Class number nines can make such a huge different to a team's fortunes.
Cameron Smith, for over a decade, pulled the strings for the Storm. Despite Melbourne losing millions of dollars of talent, they never really dipped thanks mainly to Smith's genius.
2024 saw a host of class hookers emerge. It did make ranking them very tough.
Please remember that these rankings are compiled using 2024's form only. This isn't necessarily a list of the best hookers, per se.
Below are the top 10 hookers from 2024:
6. Reed Mahoney
Reed Mahoney was at the his scheming best (or should we say pest?) in 2024.
He ran out 25 times for the Dogs for a return of four tries, 12 assists, five line-break assists, eight forced dropouts and a tackle percentage just under 92%.
Mahoney lead from the front, literally, all season as the Dogs retuned to Finals footy for the first time in a long tine.
He won't attract the attention of the likes of Burton, Kikau and Chrichton, but Mahoney played a huge part in the Dogs return to grace in 2024.
