There is no such thing as a doubting that younger Collingwood star Nick Daicos blew everybody away in his first season at AFL stage.
Daicos, the son of all-time nice, Peter Daicos, was picked up by Collingwood underneath the father-son rule on the finish of the 2021 season and proceeded to take the competitors by storm final yr.
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He won the AFL’s Rising Star award in a canterand plenty of believed he ought to have been named on the half-back flank of the All-Australian workforce.
An All-Australian blazer in a participant’s first season is unprecedented, however the case was robust for Daicos, despite the fact that it didn’t eventuate.
Daicos averaged a whopping 26 disposals a sport and performed a vital position in Collingwood’s meteoric stand up the ladder.
His most prolific sport got here in spherical 18 the place he had a staggering 40 disposals and slotted three objectives in a best-on-ground efficiency.
On Brownlow Medal night time, Daicos sat on prime of Collingwood’s leaderboard alongside teammate Jack Crisp, each with 11 votes.
Quick ahead to the 2023 season and expectations nonetheless stay excessive round Daicos.
And, for one Channel 7 AFL commentator, these expectations are larger than most.
When compiling his predictions for the season forward, Brian Taylor – who was as soon as a star goalkicker for Collingwood – tipped Daicos to win this yr’s Brownlow Medal.
Loopy? Perhaps not.
Daicos is 20 this yr and if he had been to take out AFL’s highest particular person honor he would be part of Gavin Wanganeen (who gained the medal in 1993 when taking part in for Essendon) and Denis Ryan (a Fitzroy participant who gained it in 1936) as 20-year – outdated Brownlow medallists.
In that 1993 season, Essendon went on to win the grand ultimate, a feat additionally not out of Colingwood’s attain after simply lacking out on a grand ultimate berth final yr by a single level.
BT additionally revealed in his predictions for the upcoming season that he believed Daicos was the most effective kicker within the competitors.
Whereas most anticipated Collingwood to once more be across the mark this yr, former coach and captain Nathan Buckley was not as assured his Magpies may repeat final yr’s heroics.
“The Pies had been wonderful, to have that run and momentum of shut video games,” Buckley stated about their 2022 season.
“It was laborious to not get caught up in, for everybody. They’ll proceed that trajectory (however) it should be laborious to win as many shut video games.
“To get again to a 15-win season, it should be robust for them. However I nonetheless see them as finalists.”
However Buckley had no such considerations for reigning premiers Geelong.
“They appear to have the ability to exchange and create depth and competitors for spots very well,” he stated.
“I’ve no fears for them with the ability to deal with lacking a couple of.
“It looks as if they’re as hungry as ever, I would anticipate them to go very well.”
