2019 was a massive year for nib Newcastle Knights enforcer Mitch Barnett.
Starting the year on the bench before being moved around to prop and lock, Barnett quickly found his home on the right edge as a second rower.
Barnett amazed fans across the board, consistently becoming an 80-minute player for his side with stats which spoke a story of their own.
The man known as ‘Barney’ played every game for his club, with the exception of a three-match suspension mid-season.
Barnett scored seven tries, forming an excellent combination with halfback and captain Mitchell Pearce, which also saw him clock 22 tackle breaks and 576 post contact metres.
He ran for over 80 metres per game, let go of 19 offloads and tackled at over 87% efficiency.
There is absolutely no doubt Barnett lead from the front this season, was an absolute stand out player and a well-deserved winner of the Danny Buderus Medal for player of the year.
With the arrival of Adam O’Brien, Barnett will look to go to another level in 2020.
