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. It's also made ranking him amongst his contemporaries a near impossible task! Rebound 50s do have some relevance, but only in relation to inside 50s. Who knows, maybe even the top three! Don't get me wrong, Mills is a tremendous player but what he's lauded for most -- his work-rate and two-way running -- is just a tad overhyped. . As Shaun Burgoyne rolled out to play his 400thAFL game a couple of weeks back, he joined an elite club. He just doesn't miss targets, or make mistakes, for that matter. Key defenders and general forwards had 8% each, while just one ruck and general defender were featured. 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. But like I mentioned in the introduction; no forecasting is allowed here. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. 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. Aaron Naughton (four goals), Caleb Daniel (27 disposals, six clearances) and Jack Macrae (26, six) were all influential in the victory, which put the Bulldogs ahead on the win-loss ledger for the first time this season. Laird and Clayton Oliver were the only two players who averaged 15 contested and 15 uncontested possessions in 2022. As the Blues continue to improve and provide him with greater opportunity, a monster 2023 season could well be on the cards. Each of the ten teams won the game by 20 points or more. Meanwhile, Melbourne hammered the Kangaroos by 90 points at the MCG in the other evening match, while GWS, the Brisbane Lions and Western Bulldogs all enjoyed wins earlier on Saturday. Dustin Martin at 75% is still one of the best players in the AFL. Brody Mihocek kept Collingwood in the contest with three goals. 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. And what's even more unfortunate is that it's one of my favourites (yes, we're allowed to have our favourites!) These are the 50 best, in order. The 31-year-old is a six-time All-Australian, two-time club best and fairest, premiership captain and later this year should play game No. 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. On a team front, St Kilda set a record of 520 disposals in winning against a Fremantle team that rested 11 of its players ahead of the finals in the last round of the 2013 home and away season. . Luke Parker is the heart and soul of the Swans. Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver impressed with 37 disposals, while Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw in his 150th match also shone. *all stats are from 1999 onwards, courtesy Champion Data, VFLW superstar Sergeant Rhiannon Busch joins the crew for Yokayi Footy's Anzac Day special, highlighted by Charlie Cameron's incredible haul, From college basketball to the biggest stage in the AFL, enjoy Mason Cox's career highlights, Enjoy the thrilling final moments between Adelaide and Collingwood in round seven, Collingwood small defender John Noble drifts forward and nails this mighty kick on the run late in the game, Conor Nash has enjoyed a meteoric rise under Sam Mitchell, forcing opponents to take notice, Join Damian Barrett and Nat Edwards for AFL Daily, Top draft hopeful Nick Watson tells the Gettable crew many have questioned whether he's too small to make it to the AFL, Access All Areas look at the contentious decisions during Collingwood's miracle win over the Crows, thanks to Crypto.com, Roy, Calvin and Warnie reveal their early trades for round eight, Round seven AFL Rising Star nominee Finn Callaghan discusses his season so far with Cal Twomey, Watch the highlights and find out why Finn Callaghan gets the AFL Rising Star in round seven, Tom Hawkins booted four goals in the first 20 minutes, and finished with a career-best eight - in Geelong's win over Essendon. Picture: AFL Photos, Angus Brayshaw runs with the ball in the R20 clash between Melbourne and Gold Coast on August 5, 2018. It's very well deserved. 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. Over the past 24 months, Petracca has averaged 28 disposals, 12 combined clearances and inside 50s, 500m gained and a goal per game. Michael Willson/Getty Images. So, as teams searched for players to contest in the middle of the ground and at stoppages all over the park, no longer were they looking for simply the best-skilled practitioners. 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. A touch more consistency this season and fewer frees against (he gave away the fourth-most of any player last year) and he's almost certainly climbing into the top five. It was the Hawks' (1-5) fourth straight loss, leaving them anchored to the bottom of the ladder. While it's a tad unfair to call Fritsch a one-trick pony, especially when his trick happens to be the most difficult and sought after quality in the sport, some of the game's other premier small and mid-sized forwards bring a little more to the table. >>SEE ALL THE KEY TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL RECORD-HOLDERS BELOW. All data entered is sent securely via SSL to our system. Take a look at his last two games; a clear best-on-ground performance in a preliminary final rout of Brisbane and a Grand Final display which was worthy of a Norm Smith Medal (sorry, Isaac Smith). Stewart doesn't get beaten in one-on-one situations. Picture: AFL Photos, Tom Mitchell kicks the ball during the R1 clash between Hawthorn and Collingwood on March 24, 2018. 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. Champion Data class Stewart as a 'general defender' but you feel 'the general' would be a far more appropriate title for him. Josh Dunkley will play for the Lions in 2023. He's such a valuable asset for the Swans, given his ability to control games in the midfield and then seamlessly drop back into defence when required. I'm not sure what it is but the Richmond spearhead always seems to be forgotten when we debate the great forwards in the AFL. James Sicily might be the best defender in the AFL. Lincoln's incredible all-around performance in a 51-10 win over the Boston Patriots in the 1963 AFL title game came before . In many ways, Steele is the prototype midfielder. Stewart is the heartbeat of Geelong's backline and one of the main reasons Chris Scott's side continues to be ranked as the best defence -- it conceded just 66 points per game last season -- in the competition. With respect to Scott Pendlebury, Neale has the best balance of any player in the league, particularly around stoppages, and a crazy ability to weave his way out of traffic before finding a target. Izak Rankine produced a moment of magic to shrug off Brayden Maynard's tackle, evade Nick Daicos and checkside kick his side's second major. Jack Crisp is an elite line-breaker and midfield runner. Franklin is an undoubted member of the AFL's post-2000 Mount Rushmore and continues to prove that he can never, ever be written off. 33-8-8. 16 and am comfortable knowing who ranks ahead and behind him. Brayshaw averaged a tick under 30 disposals, six tackles and four clearances (all career highs) per game last year, while also adding 12 goals. Through last year's injury interrupted season, Martin averaged 18 disposals and 1.3 goals per game, playing predominantly in the forward line. Parker's career arc has been relatively flat, but that's not a knock on him, rather it highlights his consistency over the journey. Lachie Neale is chaired off the Gabba after his 200th game. 200. 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. 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. No doubt the first of many 'controversies' on this list. It seemed everyone had already crowned him the next well, insert literally any AFL legend! I'm expecting another epic season from the three-time All Australian, as he hunts a piece of silverware that's missing from his trophy cabinet a premiership medallion. There's no denying that Charlie Curnow's epic 2022 season took a little of the spotlight away from McKay but he continued to be a steady presence in the Blues' forward line. Of the new breed coming through the ranks, Sam Walsh is the best 22-and-under player in this category, with 214 to date in 2021, whilst Ports Willem Drew is next best at 179. I'm convinced that if Parish's numbers were even just 10% lower he'd receive far less (unjust) criticism. 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. All data entered is sent securely via SSL to our system. Are his midfield days over? Boy, was I wrong. At his current average of 17.2 contested possessions per game, it is reasonable to assume that he will clear the 400-mark around the first week of the finals, however, itll be touch and go if Melbourne somehow end up a one-and-done team, after such a solid season. Since the beginning of 2021, 163 of his 400 kicks (or 41%) resulted in a score. He lowered his colours in Round 6 in the Grand Final rematch against Geelong. Paul Kane/Getty Images. He looks a certain future skipper of the Dockers and I don't think anyone would be surprised if he's pushing for the top 15 come season's end. 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. He remains one of the top inside-midfielders in the league, but also has an underrated ability to find the ball in space, averaging 16 uncontested possessions per game over the last two years. Let's hope he can keep it going. The commentary around Parish reminds me a lot of when Tom Mitchell was racking up 50-disposal games and subsequently getting crushed for "low impact," when if he'd had, say, 44 touches, he'd probably have received a heap of praise for it. And if the Coleman Medal is any indicator (of course it is! So if you're one of them, I've got two questions for you. Room for improvement Do we even need to say it? Check out the tables below to see the rest of the records that players and teams could chase. 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. Pretty similar, hey? It's pleasing to see the super-likable Miller finally receiving his plaudits and continuing to shine now he's reached the point in his career where opposing coaches are doing everything they can to try and limit his influence. Jack Steven and Leigh Montagna finished with 47 touches apiece. 3 in disposals last year with 32.1 per game. As one of the great runners and line-breakers in the league, Crisp offers a totally different package to the average AFL midfielder. Elite? When I shared my initial ranked list (yes, there have since been plenty of tweaks!) Don't count him out for the Brownlow Medal, either Shai Bolton's star continues to rise in the AFL. Andrew Wu, Damien Ractliffe, Andrew Stafford, Tom Decent, Marnie Vinall, Peter Ryan, Marc McGowan and Steve Barrett . Enjoy the thrilling final moments between Adelaide and Collingwood in round seven. 2 in the league for score involvements last season, behind only Tom Hawkins). Emails will NOT be used for the sending of unsolicited, spam or promotional materials. There were some big moments with Crows captain Dawson's huge contested ball leading to Luke Pedlar's goal on the counter, while ex-skipper Rory Sloane's deadlock tackle helped open up a 16-point three-quarter time lead. Look, I get it, but he only misses out on a higher rank after somewhat of a down 2022, a year where several others really bolstered their own standing in the game. The highest number of contested touches ever recorded comes from Patrick Dangerfield, who crashed and bashed his way to 430 from 24 games back in 2017. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. Picture: AFL Photos, The scoreboard after the clash between Geelong and Melbourne in R19, 2011. 1. I just don't think it's that clear cut. If you're still not convinced, go back and watch his efforts between rounds 16 and 20 last season where he polled a staggering 14 of a possible 15 Brownlow votes with some truly exceptional performances. That game? Dylan Burns/Getty Images. The average age of the players selected (at the time of publishing) is 27.3 years. Now how many have done that and averaged 17 or more disposals per game? It's been a meteoric rise for the 26-year-old, who has gone from a relatively unknown VFL player to a three-time club leading goal kicker and premiership player. 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: . This was the third time this season they've won from a three-quarter time deficit. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images. I love watching him at the contest and am convinced he's the best in-tight ball user I've ever seen. 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 . 1 for direct goal assists and No. The modern game of football changed drastically in the early 2000s. 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Completing a disastrous night for the Kangaroos, Tom Powell needed help from trainers as he went off with a leg injury in the last term. The slippery conditions provided a truly scrappy contest - but one player wasn't fumbling that day. 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. I really hope the answer to all three is 'yes' and we see Fyfe back on a footy field doing what he does best. Rory Sloane lays a huge tackle on Beau McCreery and makes no mistake in front of the big sticks. After Bolton's epic four-goal, five-behind, 17-disposal match-winning performance against Port Adelaide in Round 21 last year, opinions and hot takes were flying around the office. I really don't think Hawkins gets enough credit for the level of quality he's produced over the past decade and change. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. It's a real shame his 2023 season is set to be hampered by a persistent back injury, as another leap was certainly on the cards. It is the Kangaroos' biggest losing margin under new coach Alastair Clarkson, after they won their first two matches, and also Melbourne's fourth 100-plus score this season. All-Time Passes Completed Leaders. Hawkins' set shot kicking, particularly from long range, continues to be a hallmark of his game, and one-on-one he seems to have a physical edge over literally any defender who stands alongside him. You might also be surprised to hear Merrett averaged the fifth-most kicks of any midfielder last year, so enough of the 'cheap handballs' narrative. That's now one selection each for both Rozee and Walsh, if you're counting. But when he's kicked 47 and then 51 goals over the last two years, it feels impossible to remove him from the forward line, no matter how tempting it may be for Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge. The Magpies, who had won nine of their past 12 games after trailing at three-quarter time, had been behind by 16 points at the final change but edged ahead with Steele Sidebottom's set-shot point with less than 30 seconds left. CROWS v MAGPIES Full match coverage and stats. Playing for a team that have not been part of finals, Cripps missed out on topping the mark by just 13 contested touches in 2018, and possesses the second-highest average of any player in the top ten, with 17.59 contested possessions per game. Macrae has been an absolute constant in the Bulldogs engine room for close to a decade now and each and every game you know what you're getting; fast hands in-tight at stoppages to set up teammates on the outside as well as the ability to become that outside player and drive the ball forward. The Demons killed off the contest with the first six goals and gave their percentage a healthy boost with the 22.7 (139) to 7.7 (49) win. Give this man some respect, please. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Mixed night for Daicos as Keays tag comesAs expected, Ben Keays lined up alongside Nick Daicos at the first bounce. I think there's plenty more awards coming his way, too. Anderson always seems to lift in the clutch moments, playing his best footy late in games. Last year, he had the fifth-most score involvements in the league. 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. Supporters and commentators love to discuss controversial umpiring decisions, but the free kick differential explains just nine percent of the variation in AFLW margins. It's hardly a concern, though, given he's still just 22 years old and certainly has the potential to get there one day. 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. Not only is he every bit a star of the AFL but also an underrated candidate for best skipper. His previous career best was a seven-goal haul against the Western Bulldogs in 2019. He works as hard as any midfielder in the game, always pushing into defence to give his backline a chop out. Chargers RB Keith Lincoln vs. Patriots, 1963 AFL championship game. 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. Melbourne triumphed in a mismatch marred by a horror leg injury sustained by Kangaroos youngster Charlie Comben. I bet you wouldn't have picked that, huh? West Coast (1-6) has now lost five matches on the trot and face a huge fight to avoid the wooden spoon this year amidst a devastating injury toll. Anderson is one of the brightest young stars in the AFL and his game is developing at breakneck speed. The Crows dominated the bulk of the first quarter, with Collingwood coming off a five-day break after its Anzac Day win. The Bulldogs (4-3) were well beaten in clearances and contested possession before half-time but gradually tilted the match in their favour to secure a 14.10 (94) to 9.11 (65) victory at Docklands. Me? And you certainly can't fit 21 into the top 10. Ashcroft kicked another goal from a set shot soon after that and finished with 28 mostly silky disposals. Jason McCawley/Getty Images. to dominate on the lead as well as at ground level, making him a nightmare one-on-one match-up for any defender, especially when you consider only four players took more contested marks than him last year. 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. Collingwood celebrates its win over Adelaide in round seven, 2023. 1 Leigh Matthews. I want to make it crystal clear that if this was a ranking of the 'most valuable' players, then Gawn is pushing for the top 10. An aspect of Oliver's game which I believe is completely underrated is his pressure. Tensions boil over after the Crows get stuck into Nick Daicos following Taylor Walker's goal, The Pies lose Nathan Kreuger to injury after the utility receives an inadvertent knock to the knee from teammate Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek punishes the careless Crows with these two goals to trim the margin, Josh Daicos edges the Magpies one step closer after finding himself in the right spot at the right time, Collingwood small defender John Noble drifts forward and nails this mighty kick on the run late in the game, Watch Collingwood's press conference after round seven's match against Adelaide, Watch Adelaide's press conference after round seven's match against Collingwood, Extended highlights of the Crows and Magpies clash in round seven, ADELAIDE 3.6 3.10 6.15 7.16 (58)COLLINGWOOD 0.2 3.4 5.5 8.11 (59), GOALSAdelaide: Pedlar 2, Jones 2, Walker, Sloane, RankineCollingwood: Mihocek 3, Noble, Johnson, Hoskin-Elliott, Frampton, J.Daicos, BESTAdelaide: Dawson, O'Brien, Laird, Soligo, Murray, DoedeeCollingwood: Moore, J.Daicos, Mihocek, N.Daicos, Sidebottom, McCreery, Murphy, INJURIESAdelaide: NilCollingwood: Kreuger (ribs), SUBSTITUTESAdelaide: Harry Schoenberg (replaced Jake Soligo in fourth quarter)Collingwood: Will Kelly (replaced Nathan Kreuger in first quarter), VFLW superstar Sergeant Rhiannon Busch joins the crew for Yokayi Footy's Anzac Day special, highlighted by Charlie Cameron's incredible haul, From college basketball to the biggest stage in the AFL, enjoy Mason Cox's career highlights, Conor Nash has enjoyed a meteoric rise under Sam Mitchell, forcing opponents to take notice, Join Damian Barrett and Nat Edwards for AFL Daily, Top draft hopeful Nick Watson tells the Gettable crew many have questioned whether he's too small to make it to the AFL, Access All Areas look at the contentious decisions during Collingwood's miracle win over the Crows, thanks to Crypto.com, Roy, Calvin and Warnie reveal their early trades for round eight, Round seven AFL Rising Star nominee Finn Callaghan discusses his season so far with Cal Twomey, Watch the highlights and find out why Finn Callaghan gets the AFL Rising Star in round seven, Tom Hawkins booted four goals in the first 20 minutes, and finished with a career-best eight - in Geelong's win over Essendon. Please enter the email you registered your account with. A Above Average: Top 11% to 35% of the statistical category. The 22-year-old is yet to dip below the 28-disposal mark and has had 16+ contested possessions in each of the past four games. project. Is Chad Warner the best young player in the AFL? Fritsch also doesn't crack the top 10 among general forwards for either score involvements or score assists. I wasn't looking to be provocative with my claim, but I'd clearly struck a nerve with this particular colleague. Share The 10 best AFL players at quarter time of the 2023 season Skip to navigation Search You have come to the ESPN Africa edition, for other ESPN editions, click above. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. If you find yourself at a Dockers game this season, just lock your eyes on No. In 142 AFLW games, the winner of the rebound 50 count has won just 46 times, losing by eight points on average. Last year's campaign, which resulted in a trip to the Grand Final, saw Parker lead his team in disposals, clearances and contested possessions, while also averaging six tackles and four inside 50s per game. Zac Bailey is one of the league's best young mid-forwards. 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? Only two teams weren't represented on the list; North Melbourne and West Coast. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. They needed size, they needed power, and they needed players with the ability to take a hit and still have the core strength to release the footy to a teammate. 49. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. But I dug my heels in, refusing to be a prisoner of the moment. He is, without question, the most underappreciated player in the AFL, as evidenced by the fact he failed to receive a single best-on-ground in last year's Brownlow Medal. Kennedy also went close to having a fourth season topping 400 contested touches, with 393 in 2015. That's not prime LeBron James' per-game averages, but Laird's numbers from an ultra impressive, yet totally underrated 2022 -- the story of his career, right? The pick of the bunch had to be his 38 disposal, 10 tackle, eight clearance and one goal game against the Kangaroos. No other player in recent history has come close to this type of production so early into their career. I don't think we're close to seeing the best of him yet, and early signs of Carlton's pre-season suggest he could be in for a monster in 2023. Who knows, we may finally get to see him line up alongside his brother, Ben Harry McKay won the 2021 Coleman Medal. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. 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. He's a sneaky great ball user, too. Its clear that kicks, inside 50s, marks inside 50 and contested possessions have a significant bearing on the result, while intercepts and uncontested possessions are also meaningful and even tackles and rebound 50s can be useful metrics when displayed in the right context. Jack Steele high-fives Saints fans at Marvel Stadium. At 24, Oliver is just now entering his prime years, which is a scary thought. Electric. RORY Laird's incredible 20-tackle performance at the weekend set a new benchmark for AFL players to chase. Harry McKay also booted two early goals to give the Blues a 21-point lead at quarter-time and Curnow had four goals to his name by the main break as the lead swelled to 40 points. The unassuming Oliver does the second of those better than anyone else in the game. 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. Great goalkicking midfielders and/or productive high half-forwards are like gold dust and the Lions have one of the best in the business with Bailey. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. Top 30? Analysis of the 142 games in AFLWs short history confirms that some statistics certainly have a stronger correlation with margins than others, although these figures will change (and become more accurate) as more games are played and more data become available.
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