Over the coming weeks, North Media will analyse the 2021 seasons of every player on the list.

To see all the reviews so far, click here.

6. Taylor Garner

The stats:

4 games, 7 goals; 13.5 disposals, 5.2 marks, 1.8 tackles, 5.2 score involvements per game.

The season:

For Taylor Garner, the 2021 season was another difficult one.

After overcoming injury issues early in the season, Garner returned to the side with a bang in Round 9, kicking 3 goals in an impressive performance to help lift the side to victory over Hawthorn.

Another bag of 3 goals followed the next week against the Bombers, followed by 1 goal against St Kilda the week afterwards.

His season came screeching to a halt against GWS though, as he suffered an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.

The game:

Round 9 v Hawthorn

13 disposals, 3 goals, 4 tackles, 3 tackles inside 50.

The moment:

A huge goal in his return game and the first of three for the day, Taylor Garner reminded the AFL of his talents against the Hawks.

The fans said:

The coaches said:

“I thought Taylor’s performances at AFL level were really consistent. He kicked 7 goals in 4 games. He was a really important contributor in the games he played and he performed some really positive roles for us. His off-field development in supporting the other forwards behind-the-scenes certainly helped some of their development.” - Heath Younie (forward coach)

7. Jack Ziebell

The stats:

21 games, 2 goals; 25.2 disposals, 7.4 marks, 1.9 tackles, 7.2 rebound 50s, 3.2 one percenters, 6.5 intercepts, 476.4 metres gained per game.

The season:

After spending his career as a successful midfielder or forward option, David Noble threw the gauntlet down and challenged the skipper to become an effective influence in the back half of the ground ahead of the 2021 campaign.

Ziebell well and truly rose to the challenge, and as the season went on he not only impressed with his effectiveness at launching attacks, but the effort, desire and energy he brought to the back six was unparalleled.

Absent for only the final game of the season, the leadership he provided while learning a new role within the team was admirable, and his ability to run off his man and impact the contest was remarkable.

He broke the club record for rebound 50s in a season, recording 152 in his 21 appearances, overtaking the mark set by Troy Makepeace in 2005.

The game:

Round 6 v Fremantle

37 disposals, 14 marks, 5 tackles, 617 metres gained, 10 intercepts, 91.9 per cent disposal efficiency.

The moment:

A late spoil in the win against West Coast capped off a brilliant performance and showed off the skippers passion.

The fans said:

The coaches said:

“Jack was able to get a consistent pre-season which means his body was nice and sound. To do what he’s done this year has been outstanding. He’s obviously been a good player for many years, but he’s learnt a new position and has been able to be a real mainstay in our back six for almost the entire year. He plays a big part in our intercept marking, in our ground balls in the defensive 50, as well as our ball movement out of there. His effort this year can’t be underestimated.” - John Blakey (defensive coach)

8. Bailey Scott

The stats:

16 games, 8 goals; 13.6 disposals, 2 tackles, 3.2 score involvements per game.

The season:

After playing the first five games of the season, Bailey Scott was forced to prove himself at VFL level, and prove himself he did.

Consistently amongst North’s best during his time in the reserves, including numbers of 28 disposals and a goal against Box Hill, and 18 disposals and a goal against Southport, Scott forced himself back into contention for the senior side.

From Round 11 onwards, he played role in every remaining game of the season, with his performances against St Kilda and Carlton amongst his season highlights.

Forging a reputation as an efficient winger or half forward, he went against the grain and locked down the dangerous Brad Hill against St Kilda, limiting him to just 6 disposals, while Scott himself had 14.

The application he showed to earn his spot back through sheer hard graft at VFL level indicated a maturity we hadn’t yet seen in the number eight, and 2021 acted as a brilliant growth season for him both on and off the field.

The game:

Round 19 v Carlton

26 disposals, 2 tackles, 2 clearances, 9 score involvements, 3 intercepts.

The moment:

The fans said:

The coaches said:

“Bailey had some really good performances. I think he was able to develop a greater understanding of his role and how he can contribute to the team.” - Heath Younie (forwards coach).