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. In tight, he's equally as effective, able to win clearances and set up attacking thrusts from stoppages. Boy, was I wrong. He lowered his colours in Round 6 in the Grand Final rematch against Geelong. I love how Anderson plays with speed and is always looking to kick rather than handball, doing so at the rare midfielder rate of 2.25-1. PODCAST: Click here to listen to the '50 best players' special episode, embroiled in an off-field racism controversy, floated the idea of a Curnow trade back in 2020, Miller is the most difficult player to match up on, The enduring magnetism of Scott Pendlebury. And at age 21, he is easily the youngest player on this entire list. Even with a lean finals campaign, 2022 was clearly his best season yet. 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. 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. Anderson is one of the brightest young stars in the AFL and his game is developing at breakneck speed. Zac Bailey is one of the league's best young mid-forwards. Curnow has that Jeremy Cameron-esque ability (anyone seen him yet?) There are over 800 players in the AFL. Sam Walsh has been a star ever since he entered the AFL. The Top Ten. He enjoyed a career best goalkicking season with 20 majors and found more uncontested ball than ever before (13 per game). Picture: AFL Photos, The scoreboard after the clash between Geelong and Melbourne in R19, 2011. 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. with a few colleagues, I was quite surprised with how little pushback I received. 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. 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. Last season, Taylor saw his reputation skyrocket, providing the steadiest of defensive hands for a team that ultimately won just six games. Unsurprisingly, winning the rebound 50 count is not a good omen. His first 400+ season came when he was just 21 years old. By now, I'm sure you're fully aware of the types of players I rate higher than others. Bolton is the ultimate match-winner and his elusiveness, speed, skill and the fact he's also a constant aerial threat make him an impossible match-up, either in the midfield or when he pushes into the forward-line. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. No surprise he ranked No. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. Second in the AFL for contested possessions (average 15.9 a game) behind Clayton Oliver, and second in the league in centre clearances (behind Dylan Shiel), there is no doubting Neale's quality . 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. Can Nat Fyfe return to his devastating best in 2023? 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. Carlton's dynamic forward snagged 64 goals -- crazy when you consider he was sharing the forward line with a guy who kicked a league-best 58 goals the previous season -- to not only land the Coleman Medal and stake his claim as the best young forward in the AFL, but leave me looking a total fool (yes, I floated the idea of a Curnow trade back in 2020). Graham Denholm/Getty Images. Clayton Oliver might be the most consistent player in the AFL. 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. Contested possessions: 13.2 (9th) Inside 50s: 6.2 (2nd) Clearances: 6.7 (11th) AFL Player Rating points: 16.4 (8th) v West Coast, Round 1, 2023 Disposals: 32 (8th) Contested possessions: 19 (=2nd) Inside 50s: 7 (10th) Clearances: 10 (2nd) AFL Player Rating points: 24.2 (3rd) Statistics: Champion Data IT'S GREATER THAN JUST A SEAT AT THE GAME The Bulldogs owned the scoreboard for most of the second half but struggled to shake off the gallant Hawks. Some would argue he is the best defender in the game. Last season, he was the only player in the league to average eight tackles and eight clearances and ranked fifth overall for contested possessions. 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. However, injury and a dip in form has halted his rise up the rankings. Anzac Day Eve has brought out the best and worst of both Richmond and Melbourne for the last eight years. The potential was always evident and Curnow well and truly delivered on it in a breakout 2022. Laird's remarkable effort in Saturday's loss against Collingwood surpassed Jack Ziebell's previous record of 19 set in 2016. I really hope the answer to all three is 'yes' and we see Fyfe back on a footy field doing what he does best. It feels like yesterday Heeney was being billed as one of the future stars of the AFL. Impressive Kangaroos youngster Harry Sheezel and Aaron Hall each had 30-disposal matches. in Neale. CP=Contested possessions UP=Uncontested possessions CM=Contested marks MI=Marks inside 50 1%=One percenters BO=Bounces GA=Goal assist %P=Percentage of game played SU=Sub (On/Off) =subbed on =subbed off: Team Totals For KI MK HB DI GL BH HO TK RB IF CL CG FF BR CP UP CM MI 1% BO GA; Adelaide: 4389: 1642: 3335: 7724: 249: 178: 908: 1487 . See leaders through past seasons Taylor Walker is one of the best attacking weapons in the AFL. Hugh McCluggage celebrates a goal during the 2022 finals series. The news wont be welcomed by Gold Coasts Lauren Bella, who recorded the most hit-outs of the 2020 season, but sadly, there is virtually no correlation between the hit-out differential and the margin. It's crazy to think he's now gearing up for season No. Last year, Parker kicked 14 majors, including a bag of five against the Giants in Round 1 which netted him three Brownlow Medal votes. So there you have it. He won the club's best and fairest and earned All-Australian selection last season with averages of 24 disposals, six tackles, four inside 50s and four clearances per game. Curnow took eight contested marks among his 14 grabs in a dominant display up forward, with the 26-year-old brushing aside four opponents on the way to 9.3 in the 23.14 (152) to 6.8 (44) rout. Gary Ablett managed 46 possessions aganst Adelaide in 2008 Stephen Malaxo's accumulated 48 possessions against St.Kilda in late 1987. Would you believe me if I told you that no player has booted more goals than him since the beginning of 2012? Bayley Fritsch kicked a match-high four goals for the Demons and Cameron Zurhaar managed three for the Kangaroos. 7? If that's you, please get familiar with him! I had absolutely no hesitation in making that declaration following Petracca's 2021 Grand Final heroics. With respect to the dynamic Toby Greene, Taylor is proving to be the most valuable Giant. Last year, Parish was in a select club with only Clayton Oliver, Lachie Neale, Patrick Cripps, Touk Miller, Rory Laird and Tom Mitchell as the only players to average 13 contested and 13 uncontested possessions per game. 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. Michael Willson/Getty Images. 3 in disposals last year with 32.1 per game. Michael Willson/Getty Images. Consistent? Michael Willson/Getty Images. 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. In 2022, he ranked eighth in the league for pressure acts. Petracca kicked 19.31 last season but 29.19 the year before. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. But I bet you knew that already, right?! The Magpies have flown home again, beating the Crows in an incredible contest. If it's goals you're after, few provide as many as Fritsch. The . 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. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images. He's also taken the third-most contested marks inside 50m in that period. Fine-tune your AFL footy tipping ahead of the 2022 season. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. Not at all. 3-ranked player in the league for pressure acts (26.8 per game). 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. 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. Josh Kennedy had a game-high 22 contested possessions with the onballer ending his day . 1 Leigh Matthews. No other player in recent history has come close to this type of production so early into their career. Robert Cianflone/Getty Images. Ratten for the most 10-clearance games in AFL history when he . 3-ranked for metres gained, has an off-the-charts footy IQ and an unmatched appetite for the contest (how can you not love watching him play!) Picture: AFL Photos, Joel Bowden celebrates a goal during the R5 clash between Richmond and North Melbourne on April 25, 2009. The unassuming Oliver does the second of those better than anyone else in the game. 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). 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. It was the Hawks' (1-5) fourth straight loss, leaving them anchored to the bottom of the ladder. 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. Don't @ me. In fact, he has been out-marked in just seven of his last 196 one-on-one contests. That's eight and a half seasons! Instead, I've used the last two seasons as a gauge of where a particular player is at in their career. As it turns out, kicks are (arguably) the most important statistic in both AFL and AFLW the kick differential has a stronger correlation with AFLW margins than any other. All-Time Passes Completed Leaders. Mixed night for Daicos as Keays tag comesAs expected, Ben Keays lined up alongside Nick Daicos at the first bounce. Collingwood trailed all game except for the final 30 seconds after Sidebottom's behind. Imagine if he was converting even 60% of his shots! In many ways, Steele is the prototype midfielder. That's too low. Jerry Rice (151), 2. The focus for the remainder of the match was on whether Curnow could make it a magical 10 goals, but West Coast double teamed him at times to ensure it did not happen. The Rozee vs. Sam Walsh debate raged on during the pair's debut season, but by the end of year three the consensus seemed to be that Carlton's top pick was the clear-cut superior selection. 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. 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). When you add in the fact Cameron's one of the best kicks for goal (either from a set shot or on the run from open play) in the game and has a willingness to work up the ground and provide the bail out option for his defenders, he's a no-doubt top five player. NAME. Even still, he's a clear top 25 player, and only rising. The Dockers looked down on confidence and direction as they lost an 11th-straight first quarter. 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. Crazy, I know. Sport, religion and family: Who is incoming AFL boss Andrew Dillon? 2 last year in direct goal assists, highlighting just how selfless he is. Plenty of Demons fans would argue May's the club's most important player, and with that list, that's certainly saying something. 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. I must admit, I always find myself laughing when commentators seem surprised by his elite passing, particularly when going inside 50m. Heeney has well and truly lived up to the hype and continues to develop his game each and every year. Dangerfield was one of the most difficult players to rank. Average: Top 36% to 65% of the statistical category. The method used in Footballistics reveals how often the winner of a certain metric also won the game, but this doesnt take into account the margin by which the metric was won or the margin by which the game was won. It was evident early on that Laird was much more than a rebounding half-back, and he has flourished ever since receiving his first midfield opportunity in 2020. There's no reason he can't replicate his sublime 2021 form this season, but even last year's version of Wines is good enough to be a top 20 player in this league. . Albert Perez/Getty Images. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. Tackles per opposition possession is a much more useful metric, as it takes the number of tackling opportunities into account, albeit crudely. Key defenders and general forwards had 8% each, while just one ruck and general defender were featured. 1. Spoiler alert! Everyone knows he's a ball magnet but nobody ever talks about his ball use. When you look deeper, Cripps is the only player to have collected over 1,500 contested possessions within his first 100 games. Last year, he had the fifth-most score involvements in the league. Believe it or not, ruck contests appear to be almost entirely irrelevant in AFLW. Like Dangerfield, some would argue Martin is still amongst the best players in the league, while others believe his best days are long behind him. Andrew Brayshaw enjoyed a breakout season in 2022. Picture: AFL Photos, BARRETT: Woeful West Coast entering Fitzroy territory, McRae stunned by late call, Nicks laments inaccuracy. While his shooting for goal has at times been a little underwhelming -- he's kicked 43.61 since the beginning of 2020 -- his ball use going inside 50 is as good as it gets. Supporters and commentators love to discuss controversial umpiring decisions, but the free kick differential explains just nine percent of the variation in AFLW margins. 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. 49. And who led the league in contested marks? This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. It should be no surprise that forward 50 entries are one of the competitions most important metrics. Of course, a player's body of work impacts their ranking but I want to hammer home the fact this is not a legacy piece. Bayley Fritsch rarely plays a game without kicking a goal. For context, peak Dustin Martin (2017-18), when his standing as the best player in the game wasn't even a debate, was 27, 12, 460m and 1.4 goals per game. Now where's that shaking my head emoji Is Rory Laird the most underrated player in the AFL? I think there's plenty more awards coming his way, too. Jeremy Cameron celebrates after winning the 2022 AFL Grand Final. Last year, May lost just 11% of his one-on-one contests, the lowest rate of any defender in the game. These are the 50 best, in order. Do I need to remind everyone that we're just 18 months removed from him winning a Brownlow Medal with the equal-most votes (36) in the single 3-2-1 era? Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. Matt Roberts/Getty Images. Daicos had 26 disposals but his impact was quelled to an extent by Keays' close marking, with the 2022 AFL Rising Star having 53.8 per cent disposal efficiency and 468 metres gained, which is below his usual output. That's now one selection each for both Rozee and Walsh, if you're counting. There's also no projection here. Dustin Martin at 75% is still one of the best players in the AFL. And nor should there be. 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. He had the second-most rebound 50s and eighth-most intercept possessions last season, as well as averaging a shade under 20 disposals per game. Even still, he's flirting with the top 10. Darcy Moore might be Collingwood's most valuable player. 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. Noah Anderson celebrates a goal after the siren. 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.
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