assist and kicked 1.2.
“He should be at some stage in the next year (heading towards the top two),” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast.
“Isaac Heeney is also in this conversation.
“Jason Horne-Francis has got every single part of his game that should have him in this conversation at some stage in the next, let's say 12 months, because he came off an interrupted pre-season and they've had to sort of nurse him back, play him forward, put him in the middle.
“At his best as he was in that third quarter against St Kilda, you looked at that and if you were down from Mars and you went to the footy over the weekend and that was the only quarter you'd watch, you'd say that's the best player in the game.
Watson chimed in: “He looked like he was on another level, didn't he?”
Bont and Nick aside, Swans star Heeney is the hottest hand in the AFL on the back of four significant performances which has him averaging 23.8 disposals, 5.8 clearances and 2.5 goals.
Lyon says Horne-Francis possesses the tricks required to join Heeney as a prime midfield mover who is damaging inside forward 50.
“He's got all of the attributes of Isaac Heeney,” Lyon said further.
“This is no disrespect to Isaac because Isaac's got consistency, he's been doing it for a long time, he's got mental strength and all those things that Jason Horne-Francis hasn't proven yet.
“But in terms of pure football ability, his ability to win contested footy, his ability to kick the ball and hit a target, his ability to play forward and mark like Isaac Heeney, he's got all of the Heeney qualities. He's got them all, but he hasn't displayed them anywhere near as consistently as Isaac has over the course of a period of more than three or four years.
“I'm not saying he's Isaac Heeney now, but he has every single aspect of his game which should allow him to get to the Isaac Heeney stage.”
Watson asked: “Is he in the top 10 players in the competition now?”
Lyon replied: “No, no, no.”
But Lyon reckons he has the right stuff to potentially get there one day.
