Sixth in the Syd Barker Medal and with six Brownlow votes to his name, Todd Goldstein is emerging as one of the game's finest young talents.

Goldstein came in at number 23 in Mike Sheahan's top 50, a sign of how highly he's regarded in AFL ranks.

The 23 year-old had a season to remember, going close to registering the home and away record for hit-outs, and only just missing All-Australian selection.

It's a similar story for Andrew Swallow who can finally be considered among the league's elite.

Having claimed his second club champion on Wednesday night, Swallow moved from 43rd in the pre-season rankings to 29th by the end of the year.

Swallow led North Melbourne in clearances, hard-ball gets and tackles in 2011, and registered over 30 disposals on eight ocassions.