A lot of fanfare has surrounded draftees and trade period recruits, particularly about what they can bring to their new clubs in 2024.
But what about those players that were already on the list of your club that didn’t feature much in 2023?
While they’re not technically new additions, they could feel like a recruit as they’ll finally be available on-field after a long layoff.
With that in mind, we’ve picked out the seven players that will most feel like new recruits to their new clubs.
Some of these players missed the entire 2023 season while others missed a portion, but either way they’re set to make a bigger impact in the next 12 months compared to the 12 months just passed.
Check out the players who will feel like new recruits below.
Mitch Georgiades (Port Adelaide)
Mitch Georgiades is unlikely to play early in 2024, but his presence could be key for Port Adelaide later on in the season.
He was superb in 2021 when returning 32 goals and was serviceable in 2022 with 23 majors before his 2023 campaign was ended by an ACL injury.
The athletic 22-year-old forward has been in the system for four years now, tallying 49 games for 65 goals and averaging 4.4 marks. They’re pretty solid numbers for a developing tall.
With Charlie Dixon fit and Georgiades returning during the season, the Power could end up with a very dangerous attack after Jeremy Finlayson and Todd Marshall carried the goal-kicking load in 2023, with help from Sam Powell-Pepper and Willie Rioli.
There is no denying the ability Georgiades possesses. He just needs to get a run at it once he returns.
Andrew Slevison
Josh Gibcus (Richmond)
Josh Gibcus is one Tiger who barely played last year and will be crucial to the side’s development under Adem Yze.
The youngster was so impressive in his debut season in 2022, winning the club’s Best First Year Player award for his efforts, primarily in defence.
The former no.9 draft pick missed all of 2023 with a hamstring injury and ensuing complications surrounding the initial issue. It prompted the club to send him to Qatar for specialist treatment.
Yze said this week that the club won’t rush Gibcus in his bid to return, before ramping things up in the New Year.
That will be music to the ears of Richmond supporters who would love to see the talented 20-year-old back in the thick of the action in 2024.
Andrew Slevison
Cam Guthrie (Geelong)
The prolific midfielder played just six games in 2023 as he battled a toe injury.
The 2022 premiership player and 2020 All-Australian was missed dearly by the Cats, who were often dominated out of the centre in his absence.
People forget how good Cam Guthrie is, while he’s not the biggest name at GMHBA Stadium, he is highly rated at the club having won the best and fairest in both 2020 and the premiership year of 2022.
If he can recapture those heights, Guthrie is comfortably a top 50 player in the competition and could help the Cats rebound from a disappointing 2023 campaign.
Lachlan Geleit
Tom Lynch (Richmond)
The Tigers are crying out for Tom Lynch’s return in 2024.
He had kicked nine goals in four games before he suffered a foot injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the 2023 campaign.
That completely scuppered Richmond’s forward plans which were to give veteran Jack Riewoldt regular rests in what was his swan-song season. With Lynch out of the team, Riewoldt was afforded no chop-out and forced to play as the big banana and. There wasn’t much coming through underneath him.
Lynch has kicked 202 goals in 85 games for the Tigers, returning 30 or more in four of his five seasons at the club, and also averages 2.2 contested marks in yellow and black.
If the Tigers are to show promise in Adem Yze’s first year at the helm, the presence of a dual premiership, All-Australian, multiple leading goal kicker and Jack Dyer Medallist will be paramount.
His presence is colossal.
Andrew Slevison
Jeremy McGovern (West Coast)
While he’s often injured and hasn’t played a full season since 2019, McGovern is so crucial for the Eagles.
The 31-year-old tore his hamstring in Round 3 of last season and didn’t return until Round 17 as he suffered multiple setbacks in his return.
Those health concerns limited him to just nine games in 2023, and it showed as the Eagles were horrid in defence, shipping over 116 points per game.
While it may be a long shot, a fully fit McGovern could still genuinely be the club’s best player and there’s no doubt the four-time All-Australian would make a big impact for Adam Simpson.
If he gets a clean run at it, McGovern is one of the best interceptors in the league.
The Eagles will be praying to have their main man down back on the park this campaign.
Lachlan Geleit
Harrison Petty (Melbourne)
A bit of a different one, Petty played 14 games for the Demons in 2023 so hasn’t exactly been sidelined for too much of an extended period.
The reason he’s included is because he was able to muster just two games after being shifted forward, missing the last six games of the season including finals with a Lisfranc injury.
The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the tall or the club as he proved he was a viable forward option, kicking eight goals in one and a half games before going down in Round 21.
A fully fit Petty could genuinely help resolve Melbourne’s key issue, which is their tall forward output.
If he continues that form inside 50, Petty will feel like a new player for Melbourne and perhaps one that can help them rebound from a disappointing September campaign.
Lachlan Geleit
Zac Williams (Carlton)
A forgotten man at Carlton, Williams has missed 38 of the Blues’ last 39 matches due to an Achilles and ACL injury respectively.
Williams originally went down with the knee injury last pre-season but is now tracking towards a return with coach Michael Voss confirming that he’s set to be fully fit by February.
If the former Giant does return to full fitness, there’s no doubt he’s in Carlton’s best 22 and should add to their run and dash off half-back.
At his best, Williams can easily find more than 20 disposals a game, while his running, bouncing and kicking alongside Adam Saad will no doubt scare opposition coaches.
He could be the type of player that helps the Blues improve again in 2024.
Lachlan Geleit
