Ryan Daniels: The new names on my third annual Platinum Players list and why two will be on there for a decade

The bye rounds are a drag, we’re at the halfway point of the season, and things are taking shape. That makes it the perfect time to wheel out the third annual Platinum Players list. This time two years ago I got nostalgic after stumbling upon my footy card collection from 1993 — namely one glorious, shiny, set with a distinguishing label, reserved for only 20 players. The platinum players. Among them, Gary Ablett, Tony Lockett, Peter Matera and Dermott Brereton. But what made a player “platinum?” Was it just the best 20 guys? No. Platinum players had flair, freakishness, and fun. They did the stuff that mere mortals couldn’t. The big goalkickers, the dashing wingers, the powerful midfielders, the clinical half-backs. It got me thinking — who are today’s platinum players? Who are the guys we can’t get enough of? The ones who sell tickets, jumpers, and subscriptions. Who lead news bulletins if they take a breath. The guys our kids want to be. So, I made a list. Let’s make this clear. This is not a list of the best 20 players in the AFL. That list would look very different. The players on the platinum player chart are stars, or rising ones, but they’re also box office. The league’s most bankable-shiny-headline grabbing toys. Here’s the criteria: 1. The box office test — are people paying to watch this guy? If there’s a game on tomorrow night, and I can choose between my warm couch or a cold stadium, is this guy getting me to the ground? If the game on TV’s a blowout, do I keep watching to see what he’ll do next? 2. The schoolyard test — are the kids emulating this guy at training and at lunchtime? Kids will fend-off some unsuspecting nine-year-old classmate in the face and scream “Bazlenka”, but I’m tipping they aren’t yelling out “Sam Taylor!” as they spoil a pack mark. 3. The mum test — would my mother know who this player is? Maureen isn’t a big footy fan, but she knows enough to know the guys on this list. If the semi-casual fan knows you, chances are you’re a platinum player. 4. The team store test — is this player’s team store stacked with bobbleheads, t-shirts and toilet seat covers with our guy’s head on them? Is every kid walking around with their number on the back of their guernsey? So, who made our list last year but got the chop? Dustin Martin (retired), Tom Green, Charlie Cameron and Isaac Heeney (slow start), Tom Papley and Jordan De Goey (injured). That means we have seven new faces. With apologies to final cuts Max Holmes, Jordan Dawson and Jesse Hogan, here they are, the 2025 platinum players. Marcus Bontempelli Best player in the game, hasn’t had his best year but the Bont is still box office. First pick in a schoolyard draft. Jeremy Cameron A genuine freak — outsmarts, out-works and out-crafts his opponent week after week. On track for his second Coleman Medal. Nick Daicos Might be an AI robot. The kid doesn’t stop running, is an elite ball user and a marketing dream. Biggest club, biggest star. Lock on this list for the next ten years. Max Gawn 209cm tall with his glorious beard — Max is still the best ruckman in the AFL, headed for an incredibly 8th All-Australian jacket and has also emerged as an elite, thoughtful media talent. Toby Greene When he’s on, Toby is still one of the best match-winners in footy. Had to think twice about keeping him on this list for a third straight year, but if I’m honest, I’m not turning the TV off if Toby is playing. Connor Rozee Game breaker whether in the midfield or off half-back, Port’s skipper is the complete package. Shai Bolton He’s made Dockers games roughly 573% more exciting — does things no one else can do — and is hard, classy and confident. Luke Jackson The Unicorn! Has been fully unleashed in the ruck this season and is there to stay. Now emerging as the game-changer we knew he would be. Harley Reid Made this list after his fourth game last season and I have no regrets. Harley isn’t close to scratching the surface of his talent yet, but when walking into Optus Stadium for an Eagles game, I find myself wondering… what insane highlight will Harley deliver tonight? Like Daicos, he won’t come off this list for a decade. Patrick Cripps A record Brownlow tally last year and the face of Carlton still. Hasn’t been at his peak this season but will back him in to finish strong. Charlie Curnow Another one slightly down on output in 2025, but one of few men in the AFL capable of kicking a big bag and putting his team on his massive shoulders. King Charles is a must watch. Christian Petracca Hasn’t been quite the same since his injury last year but Trac still belongs on this list. Put it this way, if he got traded in October, it would break the AFL internet. Errol Gulden Some bias here – he hasn’t played a game this season, but Errol is probably my favourite player to watch in the AFL. Like Dean Cox, I can’t wait for his return today. Sam Darcy (New) I don’t even know what to say. It’s like they combined Max Gawn’s size with Stewart Loewe’s hands, Buddy’s agility and Jeremy Cameron’s freakish touch. This kid will change the game. Zak Butters (New) Hard. Skilful. Relentless. A lunatic with poise — a rare combination. Jason Horne-Francis (New) He might hate an ice bath, but this guy is built for the big stage, possessing the perfect mix of talent, grunt and arrogance. Port have three guys on this list. Bailey Smith (New) No one is doing what Bailey Smith is doing right now. He’s the most marketable player in the AFL – has 376,000 followers on Instagram, a 12-pack on his stomach, ocean-blue eyes, a bad-boy mystery vibe, is the Brownlow favourite and even had AFL CEO Andrew Dillon rock up at his house a few weeks back to discuss how he handles his business. The 2025 season has belonged to Brand Bazlenka and you get the feeling he’s only just getting started. Izak Rankine (New) Pure match-winner, who can turn a game on its head in minutes. Had made the Crows must-watch. Kozzy Pickett (New) The new $1.4 million man has been playing up to his new contract. Kozzy is on fire. Chad Warner (New) The Chad breaks lines, busts through packs, kicks goals from 55 and does it all with a cheeky grin.