It's fair to say that there haven't been many players who've impressed as much with their first seven games of footy as Jesse Hogan.
Trumpeted as Melbourne's saviour, he spent 2013 in the VFL because he was still too young to play at the highest level and the majority of last season on the sidelines because of injury.
In being unleashed in 2015 (and wearing the No.1 on his back, no less) not only is the 20-year-old finally beginning to realise his potential, but he is also showing signs that he has one of the key ingredients to be truly great.
Jesse Hogan has swagger.
It might not be plain for all to see, yet, but if a story I've been told is correct then the Demons' faithful have every right to be believers.
When Hogan was lining up for one of his three goals against the Doggies last week, rival skipper Robert Murphy was apparently doing his best to put him off by screaming "You can't miss this, you're Melbourne's great white hope".
Indeed, in his 16th season, Murphy probably had every reason to believe that sledging a first-year player might work. Which is why Hogan's response, after kicking the goal, is truly priceless. "And there's your great white hope," he retorted, pointing to Tom Boyd, who was sitting on the Dogs' bench at the time.
While by no means evidence in itself that Hogan is going to be a star of the future (nor a sledge against Boyd, who himself is showing promise) what it does tell me is that he shares the belief, confidence – and some might say arrogance – that the game's greatest centre half-forwards have possessed.
Playing in that position demands that mentality. Just think of a bloke like Hawks great Dermott Brereton or, more recently, Lions champion Jonathan Brown. Chests puffed out from the moment they ran onto the field. Browny with invisible watermelons under his arms.
These guys wanted to tower over their opponents, in every sense. Physically and mentally. It was a trait that was also drilled into me, to the extent that you believed and acted like the bloke you were playing on was a second-rate footballer. That he was playing in defence because he couldn't make it as a forward.
Hogan appears to have that same inner belief and he's not alone. It's been a while since we'd had such extraordinary talent plying their trade across half-forward.
Footy fans have already witnessed the ability of Adelaide's Tex Walker and Greater Western Sydney's Jeremy Cameron and now you can throw Essendon's Joe Daniher into that same mix of potential future champions.
It's long been said that playing centre half-forward is the most difficult position on the ground, but each of these guys has the attributes to make it their own and be great. Not become stars for their club, but greats of the game.
Cameron's 2013 season probably says it all. An All-Australian at the tender age of 20 after a season that yielded 62 goals and the Giants' best and fairest award. He has exceptional speed and, for a guy who's 1.95 metres tall, is incredibly talented below his knees. He also has that bit of strut and aggression at the footy. He makes his opponents earn the ball.
Walker is also still emerging after missing most of last year because of a knee reconstruction. Making him captain of Adelaide has been a masterstroke. It's forced "Big Tex" to be even larger than life, to lead his team by example and remain in the contest for every minute of every game. No one doubts his talent and he's one of the reasons that the Crows are up and about again.
Daniher, meanwhile, once again showed his talent with six goals against Brisbane last week. He's already kicking bags, proving just how much of an asset Daniher could be for the Bombers. He's different to Cameron, Hogan and Walker in that he's taller and has an enormous leap, but you can tell he's also a natural footballer who has a thirst for the contest. His attack on the footy is particularly good and he'll only get better as he gets stronger. With that will come greater belief.
But what impresses me most about all these guys is their ability to win the ball. It's one thing to lead, present and take marks, but another matter entirely to find the ball in other ways. Whether it be reading a ball off a pack, running past for a handball, putting yourself up around the contest and winning your own ground balls. You can't be a one-trick pony. You need to be able to beat your opponent in a variety of ways.
That doesn't just require that innate ability to read the play, but it also takes a thirst to work, along with a huge tank. That's what made Dermie, Browny so good, along with former Port champion Warren Tredrea.
Those guys weren't just immensely eager and willing to crunch packs, but they also turned on a dime and worked their opponents into the ground with repeat efforts.
They were also great thinkers. They knew exactly how to use the ball going forward and also made great decisions in close quarters. Tredrea was also skilful on both sides of his body. St Kilda champ Nick Riewoldt and superstar Buddy Franklin are still showing these up and comers how to go about their business.
Emulating these guys will takes years of hard work, but if this talented new crop of centre half-forwards get it right, it won't be long before they're regarded as the most valuable commodities in footy. They'll likely be the ones moving with a bit of swagger and their teammates may just walk taller, too.
