Is May the best pure defender in the game? Fine-tune your AFL footy tipping ahead of the 2022 season. Crisp's insane durability also has to be factored in, given he is currently riding a league-longest streak of 188 consecutive games played. Handballs, however, are not so important. He's played just three seasons but each year we've seen a giant leap and right now he's on a trajectory to becoming a top 15-20 player by the end of 2023. 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. The true reason, of course, is that it is better to have possession of the ball than it is to be tackling an opponent who has the ball. Enjoy the thrilling final moments between Adelaide and Collingwood in round seven. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. The potential was always evident and Curnow well and truly delivered on it in a breakout 2022. Lincoln's incredible all-around performance in a 51-10 win over the Boston Patriots in the 1963 AFL title game came before . What can you say about this man that hasn't already been said? The Western Bulldogs ensured captain Marcus Bontempelli celebrated his 200-match milestone in positive fashion, grinding out a 29-point win over Hawthorn. MOST CONTESTED TOUCHES IN A SEASON THE 400 CLUB, 400 clubClayton OliverJosh KennedyPatrick CrippsPatrick DangerfieldTom Mitchell. Ladies and gentleman, the best player in the AFL! He defended the most leads in the competition (80) yet conceded a mark just 56% of the time, the third lowest rate of anyone. On Monday mornings at ESPN Australia headquarters, football debates and hypotheticals provide as much energy as the 9:30 a.m. coffee run. Over the last two years, he leads the competition in disposals (over 32 per game) and, amazingly, has tallied at least 28 touches in 83% of his games in that stretch. Jack Macrae is one of the best ball-winners in the AFL. Passwords are encrypted before being stored in our system . In 2021, he was the league's best centre clearance player, and while he only managed 16 games last year, he again excelled at the contest, winning the ball in 50-50 situations and spreading to all parts of the ground. When Greene's one-out in the forward 50m, you just feel sorry for his opponent as it seems like he wins those contests at least 80% of the time. Few would argue Max Gawn isn't the No. Since contested possessions were recorded, just three men have been able to record 400 contested touches in a season, and Clayton Oliver is on track to do it for a second time in 2021. Over the past 24 months, Petracca has averaged 28 disposals, 12 combined clearances and inside 50s, 500m gained and a goal per game. 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. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. . Picture: AFL Photos, Joel Bowden celebrates a goal during the R5 clash between Richmond and North Melbourne on April 25, 2009. The 24-year-old splits his time almost 50-50 between the wing and pure midfield and is one of the great link players in the competition, doing most of his damage on the outside with 16 uncontested possessions per game over the last two seasons. Ashcroft's effort likely upstaged teammate Charlie Cameron's similarly freakish goal a week earlier, while it also had a higher degree of difficulty than Daniel Wells' much-celebrated 2004 goal of the year for North Melbourne. The . He was also the safest ball user of any midfielder in the game, turning it over just once every nine disposals. How Macrae hasn't polled 16 Brownlow votes in any of the past three seasons actually defies belief. Overall, AFLWs most pivotal metrics are very similar to those of the AFL. Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell set the standard for most disposals in 2018 when he famously ran around without a tagger to gather the ball 54 times against Collingwood. At the halfway point of the year, Crisp was firmly in the All-Australian discussions, however his form did tail off in the back half, which probably cost him a blazer and a higher rank here. But, contrary to what many believe, Laird does so much more than rack up touches. Lance Franklin celebrates the 1,000th goal of his career. 1 ruck in the AFL. Nobody puts their team on their back quite like Cripps. Franklin will still burn you on the lead as well as at ground level and is more than capable of winning any game off his own boot. As well as discovering the proportion of games in which the team that won a statistic also won the match, its also useful to examine the average margin by which the aforesaid team won, and the correlation between the statistics differential and the games final margin. Last year, he was one of just 12 players in the league to average seven score involvements per game. It's also worth remembering McKay is just 25 years of age! Brody Mihocek kept Collingwood in the contest with three goals. Some are sure to view Lynch's ranking ahead of Curnow as rather controversial. That miniscule 3.6% loss rate is easily the best of any defender in the league. But for all Adelaide's early dominance, the Crows were left to rue inaccuracy, including a run of three missed set shots, to only hold a 22-point quarter-time lead. 1 intercept man in the league, averaging 9.5 per game (the next best had 8.5), and took more marks than any other defender. I'm convinced that if Parish's numbers were even just 10% lower he'd receive far less (unjust) criticism. I really hope the answer to all three is 'yes' and we see Fyfe back on a footy field doing what he does best. Johnson assisted an incredible 10 goals that Saturday afternoon at GMHBA Stadium three more than any other player in history and had 26 score involvements, three more than Brad Johnson's effort from five years earlier. It's very well deserved. At times he looks like a man vs. boys; good luck bringing him down as he charges forward from a contest. The youngest player in the entire list was Chad Warner (21), the oldest was Lance Franklin (36). So there you have it. He now has back-to-back years with 50+ goals (it's crazy neither of those seasons have yielded All-Australian selection), one of only two general forwards in the game to achieve the feat. The Magpies ramped that up around clearances, claiming a lopsided 16-4 final-quarter count with 4-1 at centre clearances. When you consider Dunkley was more often than not played out of his preferred position by Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, his output seems even more impressive. He has also averaged the most centre clearances per game of any Sydney player per game so far in season 2023. I'd be shocked if he wasn't universally considered a top 50 player until the day he hangs up the boots for good. 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. There's really no better way to describe Cameron, who, at this point, is practically a walking highlight reel. However, the mark differential explains only 13 percent of the variation in margins, and the contested mark differential appears no more important than the uncontested mark differential, with each explaining just 10 percent of the variation in margins. 13 obscure AFL records going under the radar this season Brown Marshall Welker Johnson Fitzgerald Adams Diggs Allen Hopkins Wayne Harrison Rice Kelce Thomas Jones Moore Hill Jefferson McCaffrey Landry Thomas Edelman 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2. Graham Denholm/Getty Images. All data entered is sent securely via SSL to our system. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. Marks, particularly contested marks, may seem as though they would be on the more important end of the spectrum. Of course, we all know he ranks in the top three for just about every ruck category, but it's the other things he does which make him a top 50 player in the league. Give this man some respect, please. The Swans' dashing halfback Ollie Florent was a curious match-up on Greene for much of the contest and was mostly able to nullify the Giants' dangerman near goal. But Smith's running gifts extend beyond endurance. After a down couple of years in 2020 and 2021, some were beginning to wonder if Carlton's skipper was still the best player on his team, forget the competition! 'I LOST MY MIND' McRae stunned by late call, Nicks laments inaccuracy. Last year, only Tom Hawkins, Christian Petracca and Jeremy Cameron averaged more score involvements per game, while nobody launched a higher percentage of their team's scores than Walker. View Current Leaderboard. As much as we should marvel at as his work-rate and on-field skills, his maturity for a 23-year-old might be his greatest asset. Send us feedback or report a mistake on this page. One player from every AFL team that must stand out from the pack: Round 7 2 in the league for score involvements last season, behind only Tom Hawkins). Petracca was the first player to ever get 40 touches in a Grand Final in an absolutely titanic performance . 200. The long-time Collingwood skipper, who stood down from his post this off-season, is one of the most revered and respected figures in the league. It's actually crazy that of Cripps' 159 games, zero have been finals. But just remember this: you can't squeeze 85 players into a list of 50. JACK CRISP. I love the way he is always prepared to back himself, either taking the game on with ball in hand or leaving his opponent to provide relief for a teammate. He is the fire starter for the Bulldogs and arguably the team's most valuable player, doing his best work at stoppages by feeding the ball out to some of his more highly-praised teammates. The once seemingly unassailable mark, set by Kevin Bartlett in 1983 has now been surpassed by Burgoyne, Michael Tuck and Brent Harvey (who still had a bit of gas in the tank when he finished up). Emails will NOT be used for the sending of unsolicited, spam or promotional materials. Last year, he had the fifth-most score involvements in the league. Maybe Chris Judd or Nat Fyfe. A ball winner and clearance getter, first and foremost, a great link man between defence and attack, but someone who is also willing and able to do the dirty work. Tackles per opposition possession is a much more useful metric, as it takes the number of tackling opportunities into account, albeit crudely. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/afl-bris-freo-syd-gws-wb-haw-melb-nm-wce-carl/102273434, Get breaking news alerts directly to your phone with our app, Help keep family & friends informed by sharing this article, Alan Joyce speaks as Qantas names first female CEO in airline's history, This man advises his clients that elections, rates and mortgages are invalid, Recreational vaping to be banned, all e-cigarettes to be strictly controlled, Businesses to be forced to pay superannuation on payday, fetching more in retirement income for workers, Selling the furniture and couch surfing: Families forced to make 'impossible' decisions amid fears inflation crisis hitting kids, Six people rushed to hospital after gas explosion in northern Victoria, Treasurer refuses to confirm reported JobSeeker lift for people over 55, but says targeted support in the budget, 'Until we meet in heaven': Maryborough community comes to grips with triple fatality as loved ones remembered, Perfect storm brewing for housing market and it could make buying your own home a pipedream, Catley and Foord out of Champions League final after Wolfsburg beat Arsenal in extra time, Texas college baseball player accidentally shot during game. Bontempelli (20 disposals) was below his scintillating best, drifting in and out of the contest as Hawthorn threatened a boilover in front of 40,119 spectators. Ollie Wines was the 2021 Brownlow Medal winner. Play was held up for several minutes and significantlythe Seven Network opted against showing a replay of the gruesome incident. Consistent? Parker's career arc has been relatively flat, but that's not a knock on him, rather it highlights his consistency over the journey. The 10 best AFL players at quarter time of the 2023 season - ESPN 18 kicks 15 handballs 25 contested possessions 15 clearances 8 tackles 3 Brownlow votes One of the all time great individual performances by an AFL footballer. Glossary - AFL - Champion Data I wasn't looking to be provocative with my claim, but I'd clearly struck a nerve with this particular colleague. "You're crazy," he snapped, while furiously tapping away at his keyboard in search of stats that would substantiate his argument. One chapter, to which Matter of Stats editor Tony Corke contributed, explored the importance of various statistics in AFL games. Collingwood players fume at the non free kick awarded after this hit on Nathan Murphy, before Jordan de Goey is pinged for a contentious deliberate call. With three games remaining in the 2021 season (plus at least one final for the Dees), Oliver sits at 327 contested touches. The average age of the players selected (at the time of publishing) is 27.3 years. The numbers that prove this Roo is one of the game's best Last year, he had more metres gained than any other midfielder and was the fourth-highest rated mid for score involvements. Twist in Blues contract saga, Saints need a King: Key takeouts from round seven. Albert Perez/Getty Images. 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. Check. 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. What he produced last season put that question to rest and catapulted him back up the player rankings. 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 . NFL Receptions Career Playoffs Leaders - Pro-Football-Reference.com Actual Hit Rate: How often a player hits the intended target (including50/50 contests) when attempting a kick. 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. 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. Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell set the standard for most disposals in 2018 when he famously ran around without a tagger to gather the ball 54 times against Collingwood. Elite? AFL 2022: Footy tipping, statistics, Champion Data, help His masterpiece performance might well have been his effort on Sydney spearhead Lance Franklin in their qualifying final, holding him to just two kicks and no score, albeit in a loss. The Magpies ramped that up around clearances, claiming a lopsided 16-4 final-quarter count with 4-1 at centre clearances. I'm going to be honest, the Giants skipper is my favourite player in the league to watch (narrowly edging out Sicily). Sport, religion and family: Who is incoming AFL boss Andrew Dillon? Champion Data's numbers would suggest he is. 2 last year in direct goal assists, highlighting just how selfless he is. The tense contest continued in the third, with the Magpies resolute amid pressure with Adelaide winning the inside 50s 17-9. So go ahead, mock and ridicule me. Adelaide's Rory Laird tackles Collingwood's Patrick Lipinski in the round 18 match at the Adelaide Oval on July 16, 202. Even with three All-Australian blazers proudly hanging in his wardrobe, Macrae somehow remains criminally underrated. The pick of the bunch had to be his 38 disposal, 10 tackle, eight clearance and one goal game against the Kangaroos. And nor should there be. The Giants finished the afternoon with 41 more contested possessions than Essendon, a . Dylan Burns/Getty Images. AFL Tables - Player Season and Game Records (1965-2023) In no way is this a knock on former Magpies coach Nathan Buckley, but Moore is perfectly suited to Craig McRae's style of play and is thriving under the new regime. AFL Draft the 10 most underrated prospects - ESPN 2022 AFL League Total Contested Possessions Leaders (Minimum 5 Games Played) Rank: Player: Team Games: Total: 1: Clayton Oliver: Melbourne: 23: 409: 2: Lachie Neale: Brisbane: 25: 400: 3: Touk Miller: Gold Coast: 22: 334: 4: . 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. AFL Club West Coast Other Teams Golden State Warriors . If youd like to help achieve this, please feel free to pitch an article via email to australiazone@protonmail.com we accept submissions from anyone. He has the versatility -- able to play small, tall as well as float in the backline -- and has some of the most exquisite foot skills you'll ever see. Patrick Dangerfield has won everything in the game. He manages all of that while working as hard as any midfielder on the defensive side of the ball (and yes, that includes Callum Mills). 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. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. He could have easily added a second 'Charlie' to his resume after a remarkable 2022, where he ranked top two in disposals, contested possessions and clearances, as well as top 10 in score involvements. Best of the best: The AFL all-time records that will blow your mind The Giants' captain was the quickest to react when the ball fell free after a throw-in deep in the forward pocket, but needed the composure to get it to his boot for the major that sealed the stirring 17.5 (107) to 16.10 (106) comeback win. Dustin Martin at 75% is still one of the best players in the AFL. By season's end he felt like the unanimous choice for the All-Australian full back position. At age 32, Walker's winning more contested ball and taking more contested marks than ever before. From this point on, each player has a legitimate claim to hold top spot. Gary Ablett managed 46 possessions aganst Adelaide in 2008 Stephen Malaxo's accumulated 48 possessions against St.Kilda in late 1987. The star Cat now has a premiership medal to go along with his Coleman Medal and trio of All-Australian blazers. It's a damn shame that injuries have derailed Fyfe's hall-of-fame career. One of the premier defenders in the league, the athletic Moore continues to be as solid as a rock for Collingwood. And he often does just that. I love watching him at the contest and am convinced he's the best in-tight ball user I've ever seen. 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. AFLW: Advanced stats - All-stars - North Melbourne Football Club The Top Ten. He lowered his colours in Round 6 in the Grand Final rematch against Geelong. Stephen Coniglio (28 disposals, two goals) and Harry Perryman (21, three) were superb throughout for the Giants, while Xavier O'Halloran (15, two) and Finn Callaghan (26) were also influential in promising signs for the future. As the Blues continue to improve and provide him with greater opportunity, a monster 2023 season could well be on the cards. Rory Sloane lays a huge tackle on Beau McCreery and makes no mistake in front of the big sticks. contested touches, still play that game with the missus sometimes ! Key defenders and general forwards had 8% each, while just one ruck and general defender were featured. Marcus Bontempelli celebrates with fans after a win. His finishing rarely lets him down, either. Champion Data class Stewart as a 'general defender' but you feel 'the general' would be a far more appropriate title for him. I've referenced others on this list as difficult match-ups but Petracca is the most difficult. Patrick Cripps shows off his 2022 Brownlow Medal. 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. He is one of the league's real sharpshooters, rarely missing from a set shot or open play. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. Then her family intervened, Jock Zonfrillo remembered as an 'incredible chef' and influential member of Australia's culinary landscape, 'You could tell where the Russians had been': These Australians returned to Ukraine to help the country rebuild, Baby with bowel obstruction died after hospital's failures, coroner finds, NT chief minister apologises to outgoing police commissioner over retirement settlement comments, Police officer holidaying in WA's Kimberley says she's never experienced crime like it, 'Disgusting public display': Russian Orthodox choir condemns Ukraine war supporters' presenceat concert, At least six people killed as dust storm causes pile-up on US highway, Tasmania's salmon farm industry has lost its 'social licence', minister says, but it wants it back, US federal department faces environmental lawsuit following SpaceX launch and explosion. So yes, I truly believe he is already amongst the top 25 players in the AFL, with just 39 games to his name. If that's you, please get familiar with him! AFL 2023 round seven: Twist in Carlton Blues contracts saga, St Kilda What's more impressive is that in no way whatsoever does he appear to be slowing down, playing more minutes than anyone else in the competition last year en route to another premiership. Furthermore, his clearance ranking plummeted from first in that same time period to seventh, averaging a mere 3.3 per game. Disposals; Player TM Years # GM Ave. The Crows dominated the bulk of the first quarter, with Collingwood coming off a five-day break after its Anzac Day win. It highlights just how much of a potent attacking force he really is. If this list was constructed at the beginning of last year, Brayshaw's not on it. Steele's one of the best midfielders in the competition when the opposition possesses the ball, always providing elite defensive pressure. Last season, Gawn took the second-most contested marks, had more clearances than any non-midfielder, kicked 13 goals and was the only ruck to rank top 50 in score involvements. 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. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. By Sarah Black - womens.afl on Oct 29, 2020, 9:55pm. Ruby Schleicher, Collingwood - intercept possessions. Is Chad Warner the best young player in the AFL? It's all the proof anyone needs that he's still undoubtedly one of the best players in the AFL. 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. It's hardly a concern, though, given he's still just 22 years old and certainly has the potential to get there one day. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. Not the most valuable. The result snapped a two-match losing streak for the Blues, who improved their win-loss record to 4-2, in addition to one draw. But the Magpies' final-quarter record is well known and they were always coming, so Jones' early fourth-quarter goal helped settle the home side's nerves, only for Johnson to respond immediately. It got us thinking about which of the other individual and team records might be attainable in the near future. It feels like yesterday Heeney was being billed as one of the future stars of the AFL. Hugh McCluggage celebrates a goal during the 2022 finals series. He also possesses elite acceleration and top speed, allowing him to break lines for the Bulldogs and launch attacking thrusts. His set shot kicking has been a bit iffy at times -- having kicked 12.25 over the last two years -- but he's always had exceptional hands, particularly for a midfielder. Richmond was next best with three players. They explain 55 percent of the variation in margins, slightly above the 51 percent explained by the kick differential. Despite the colourful tattoos and retro moustache, 'Libba' flies totally under the radar and has done so for the bulk of his career. Over the last two years, Walker has booted 95 goals from just 35 games. He enjoyed a career best goalkicking season with 20 majors and found more uncontested ball than ever before (13 per game). At age 24, Bolton is the youngest player in the top 20 and I'd argue he has more upside than anyone on the entire list not named Chad Warner. That's half the job, right? Julian Edelman (118), 4. James Sicily might be the best defender in the AFL. Olivers best is 405, back in the 2018 season, where the Dees looked as though they may give their long-suffering supporters some respite before they headed west and fell to the Eagles in the prelim. 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. The Crows and Magpies clash in round seven. Dangerfield was one of the most difficult players to rank. Check out who's leading the way in every major statistical individual and team category since 2000. It's crazy to think he's now gearing up for season No. The top 25 postseason performances in NFL history - ESPN He ranks elite amongst key forwards in just about every imaginable category; goals, score involvements, disposals, marks, contested possessions and inside 50s. Toby Bedford made an immediate impact in his GWS debut after 16 matches with Melbourne, taking a diving mark in the forward pocket then nailing the set shot for the opening goal of the game. Hewett posted career-best numbers across the board, ranking 11th in the league for disposals and seventh for clearances. If Warner stays healthy, I'll be utterly stunned if he isn't a unanimous top three player by the end of 2024. Required fields are marked *. Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images. He's never had trouble hitting the scoreboard -- his goal tally has reached double figures in nine of the last 10 seasons -- something which gives him an edge over some of the league's other midfielders.