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9. Travis Boak
Port Adelaide
Midfielder
Last year's ranking: 19 (+10)
Official AFL Player Rating: 11
Debut: 2007
Games: 155
NAB AFL Fantasy value: $540,000
The 26-year-old Boak, captain since 2013, appears to have every trick in the book. He runs all game, wins a mountain of the ball, especially first possession from a contest, is tough and loves the inside work and owns sharp skills that enable him to hit targets and finish with polish when kicking for goal.
A two-time All Australian, Boak was first for the club last season for handballs and inside 50s, second for hard-ball and loose-ball gets, long kicks and handballs received, and fifth for tackles.
He kicked 19 goals from 24 games, finished fourth in the Brownlow Medal (with a club-leading 21 votes), was second to Robbie Gray in Port’s best and fairest award and represented Australia in the International Rules Series against Ireland.
Boak set an important precedent at Alberton during some of the club's darkest days, ignoring the lure of returning home to Victoria and possibly joining Geelong.
That he stayed when Port was seemingly on its knees was a tremendous fillip for a club desperately trying to regain credibility after several seasons of non-competitive football.
After Port’s narrow preliminary final loss last season to eventual premier Hawthorn, coach Ken Hinkley predicted his star skipper still had plenty of improvement.
"Pretty fair player, isn't he? Amazing young captain," Hinkley said. “He's only going to get better.
Boak played junior football for Torquay on Victoria’s south-west surf coast before joining the Geelong Falcons in the TAC Cup. He was the No. 5 pick in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft and was nominated for the NAB AFL Rising Star award in 2007, his debut season.
Who's next? Check out the rest of the AFL Players' Top 50 as they are revealed
