Sydney youngster Dylan Stephens got his 2023 campaign off to a flyer on the Gold Coast on the weekend. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

FULL BACKS

Dane Rampe (Sydney)
Sydney’s whimsical co-captain was slightly down on impact last season, but he started 2023 in vintage form with 25 touches – half of which were intercepts – against the Gold Coast Suns. Clean and assured in tricky conditions, he set up the win with a big first half.

Lewis Young (Carlton)
Fresh off signing a three-year contract extension, Young enjoyed a good battle with Jack Riewoldt in the season opener. The Richmond veteran got on top on occasion, but Young was always in the fight, and offered plenty with a very impressive 14 intercept possessions.

Ryan Burton (Port Adelaide)
A tremendous performance down back from Burton was one of the drivers for the Power’s statement win over Brisbane. Not only did he hold Charlie Cameron to six touches and just two behinds, he also set up play from defence with 24 typically-precise disposals.

HALF-BACKS

Daniel Rioli (Richmond)
Rioli picked up where he left off after a breakout campaign in defence. His ability to gather the ball at top speed and then completely flush his kicks is a sight to behold, and more performances like he gave on Thursday night will see him have genuine claims as one of the premier half-backs in the AFL.

Brennan Cox (Fremantle)
After a strong pre-season, Cox put together a commanding performance in his first hitout for premiership points. The sturdy defender was a wall in defence for the first three quarters, reeling in a ridiculous 20 marks, and used the ball well when he took possession with 90 per cent disposal efficiency.

Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
The 2022 Rising Star winner showed no signs of regression, dominating off half-back against Geelong on Friday night. Already one of Collingwood’s best users of the ball, Daicos was consistently used in scoring chains from the back half up to the wing, clocking up more than 30 disposals for the seventh time in his short career.

CENTRES

Dylan Stephens (Sydney)
Stephens was one of Sydney’s big improvers last year, emerging from the fringes to play every game from round 15 onwards. His rise continued in round one, where he notched a career-high 27 disposals, kicked a goal and worked back as a defensive runner.

Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melbourne)
Big things are expected of Davies-Uniacke this season, and he came to the party in round one with a strong midfield performance. Thirty-two possessions (19 contested) and 10 clearances paints a pretty clear picture, but his ability to open up play by handballing to a teammate from the guts highlighted his footy intelligence.

Mason Wood (St Kilda)
After 19 games last year and now a round one berth, Wood seems to have locked away a spot in the St Kilda line-up. He certainly rewarded the faith on Sunday, running hard up the Docklands wings and snapping two telling goals in the final term as the Saints sealed the win.

HALF-FORWARDS

Josh Rachele (Adelaide)
Rachele is picked at half-forward here, however his performance on Sunday showed that he has potential as a high-impact player all over the ground. The second-year Crow started strongly with 12 disposals in the first half, before slotting two of Adelaide’s four second-half goals to keep the team alive. A breakout season awaits.

Todd Marshall (Port Adelaide)
Marshall narrowly gets the nod here over his teammate Charlie Dixon, mainly due to his reliability by foot. Having had a steady build over the last few seasons, he now looks like a confident, well-rounded tall forward who can bring other players into the game.

Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne)
Clearly Pickett will be disappointed with the action that led to his two-match suspension out of this game, but overall his impact on the contest was enormous. Added responsibility in the midfield meant he managed to stay involved throughout basically the entire game, and his defensive work inside 50 was also top notch.

PLEASE HELP US CONTINUE TO THRIVE BY BECOMING AN OFFICIAL FOOTYOLOGY PATRON. JUST CLICK THIS LINK.

FORWARDS

Toby Greene (GWS)
Four goals from nine shots suggests that Greene left a big bag on the table against Adelaide, but the fact remains that he creates more opportunities through individual brilliance than just about any other player in the game. His work in the second and third terms was crucial, and although others had more of the ball, Greene was the key figure in the Giants’ resilient victory.

Nick Larkey (North Melbourne)
With the biggest haul of round one, Larkey looked sharp in carrying the bulk of the load for North Melbourne up forward. He made the most of his opportunities with six goals from six shots, and importantly stayed in touch throughout the match with scoreboard impact across all four quarters.

Archie Perkins (Essendon)
Perkins came alive in what was an electrifying third quarter for the Bombers, with the young gun booting back-to-back goals that both came about due to his own brilliance. He was dangerous thereafter, and although he missed a few other opportunities, presented a constant threat up forward.

FOLLOWERS

Jarrod Witts (Gold Coast)
A shining light for the Suns in what was a disappointing opening performance, Witts carried the load in the ruck against Sydney and won 10 clearances of his own. The Gold Coast co-captain was also involved around the ground, with an equal-career-high 25 disposals.

Stephen Coniglio (GWS)
A four-quarter performance from Coniglio, who made a particular impact in the third term after it looked like the Giants were losing touch with the match. His stats were impressive (14 score involvements, 32 touches and 810 metres gained), but the most striking thing was how utterly fast he looked. Primed for a big year.

Jordan De Goey (Collingwood)
A fantastic opening display from Jordan De Goey, who looked far too slick and fast for Geelong on his way to 25 touches, three goals and three assists. The Magpies have built a diverse, multi-skilled midfield around De Goey, and if Friday is anything to go by, he is going to thrive as a result.

INTERCHANGE

Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)
After a wrought 12 months, Horne-Francis produced the best game of his career for his first in Port Adelaide colours, with an outstanding third term helping the Power take the game away from Brisbane. And while his midfield credentials have previously been questioned, he won all of his ball between the arcs on Saturday, sending the footy inside 50 on 10 occasions.

Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
Whereas last year Pendlebury was floating behind the ball, or even starting at half-back, his role on Friday night seemed to involve moving in the opposite direction. Clean as ever, he helped set up more than one third of Collingwood’s scores, also laying a clear game-high eight tackles.

Max Gawn (Melbourne)
Despite attending just 13 of 29 centre bounces, Gawn managed to have a big impact all over the ground as quite possibly the most credentialed relief ruckman in VFL/AFL history. He won plenty of contested ball, dropped back to defence where required, and took his chances up forward with two goals.

Harry Sheezel (North Melbourne)
A memorable debut performer, the Roos’ prized No.3 pick dazzled fans on Saturday as he racked up 34 touches – the third-most ever of any player on debut. Having played most of his juniors as a half-forward, Sheezel clearly showed his adaptability and footy nous with a crafty game in defence.

STIFF TO MISS
Mason Redman (Essendon), James Sicily (Hawthorn), Chad Warner (Sydney), Bobby Hill (Collingwood), Josh Daicos (Collingwood), Ben Brown (Melbourne), Christian Petracca (Melbourne), Luke Ryan (Fremantle), Tom Green (GWS), Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide).