A career-best season from Pearce Hanley has certainly helped lift the Irishman’s profile among the wider AFL community.

Although Hanley was surprisingly overlooked by the All Australian selectors last month, he obviously did enough to catch the attention of arguably the game’s most respected journalist, Mike Sheahan.

So much so, that Hanley was listed at number 34 in Sheahan’s esteemed Top 50, which is published in the Herald Sun at the beginning and end of each season.

It was Hanley’s first ever appearance in the Top 50.

“No wonder the Lions gave him a five-year contract extension. (He) led the inside 50 table at Brisbane, kicked 16 goals and played with a compelling sense of adventure,” Sheahan said of his selection.

It comes after Daniel Rich was listed at number 43 in Sheahan’s pre-season prediction of who would have the most impact in 2013.

Unfortunately a broken scapula would force Rich to spend eight weeks on the sidelines.

It looks likely that Hanley will be the only Lions player to feature in the end-of-season Top 50, although Sheahan is still yet to reveal his top 30 players.