Bontempelli continues to be one of the best goal-kicking midfielders in the AFL, booting 55 majors over the past two seasons. . 1 draft pick from 2018? Last season, he was the No. This year's instalment brought out the best of both sides, with a cracking contest in front of just shy of 84,000 in the traditional Anzac Day . No matter what metric you lean on when determining what makes a great defender, Sicily's name is going to appear towards the summit almost every single time. Picture: AFL Photos, Ben Cunnington attempts to shrug off Toby Nankervis in the R8 clash between North Melbourne and Richmond on May 13, 2018. You've got to hand it to Cripps. Share As the conversation petered out and a number of keen observers meandered back to their desks, I began to wonder where exactly Bolton would rank? The 23-year-old livewire spends the majority of his time forward of centre but over the last two seasons has also proven to be a real asset in the midfield, capable of sparking his side at a stoppage or with his outside run. Here's a crazy stat for you, only three players in the league have averaged 20 disposals and a goal per game over the last two years: Dustin Martin, Marcus Bontempelli and De Goey. Popular young livewire Arthur Jones kicked the sealer his first AFL goal to spark celebrations in the final few minutes. Perhaps Chad Warner. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. Send us feedback or report a mistake on this page. Dane Swan equalled the feat with 48 against Port Adelaide in 2008 Tony Shaw still had lots left in his tank in his 13th year. The Magpies ramped that up around clearances, claiming a lopsided 16-4 final-quarter count with 4-1 at centre clearances. So there you have it. He defended the most leads in the competition (80) yet conceded a mark just 56% of the time, the third lowest rate of anyone. It all bodes well for a career-best 2023, and the bookmakers agree, installing him as the pre-season favourite for this year's Coleman. Lachie Neale had a day out but teenager Ashcroft was the talking point after surpassing his own incredible expectations with a stunning second-quarter effort. Cameron also deserves credit for his unselfishness, contributing 35 direct goal assists for his Lions teammates over the last two years. Fritsch also doesn't crack the top 10 among general forwards for either score involvements or score assists. The Swans co-captain gathered 33 disposals and booted an important final-term goal, but lacked support around the stoppages to stem the flow of goals as the Giants stormed home. No surprise he ranked No. Zach Merrett will captain Essendon in 2023. Tom Liberatore and dad Tony ahead of 2022's Retro Round. But Lynch really is the ultimate, efficient key forward; mark the ball, turn around and bang it through at a higher clip than just about anyone else (last year, 70% of his shots resulted in six points). Average: Top 36% to 65% of the statistical category. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. It's very well deserved. I expect him to hit the ground running in 2023 and quickly get back to his best. ABC Sport on Grandstand it's 100% Pure Footy. One aspect of his game he must work on is his ball use, having led the competition in turnovers last year with 6.71 per game. One of the great midfielders of the modern era and still with plenty left in the tank, despite the fact he's already amassed 260 physically-demanding games. I'm not sure there were many footy fans who had Hewett as a top 100 player heading into 2022, let alone top 50. Amixture of bewilderment and sheer disgust was plastered on the face of an ESPN colleague after I had casually noted Richmond livewire Shai Bolton was not a top three player in the AFL. After the Blues' heartbreaking pre-finals exit last season, I'm expecting a hungry and determined Cripps to hit the ground running this year and finally lead his side into September. In fact, the Lions score a goal from 26% of McCluggage's forward 50 entries, the highest rate of any of the top 50 players for inside 50s over the last two seasons. That last-second shove before taking a chest mark is borderline unguardable. established stars, regardless of how spellbindingly-brilliant his game on the weekend had been. The rising Pie finished just behind McDonald in the intercept possession stakes, averaging 8.1 per match, and also tied for the most intercept marks a game, with 2.6 a game. I'm going to be honest, the Giants skipper is my favourite player in the league to watch (narrowly edging out Sicily). Michael Willson/Getty Images. Young on-ball bulls Tom Green (31 disposals, 13 tackles) and Chad Warner (29 disposals, one goal) were engaged in an enthralling duel in a pointer to a match-up to watch for years to come. It's his ability to play as both a traditional lead, mark and set-shot key forward as well as a hybrid small, winning the ball at ground level and using his size, speed, skill and craftiness to outfox defenders. It holds him in good. Robert Cianflone/Getty Images. Naughton's mobility also makes him far more dangerous than the average key forward, given he can still impact the play when the ball hits the deck. At just 26 years of age, he already leads the league in shots at goal per game and it's safe to say he hasn't yet hit his peak. There are over 800 players in the AFL. The Lions (5-2) notched a fourth-straight win, untroubled in a 17.13 (115) to 10.7 (67) Gabba cruise that plunged the Dockers to 2-5. There's really no better way to describe Cameron, who, at this point, is practically a walking highlight reel. Intercepting defenders have become crucial in recent years, but the record for most intercept possessions is now a decade old, with another former Kangaroo, Scott Thompson, doing so 24 times. Curnow really is one of only a handful of players (okay, maybe two handfuls) who can literally take the game away from you in the space of 15 minutes. He enjoyed a career best goalkicking season with 20 majors and found more uncontested ball than ever before (13 per game). Dangerfield's list of accomplishments are as long as anyone in the game, but he doesn't make this list (nor achieve a top 20 ranking) through legacy. It seemed everyone had already crowned him the next well, insert literally any AFL legend! Is May the best pure defender in the game? Everyone knows he's a ball magnet but nobody ever talks about his ball use. Reggie Wayne (93), 2 in the league for score involvements last season, behind only Tom Hawkins). In fact, only once in the last two seasons has he dipped below the 25 disposal mark. Also Lynch. No surprise, he got it. Contributor for The Bigger Picture, The Polis, Politically Speaking, Dialogue & Discourse and Extra Newsfeed; editor of Australia Zone. 2022 AFL League Total Contested Possessions Leaders - FootyWire AFL Season 2023. Instead, I've used the last two seasons as a gauge of where a particular player is at in their career. Please enter the email you registered your account with. Its not too difficult to win a game without winning the clearances, however. >>SEE ALL THE KEY TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL RECORD-HOLDERS BELOW. So why doesn't he rank higher? Bayley Fritsch kicked a match-high four goals for the Demons and Cameron Zurhaar managed three for the Kangaroos. Champion Data's numbers would suggest he is. By season's end he felt like the unanimous choice for the All-Australian full back position. He had 25 disposals, with 18 contested possessions, 11 clearances, seven tackles, seven inside-50s and three rebound-50s. That game? The 50 best players in the AFL ahead of season 2023 - ESPN In the previous eleven seasons, more than three quarters of sides that had won the kick count in a game had also won the game itself. Michael Willson/Getty Images. AFL 2022 Champion Data Deep Dive - which Adelaide Crows and Port Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver impressed with 37 disposals, while Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw in his 150th match also shone. project. Most Disposals In A Season Player TM GM Ave. Year Player TM GM Ave. Year Jack Macrae WB 880 26 33.85 2021 Dane Swan CW 769 25 30.76 2009 Tom Mitchell HW 848 24 35.33 2018 Jack Macrae WB 767 23 33.35 2019 Matt Crouch AD 825 25 33.00 2017 Terry Wallace HW 765 25 30.60 1983 Dane Swan CW 820 26 31.54 2010 Steele Sidebottom CW 764 26 29.38 2018 However, injury and a dip in form has halted his rise up the rankings. AFL Report Card, Round 6 2021: AFL analysis, every club graded, best The umpires also took note, awarding him 21 Brownlow votes, good enough for seventh place. One of the more dynamic and dangerous key forwards in the competition, and yet some remain adamant that Naughton is an even better key defender. Combine that with the fact he's the No. Some would argue he is the best defender in the game. Collingwood trailed 118-107 in contested possessions at three-quarter time, until reversing that with a 35-26 win in that category in the final term. The rock-solid Taylor became the No. With 425 in 2016, 423 in 2012, and 410 in 2013, Kennedy made an art form of winning the hard ball and dishing off to a teammate. But the dynamic Pie has developed into a far more settled and consistent player -- last year's preliminary final against Sydney notwithstanding -- over the last two 18 months. One aspect of Crisp's game that generally goes unnoticed is his elite pressure. The Blues snagged the recruit of the year by signing the former Swan and freeing him from his lock-down duties, allowing him to provide steady support to skipper Patrick Cripps and young gun Sam Walsh in the midfield. The man who inspired this daunting (and at times regrettable!) EBOOK: MELBOURNE DEMONS YEAR IN REVIEW 2021, The Red Menace Reigns Mongrel Midfield Title Update, The Tim Kelly Trade A Superstar Price for a Star Player, The Road Warrior Ladder Post-Round Seven. in Neale. His finishing rarely lets him down, either. Scary stuff. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images. Last season, Taylor saw his reputation skyrocket, providing the steadiest of defensive hands for a team that ultimately won just six games. In AFLW history, there have only been ten games in which a team has won both the inside 50 count and the rebound 50 count. 2-ranked interceptor, No. Picture: AFL Photos, Angus Brayshaw runs with the ball in the R20 clash between Melbourne and Gold Coast on August 5, 2018. Hard-nosed Kangaroo Ben Cunnington still has the mark for contested possessions (32), while Joel Bowden's mark of 41 uncontested possessions in 2009 will take some beating. Some are sure to view Lynch's ranking ahead of Curnow as rather controversial. Was it premature? Ollie Wines was the 2021 Brownlow Medal winner. Lachie Neale (35 disposals, 15 clearances) was everywhere for the Lions, while small forward Lincoln McCarthy kicked three goals to break the shackles of a quiet season. Positives among negatives for CrowsAdelaide will be lamenting this loss, given its general dominance, inaccuracy and the final-quarter chaos. Leigh Mathew's is definitely a top 5 player and arguably the greatest. Without any shadow of a doubt, Merrett is one of the best dozen midfielders in the AFL. There aren't many players with more potential than Jordan De Goey. The greatest players in the history of the Australian Football League. Players With The Most 100 Reception Seasons In NFL History - StatMuse Consistent? Josh Kennedy had a game-high 22 contested possessions with the onballer ending his day . Dylan Burns/Getty Images. There were 12 players aged 30+ who made the top 50, while the majority (54%) fell in the 25-29 age bracket, including the entire top seven. Ladies and gentleman, the best player in the AFL! Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. In fact, no non-key forward has kicked more than Fritsch's 114 over the last two years. The clinical Mihocek snapped truly on his left and capitalised on Jordon Butts' defensive gift to close the gap to one goal by half-time. Champion Data has trawled through its data to make an "advanced stats AFLW all-stars team". you would see a team who wins the contested possessions win about 70 per cent of the time. But the BEST. Collingwood booted three goals to one in the final term, rallying after Chayce Jones extended the home side's lead to 22 points early in the last. Adelaide was brilliantly led by captain Jordan Dawson, who had 30 disposals with 14 contested possessions, while Rory Laird shook off a calf concern to have 29 touches, including 11 in the first term, and Reilly O'Brien won 44 hitouts and took several strong marks around the ground. His contested ball, marking, rebounding from defensive 50 and tackling numbers all continue to rise. That's half the job, right? There might not be a better mid-sized marking threat in the entire league than sticky-hands Heeney, who can pluck the ball when in a pack or take it on the lead at full tilt. Even if I expect Dunkley to be challenging for the top 20 by season's end, we're basing this ranking off what we've seen thus far. As a combination of several weighted statistics, fantasy points have an extremely unfair advantage over the single statistics, and as expected, they explain more of the variation in margins than any one stat. Teams that won the hit-out count have, in fact, lost the game more often than theyve won. AFL Player Ratings: The official AFL player ratings as seen on AFL.com.au using location and the result of events to measure a player's performance. Another player who felt impossible to rank. He orchestrates all of Brisbane's play out of the middle and at stoppages, tackles hard and is constantly working up and down the ground. In fact, there's really no weakness to his game. The average Victorian-based footy fan might not be overly familiar with Anderson. Toby Greene snapped a last-minute goal to snatch victory for GWS over cross-town rivals Sydney in a high-scoring thriller at the SCG. It makes sense, given he's one of the best kickers going around, hitting targets by foot 70% of the time, a ridiculously high number for a midfielder. Maybe Chris Judd or Nat Fyfe. AFL 2023 round 7 LIVE updates: St Kilda Saints v Port Adelaide Power Overall, the team that gathers more possessions wins 7 in 10 matches. With three games remaining in the 2021 season (plus at least one final for the Dees), Oliver sits at 327 contested touches. Martin still gets the ball in dangerous areas and playing as a permanent forward he is rated elite by Champion Data for disposals, contested ball and contested marks despite only kicking 4.4 this . Something else which was glossed over was the fact he played four games fewer than Curnow and still only lost out on the Coleman Medal by four goals. The modern game of football changed drastically in the early 2000s. Fyfe has taken 299 contested marks in his career, which ranks 39th all-time and is the most of any non-ruck or key position player since the statistic was recorded. AFL Home Fixtures Scores Ladder Podcast Tipping Champions Brownlow Surely Bolton hadn't just leapfrogged two dozen (maybe more?!) Laird and Clayton Oliver were the only two players who averaged 15 contested and 15 uncontested possessions in 2022. That was never more evident in 2018, when he broke Patrick Dangerfield's home-and-away record for most contested possessions in a season with 388. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. AFL Tables - Player Season and Game Records (1965-2023) Would you believe me if I told you that no player has booted more goals than him since the beginning of 2012? Greatest AFL Players of All Time - Top Ten List - TheTopTens Dylan Burns/Getty Images. The 32-year-old no longer brings his devastating game week-in, week-out -- mainly because he doesn't have to anymore -- but when he needs it, it's there. Youngsters Jake Soligo (24 disposals and seven score involvements) and Riley Thilthorpe (seven marks including six contested) were excellent contributors, while Nick Murray continued to emerge as a reliable key back alongside Tom Doedee (14 intercept possessions). At just 23 years of age, he has a ridiculous amount of unearthed potential, and with a little more consistency, is more than capable of joining the ultra elite group of key position players in the AFL. Lachie Neale is chaired off the Gabba after his 200th game. Whether he's playing as a midfielder or in the forward line, Dangerfield is still fully capable of producing the same output as literally anyone else on this list. Fritsch booted six goals in that 2021 Grand Final triumph over the Bulldogs, the most by any player in the 'Big Dance' since Darren Jarman in 1997. Collingwood trailed 118-107 in contested possessions at three-quarter time, until reversing that with a 35-26 win in that category in the final term. RORY Laird's incredible 20-tackle performance at the weekend set a new benchmark for AFL players to chase. Gary Ablett managed 46 possessions aganst Adelaide in 2008 Stephen Malaxo's accumulated 48 possessions against St.Kilda in late 1987. Dustin Fletcher completes the quintet of players to make the 400-Club, but there is another version of this elite company that no one really speaks about perhaps for good reason, but I will let you be the judge. And you certainly can't fit 21 into the top 10. Anderson is one of the brightest young stars in the AFL and his game is developing at breakneck speed. Carlton spearhead Charlie Curnow has put on a marking masterclass on his way to kicking a career-high nine goals in the Blues' 108-point trouncing of West Coast in Perth. Now at 33 years old, the body cannot stand up to that type of punishment week after week, and JPK has gracefully stepped back to allow Luke Parker and George Hewett the opportunity to be the best ball winners in close. Approximately two thirds of matches are won by the team that records more rebound 50s per opposition inside 50 than its opponent. So if you're one of them, I've got two questions for you. AFLW's most crucial statistics | Australia Zone - Medium
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