Three GIANTS have been named in the AFL’s Top 50 players as voted by their peers - with the Top 10 still to be announced over the next fortnight.
It’s the third consecutive season players have been surveyed with representatives from all 18 clubs taking part.
There were 90 players who received at least one vote and 15 newcomers managed to crack their way into the game’s elite bracket in 2016.
Coincidentally it was a rising GIANT star who kicked off the countdown by sneaking into the 50th position on the list.
Although Dylan Shiel was the first player mentioned, many foresee him climbing the ranks rapidly in future years as he develops into one of the game’s most damaging midfielders.
Shiel averaged more than 26 touches a game last season before a knee injury against St Kilda in Round 15 prematurely ended his 2015 campaign.
A big-bodied midfielder, Shiel is known for his blistering pace out of stoppages and classy foot-skills around the ground.
The official AFL Player Rating System has Shiel currently sitting 79th in the competition, but obviously his peers have acknowledged his ever-growing potential.
The next GIANT named in the countdown was spearhead forward Jeremy Cameron who - despite not making the Top 50 last season - finds himself at number 33.
Cameron kicked a career-high 63-goals in 2015, one more than his 2013 All-Australian season. That tally included two bags of seven goals against Hawthorn (Round Six) and Carlton (Round 22).
He also signed a contract extension last season that will see him remain a GIANT until at least the end of 2020.
With 73 games now under his belt, Cameron will soon be entering the prime of his career with many experts tipping another significant jump in the player rankings.
Number 26 in the countdown came as no surprise with GIANTS co-captain Callan Ward improving three positions compared to last season.
Ward continues to be one of the GIANTS’ most consistent and important players, leading the team in contested possessions last year.
The 25-year-old finished third in the GIANTS’ 2015 Best and Fairest count, meaning Ward has landed in the top three every season since the club joined the AFL in 2012.
Unlucky to miss out on a nomination for the 2015 All Australian squad, Ward capped off a terrific season by polling 19 votes in last year’s Brownlow Medal.
With the Top 10 in the countdown to be named individually over the next 10 days, several GIANTS could still find themselves on the list.
Defender Heath Shaw and ruckman Shane Mumford the most likely to be given the nod.
Click here to see the 50-10 players named in the countdown so far.
