Dermott Brereton’s top five players of 2023 so far

Midway through last round, Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton named his top five players of the 2023 season to date.

“What I’ve gone with is a set of criteria, an attractiveness to their play, the style they have, the numbers game as well… but I’ve also factored in that opposition they front up to and how they fear their capabilities,” Brereton told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“These players make their team win. These players are the reason their teams are infinitely better than they otherwise would be.”

Among what is a long list of near misses, Brereton mentioned Jordan Dawson as an unlucky player to miss out.

5. Christian Petracca – Melbourne

“His power, his ability to impact the scoreboard, his ability to take the ball from a 50/50 area and with power exploit the opposition and put scores on the board (makes Melbourne so impressive),” Brereton said.

4. Jeremy Cameron – Geelong

“He didn’t have a big say on it a few days ago… [but] his season so far as a whole has been extraordinary,” Brereton said.

“Cast your mind back… his games when even they were getting beaten, he was the reason they were in those games when they [Geelong] had that horrible start.”

3. Toby Greene – GWS

“It’s a bit of numbers, 32 goals, but he makes his team win and he does what is needed at the time… very few people can guard him,” Brereton said.

2. Darcy Moore – Collingwood

“A team that until was until last week arguably outright the best team in the competition, I thought Darcy Moore’s ability to come off, intercept, watch and assist his teammates… his ability to slide off means they can guard five players with their four and I think that’s a huge advantage,” Brereton said.

“He’s had an exceptional season so far.”

1. Zak Butters – Port Adelaide

“He just makes his team win games because the opposition look at him and say, ‘we can’t deal with the way this bloke plays’,” Brereton said.

“He just does stuff that must make the opposition coaches sit back and say, ‘damn that was pretty good. How do we guard against that?’

“You can’t. He does stuff you can’t guard against and that is extraordinary.”

– SEN