Former Hawthorn forward Dermott Brereton believes Carlton’s Charlie Curnow is two years away from becoming the best player in the AFL.

The 20-year-old forward, recruited by the Blues at pick 12 in the 2015 AFL national draft, was a shining light for the club in their disappointing loss to Brisbane on Sunday, booting two goals, taking seven marks, applying six tackles and collecting 15 touches – figures all higher than his career average to date.

Despite having only played 22 games across of his two seasons of AFL football so far, Brereton believes Curnow is showing the same signs of potential as two-time Brownlow Medallist and 2006 West Coast eagles premiership-winning captain Chris Judd.

“Charlie Curnow in two years’ time will be the best player in the comp,” the five-time premiership winner told SEN’s The Run Home.

“The way he can launch at the footy and his athleticism at the moment…I wouldn’t say he is an athlete playing footy, he is a young footballer.

“Someone like Judd, you could see he nutted it out. He knew what was happening and with his acceleration, his physique and the way he was able to utilise his natural gifts, you knew he was going to get there with a click of his fingers.

“This kid (Curnow) may take a bit of trial and error, but he is going to brain it.”

Despite the physical similarities Curnow shares with 1995 premiership star Anthony Koutoufides, Brereton stopped short of thinking he would become a better player than the Carlton legend, despite considering the Blues youngster to already be a better user of the ball by foot.