Coleman Medallist power ranks the eight most important Preliminary Final players

Coleman Medallist Scott Cummings has ranked his eight most important players left playing ahead of the 2024 Preliminary Final weekend.

While Cummings’ power rankings usually focuses on the entire AFL and centres around the competition’s best 10 players, his finals edition includes only the players from the remaining four teams, and he’s ranked those names based on who needs to perform for their team to prevail.

Preliminary Final weekend opens on Friday with Sydney hosting Port Adelaide at the SCG, while Geelong takes on Brisbane at the MCG on Saturday.

Check out his top 10 below.

8. Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong) 

“Number eight is Patty Dangerfield. He didn’t have a heap of it against Port, but he was just a bull.

“In a Prelim you need your bulls and power bodies, Dangerfield is very important.”

7. Chad Warner (Sydney) 

“With Sydney, he doesn’t need to be brilliant for them to win, but he does need to be good.

“That’s why he’s not higher.”

6. Harris Andrews (Brisbane) 

“If Brisbane are going to get close to Geelong, he has to be the intercept king.”

5. Jeremy Cameron (Geelong) 

“If he doesn’t have a good game, they don’t win, as simple as that.”

4. Lachie Neale (Brisbane) 

“He needs to be Brownlow Medal-winning type for them to get up.”

3. Isaac Heeney (Sydney) 

“If he plays well, they win.”

2. Mitch Georgiades (Port Adelaide) 

“If they’re any chance to win, they need him to fire.”

1. Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)