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Find your frequency hereThe most important players from the top 9 teams
SEN • July 24th, 2025 2:30 pm
Nathan Buckley and Gerard Whateley have identified who they believe to be the most important players at each of the contending clubs.
The pair went through each of the top 9 teams and put forward their nominations.
Read their thoughts below:
COLLINGWOOD
Buckley: “I have Nick Daicos.
“Structurally you could argue players behind the ball. A player like Billy Frampton would change the dynamic of the back six and improve Collingwood’s circumstances.
“But I don’t think he’s the guy. I think Nick Daicos is the guy.”
Whateley: “I thought Darcy Cameron might have been the guy because his absence materially would change how they play their intercept game.
“But I did default to Nick Daicos. I still think it’s him.”
BRISBANE
Buckley: “I had Dayne Zorko.
“Just simply for that go-forward element. Also now with the way that Brisbane are taking the game on.
“They’ve remodelled their game style. It’s even more aggressive than they were in the Grand Final last year which came about really late in the season.
“I had Josh Dunkley as someone who can play a bit of a stopping role on an inside mid and still give you the output offensively.
“But Zorko is my man.”
Whateley: “They were my two and I would agree with you on Zorko.”
ADELAIDE
Buckley: “I just had Jordan Dawson.”
Whateley: “So did I. I know people want to wrap up others but the core of it is Jordan Dawson.
“If he’s not there it changes everything.”
Buckley: “We didn’t even mention for Collingwood, but Jordan Dawson is a ‘Pendles’ figure for Adelaide.
“He communicates, he organises, when there is a moment he can athletically impose himself when the moment arises.
“He can go forward and kick goals, he can go behind the ball and take an intercept mark, he can make a really good decision to settle the game down.
“He’s a great leader for them.”
GEELONG
Buckley: “Jeremy Cameron. Just the reliance on him in general play as much as on the scoreboard.
“They’ve still got (Shaun) Mannagh, (Gryan) Miers, (Ollie) Dempsey, guys that get forward and can hit the scoreboard. Shannon Neale plays his role really well.
“But you take Jeremy Cameron out, I think the Cats lose their teeth.”
Whateley: “I ended up going Max Holmes. I think they would lose straight out their point of difference if he wasn’t there.”
Buckley: “Above Bailey Smith?”
Whateley: “Yep.”
HAWTHORN
Whateley: “We decided it was Will Day who has been out and is about to return.”
Buckley: “So they’ve actually done without the player that pulls their attributes together.
“When you come back in that surely has an uplift. The Hawks are going to get their very best player back.
“They play three of the top nine in the last five games and I think they’re set to find out whether their best is going to be better than the teams they’re contending with.”
GWS GIANTS
Buckley: “I would have had Sam Taylor last year, but they’re actually really doing it well without him.
“Finn Callaghan is the one for me.
“With their scoring off the back, with their run off the back, with the way they set the game up - a player like Callaghan gets all the way back and all the way up, running as hard in the last 10 minutes as he is in the first 10 minutes.
“I love what he does. I think that their run and carry turns into a tsunami with him. It turns into a ripple without him.
“He’s the one that brings them together.”
FREMANTLE
Buckley: “I have Hayden Young.
“We saw in the last quarter last week what he was able to produce.
“To me he still looked a little bit ginger, he was still going at half rat power. But four score involvement out of his seven (disposal), the kick to Luke Jackson late that really made the difference.”
“Jordan Clark is the other one. I’ve been so impressed by the way he has developed.
“He’s a really important player especially for their run off the back.”
Whateley: “I would go Caleb Serong. I do think they rise and fall on where his game is at.
“I don’t think they’d want him absent.”
Buckley: “I think Serong can get you to an 8/10 performance. Young could get you to a 9.5. That might be the difference.”
GOLD COAST
Buckley: “Noah Anderson. He’s metronomic.
“He’s got class and smarts not unlike a Dawson or a Pendlebury. That type of footy IQ - a tap here, a bit of body there, I’ve seen him drop off his man to sit in a position off the ball, really smart decisions.
“There’s a little bit about the ability to tag him, that’s probably been 50-50, but he can still contribute in other areas. He’s pretty important.
“The other one I had was Sam Collins who is not in that side (with a calf injury). He’ll make a profound difference to the Suns when he’s back in.”
Whateley: “My open question is - Are we about to learn that it’s Touk Miller?
“I just worry about his absence.”
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Buckley: “I just had ‘Bont’ (Marcus Bontempelli).
“Missed the first few weeks and the Dogs did pretty well, gave them a chance to look at others.
“But he hit the ground running, and he’s just an absolute class player.”
