Geelong’s Quinton Narkle has enough flair to suggest he can take his game to the next level in 2019. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Last AFL season saw the emergence of Jaidyn Stephenson, the eventual Rising Star winner. Tom Doedee stood tall for Adelaide in his first season and Geelong’s Tim Kelly proved you can be a readymade AFL player at any age.

There are hidden gems everywhere on AFL lists, and 2018 taught us that there are always a few players at each club ready to burst on to the scene.

They aren’t always first or second year players, either. Often, a player who has been on the list four or five seasons can break out into an AFL star.

Which players might fit that mould in 2019? Footyology assesses those most likely, club by club, today looking at Fremantle, Geelong, Gold Coast and GWS.

FREMANTLE

The Dockers have plenty of young talent on their list and were able to boost their stocks further by adding Jesse Hogan, Rory Lobb, Reece Conca and Travis Colyer, a quartet which should add some serious depth and experience.

Hogan has had an injury-riddled few seasons with the Demons and if fit, will form part of a formidable forward set-up alongside Lobb, with Shane Kersten and Cam McCarthy now under some serious selection pressure.

Adam Cerra and Andrew Brayshaw look ready to break-out, and both are still teenagers. Cerra played 21 games last season and looked every bit an AFL player, averaging 14 disposals, and nearly four tackles per game, his best a 30-possession haul against Adelaide in round 12.

Brayshaw, similarly, looks to be a star of the future, averaging 16 disposals and four tackles in his 17 games before his season was cruelly ended by that infamous Andrew Gaff hit.

Brayshaw is a line-breaker, and when using the ball, rarely makes a mistake. He gets under opponents’ skin with his ability to quell their output, thus making him a dual threat and for the Dockers, an enormous asset.

Freo is stacked with young talent, maybe more so than most. There’s plenty of potential in the likes of Bailey Banfield, Griffin Logue, Connor Blakely, Stefan Giro, Ryan Nyhuis and Sean Darcy, all of whom showed significant signs of improvement and ability in 2018.

There is a lot of upside for the Dockers as they look to return to finals for the first time in four years.

GEELONG

The Cats are known for plucking players from obscurity and fast-tracking them to AFL ready players.

They took a chance on James Podsiadly when most thought his best years were behind him, turning him into a premiership player who had a significant impact on the Cats in their golden period.

They were able to pluck a 23-year-old in Tim Kelly at pick 24 in the draft and were proven right, with the Western Australian a dominant part of the midfield last season.

And in terms of mature players who might kick on, Nakia Cockatoo, already in the system four years, is one to watch.

Cockatoo needs to have a big impact in 2019, having only played 34 games since being drafted in 2014, injured a lot, but also inconsistent when he has been on the park. Cockatoo played only two games last season, and with his contract expiring at the end of this year, he has plenty to prove.

Quinton Narkle showed enough flair in his six matches last year to suggest he is ready to take his game to the next level. While averaging only 12.2 disposals per game, Narkle had some very silky touches when he did get the ball.

At 21, he is another who appears a realistic chance to play a much bigger role in Geelong’s midfield as the Cats look to produce the next wave of stars to cover Gary Ablett, Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield.

GOLD COAST

There are plenty of problems at the Suns right now, having not progressed as they nor the AFL would like, the result that after virtually starting from scratch again, they are under pressure on and off the field.

The turnover has been huge with Tom Lynch, Steven May, Aaron Hall, Jack Scrimshaw and Kade Kolodjashnij all exiting the club, the loss of co-captains Lynch and May particularly devastating in terms of leadership as well as ability.

Gold Coast has worked hard to replace the departed with a raft of early draft picks plus as many senior-experienced players in Jordan Murdoch, Corey Ellis, George Horlin-Smith, Anthony Miles and Jack Hombsch.

There’s certainly still talent at the younger end via the delivery of three players from the top six in last year’s draft.

There are huge raps on Ben King, a whopping 202 centimetres, and capable of playing at either end of the ground. You can also expect to see plenty of South Australian pair Jack Lukosious and Izak Rankine, both of whom have some serious skill and flair, something of which the Suns have had a chronic shortage.

Another young potential star who will benefit from the player exodus will be Peter Wright, who will likely assume the key forward role vacated by Lynch. Wright only played seven games in 2018, but looks set to be the Suns new go-to man in a very inexperienced forward set-up.

GWS

The Giants are a team stacked with talent, but are yet to play in a grand final, despite two top four finishes and a sixth last year.

Their list is experienced and those young players breaking through have already made a strong impact on the side.

One of those who might be set for a much bigger season is Harry Himmelberg, who has shown over two years now some very promising signs. Himmelberg has already played 40 games, but at 22 should be approaching his prime.

A livewire near goal, Himmelberg booted a bag of four against St Kilda in round 19, and kicked at least one goal in 18 of his 24 games.

There are big raps on Bendigo Pioneers star Jye Caldwell, whom the Giants selected at No.11 in the draft, the speedy midfielder set to put plenty of pressure on Leon Cameron and his coaching panel to pick him.

His mix of speed and exquisite ball use makes him an option to fill a role vacated by the departed Dylan Shiel. Caldwell is proficient on both feet and has elite vision when under pressure. Expect to see plenty of the first round pick this season for the Giants.

TOMORROW: Hawthorn, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Richmond.

Check out John’s assessment of who to look out for at Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon HERE.