most contested possessions afl all time
At his best, Fyfe is still a top 20 player in the game, but there's just so many unanswered questions surrounding the former Dockers skipper that it would be unfair to stick him there purely on legacy and his resume. 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 . 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. 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. 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. Marcus Bontempelli celebrates with fans after a win. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. And those in the second camp, I want to share some numbers with you. 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. Everyone knows he's a ball magnet but nobody ever talks about his ball use. There's an argument to be made that 'Buddy' deserves a higher ranking but we've got to be fair here, his production has dropped off around 30-35% over the past three seasons and last year's finals campaign, which yielded just two goals and an average of 7.5 disposals from three games, left a lot to be desired. 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. 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. At various points of 2021 and early last season, Smith looked as if he was on a trajectory to becoming a top 20 player in the league. There aren't many players with more potential than Jordan De Goey. Lance Franklin celebrates the 1,000th goal of his career. Passwords are encrypted before being stored in our system (we cannot see what your password is). Through last year's injury interrupted season, Martin averaged 18 disposals and 1.3 goals per game, playing predominantly in the forward line. 1 ruck in the AFL. Not at all. 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. 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. 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. Pendlebury's game was never built on explosiveness or pure speed, instead it was about football smarts, reading the game, elite decision making and executing the basics time and time again. That's a phenomenal effort for a full back! He had the venue record of nine goals when he pushed off Bazzo to take a mark in a pack near the goal square. The loss comes ahead of a difficult month that includes away games to Geelong and the Western Bulldogs and the visits of St Kilda and Brisbane, but there were plenty of positives for the Crows which shouldnt be lost in the final result. Stewart is also used as a distributor and attack launcher for the Cats, averaging a shade under 24 disposals, 18 kicks and six rebound 50s per game since the beginning of 2021. 1-ranked marker in the game, No. Forty disposals, 24 of them contested, two goals, nine tackles and four clearances. That's eight and a half seasons! Petracca kicked 19.31 last season but 29.19 the year before. 2 last season for inside 50s. I really don't think anyone is going to debate me here and say he isn't the best forward in the game. Some of his last-gasp tackles in 2022 were borderline heroic. So what was it that made him so great? In the process of finding AFLWs most important statistics, the first challenge is to determine how importance should be calculated. I'd be shocked if he wasn't universally considered a top 50 player until the day he hangs up the boots for good. Room for improvement Do we even need to say it? In the votes Jordan Dawson (30 touches) and Rory Laird (29 disposals) were both brilliant in the midfield, while Chayce Jones (20 possessions, 2.2) had one of his best games at the top level and it could've been even bigger had he converted more of his opportunities in front of goal. 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. It's not easy! Last year, he had more metres gained than any other midfielder and was the fourth-highest rated mid for score involvements. Barely got a touch after 1/4 time IIRC. 1 for direct goal assists and No. His rise from South Barwon to Geelong is well documented but it's even more remarkable now he's become a premiership player, four-time All-Australian, club best and fairest winner and the undisputed best mid-sized defender in the game. He also ranked 13th in 2022 for score involvements, the eighth-highest rated midfielder in the category. I have a feeling this will be the most controversial player ranking of all, as many see Mills as a no-doubt top-10er. 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. 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. 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. Both have a long way to go to be in the same ballpark as Oliver. 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. The Kangaroos remain the only winless team in the AFL, slumping to 0-6 for the first time in 49 years. 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. By season's end he felt like the unanimous choice for the All-Australian full back position. Except you aren't picking a team, you simply want the best player available. It holds him in good stead if he is to play exclusively as a forward in 2023, and I have no doubt he can still provide valuable midfield support to the younger brigade, when required. Michael Willson/Getty Images. 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. Clayton Oliver might be the most consistent player in the AFL. He enjoyed a career best goalkicking season with 20 majors and found more uncontested ball than ever before (13 per game). Last year, Cameron was also the league's best pressure player, laying more tackles than anyone else inside forward 50. ABC sports journalist James Coventry brought mainstream AFL analysis into the 21st century when his groundbreaking book, Footballistics, was released in 2018. Required fields are marked *. Ladies and gentleman, the best player in the AFL! Adelaide's Rory Laird tackles Collingwood's Patrick Lipinski in the round 18 match at the Adelaide Oval on July 16, 202. READ: The enduring magnetism of Scott Pendlebury, Scott Pendlebury is one of the all-time greats of the AFL. Charlie Curnow was the 2022 Coleman Medal winner. 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. Average: Top 36% to 65% of the statistical category. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. 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. Rebound 50s do have some relevance, but only in relation to inside 50s. Last year, Anderson upped his disposal numbers to 26 per game, to go along with six clearances and six inside 50s (the third-most in the league). Still, Miller finished third -- behind winner Patrick Cripps and pre-count favourite Lachie Neale -- but will be sure to give the award a shake again in 2023 if he maintains his ridiculous numbers of 28 disposals, 15 contested possessions, eight clearances and six tackles per contest. He had 25 disposals, with 18 contested possessions, 11 clearances, seven tackles, seven inside-50s and three rebound-50s. After ranking first among ruckman in disposals, uncontested possessions, and contested possessions from 2017-19, Grundy dropped to third, fifth and fourth respectively. Forget top dozen inside midfielders, you can easily make the case Liberatore deserves to be considered among the top six. 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. Patrick Dangerfield has won everything in the game. Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Rory Lobb kicked two goals each. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. 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. Lynch ended the season as arguably the most in-form player in the competition, booting 24 majors in his final five games. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. 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. 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. Unfortunately, that means one of them has to be ranked fourth. Tackles per opposition possession is a much more useful metric, as it takes the number of tackling opportunities into account, albeit crudely. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. If it's goals you're after, few provide as many as Fritsch. Curnow booted his seventh when he snared a mark under the tight attention of Tom Barrass before kicking truly from 50 metres. His finishing rarely lets him down, either. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. 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. Not at all. Jerry Rice (151), 2. Perhaps. So go ahead, mock and ridicule me. in Neale. 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. An aspect of Oliver's game which I believe is completely underrated is his pressure. Those who are in the first camp, let it be known that I'm on record as saying peak Martin was the greatest player I've ever seen. Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 7.5 clearances per game (top five in the league), and ranks 'elite' with Champion Data in contested possession, tackles, ground ball gets and score involvements. Combine that with the fact he's the No. Give this man some respect, please. Johnson rushed a behind to square the game up, before Sidebottom marked on a 45-degree angle 30m out in the final minute and got the vital score to earn the lead. Michael Willson/Getty Images. Play was held up for several minutes and significantlythe Seven Network opted against showing a replay of the gruesome incident. Albert Perez/Getty Images. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. In fact, no non-key forward has kicked more than Fritsch's 114 over the last two years. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Another player who felt impossible to rank. The result puts Collingwood clear on top with a 6-1 record after three straight wins, while it ends Adelaide's four-game winning run, with the Crows left to lament their inaccuracy in front of goal, having dominated long periods of the game. Warner produced a masterpiece in last year's Grand Final demolition at the hands of Geelong -- 29 disposals, 18 contested possessions, 10 clearances, six tackles and two goals -- to cap off a phenomenal third season at the Swans (in reality his second, having played just two senior games in year one). And if the Coleman Medal is any indicator (of course it is! 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. 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. All data entered is sent securely via SSL to our system. Clutch Collingwood does it againIt's hard to explain Collingwood's final quarters, but the team's belief no matter the margin is apparent for all to see. So why doesn't he rank higher? The 50 best AFL players heading into season 2023. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. 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. Your email address will not be published. Walsh still has his nose in front, no doubt, but Rozee clawed back some serious ground last year, after finally being offered minutes and excelling in Port's midfield. Crazy, I know. If he's able to mesh that 2021 goalkicking form with his 2022 production, then just like it was with Martin, few will argue Petracca's not No. A short history of the lowest-scoring matches in rugby league history, 'I don't buy that one bit': Next AFL CEO denies claims of a boys' club after promotion from general counsel, NRL concedes error on crucial golden point call, Doja Cat, Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman attend Met Gala for fashion's biggest night, Clare desperately wanted to stop drinking but she couldn't make it stick. Jack Steele high-fives Saints fans at Marvel Stadium. Ollie Wines was the 2021 Brownlow Medal winner. 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. It's very well deserved. At the other end of the ground, Steve Johnson had a field day in Geelong's record-breaking 186-point win over Melbourne in 2011. Let's hope he can keep it going. No surprise, he got it. There's an argument to be made he's already the league's second-fittest player (behind Ed Langdon), spending more minutes and covering more turf than literally any other midfielder (Langdon is classified as a winger). 3 in disposals last year with 32.1 per game. And what's even more unfortunate is that it's one of my favourites (yes, we're allowed to have our favourites!) 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. 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, he was the only player in the league to average eight tackles and eight clearances and ranked fifth overall for contested possessions. Anderson always seems to lift in the clutch moments, playing his best footy late in games. 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. Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver impressed with 37 disposals, while Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw in his 150th match also shone. Surely Bolton hadn't just leapfrogged two dozen (maybe more?!) Last year, De Goey upped his defensive pressure immensely, and had a career-best campaign in contested possessions and clearances as he spent more time around the ball. Lincoln's incredible all-around performance in a 51-10 win over the Boston Patriots in the 1963 AFL title game came before . He also ranks higher than many of his fellow small forwards given his ability to be equally as damaging in the midfield when deployed there, something I believe the Giants have significantly underutilized in recent times. AFL Club West Coast Other Teams Golden State Warriors . The Magpies ramped that up around clearances, claiming a lopsided 16-4 final-quarter count with 4-1 at centre clearances. And would I be surprised if he's once again a consensus top five player by season's end. In that stretch, he's led the league in disposals and ranks top five in clearances. I'm convinced that if Parish's numbers were even just 10% lower he'd receive far less (unjust) criticism. Laird and Clayton Oliver were the only two players who averaged 15 contested and 15 uncontested possessions in 2022. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. He and Sam Berry were the only two players to rank top five in both tackles and pressure acts last season. Is May the best pure defender in the game? It's just a shame his ball use (particularly around goal) often lets him down. He was held goalless just once and was a multiple goal kicker on 14 occasions. Richmond was next best with three players. Bolton hasn't just taken the torch from Dustin Martin as Richmond's dynamic mid-forward threat, he's ensuring the flame will continue to burn brightly for years to come. In fact, it seems that the type of mark is less important than its location. His contested ball, marking, rebounding from defensive 50 and tackling numbers all continue to rise. How he's managed to not only resurrect his career, but re-establish himself as one of the competition's premier forwards -- all during a time where he became embroiled in an off-field racism controversy -- is something that deserves a huge amount of credit. 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. I just don't think it's that clear cut. However, considering the advantage fantasy points possess, their superiority over kicks is not very significant. Even Luke Davies-Uniacke may eventually give it a shake, but as of right now, we are witnessing something special from Clayton Oliver, and anyone who criticises what he doesnt do, or what he could do, should take a bit of gander at what he does do. Disposals; Player TM Years # GM Ave. Josh Dunkley will play for the Lions in 2023. Michael Willson/Getty Images. Don't count him out for the Brownlow Medal, either Shai Bolton's star continues to rise in the AFL. As one of the great runners and line-breakers in the league, Crisp offers a totally different package to the average AFL midfielder. Izak Rankine does what he does best in this mesmerising goal. He's well and truly over the hump, having played 358 games, but I bet there's not a single person who will disagree with the smooth-moving Pendlebury making the top 50. 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. Zach Merrett will captain Essendon in 2023. 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. Michael Willson/Getty Images, Club: Western BulldogsPosition: Mid-forward. But I bet you knew that already, right?! With three games remaining in the 2021 season (plus at least one final for the Dees), Oliver sits at 327 contested touches. WATCH: Will Warner be a top three player in 18 months' time? Just the one: Bailey. Champion Data class Stewart as a 'general defender' but you feel 'the general' would be a far more appropriate title for him. Bayley Fritsch rarely plays a game without kicking a goal. In the early days of Steele's career, I just couldn't see him developing into a fully fledged A-grader. 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. Ratten for the most 10-clearance games in AFL history when he . Josh Kennedy had a game-high 22 contested possessions with the onballer ending his day . The average Victorian-based footy fan might not be overly familiar with Anderson. 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. Bayley Fritsch kicked a match-high four goals for the Demons and Cameron Zurhaar managed three for the Kangaroos. On average, winning the inside 50 count also translates to a 15-point victory. 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. 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. 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. Check out who's leading the way in every major statistical individual and team category since 2000. Noah Anderson celebrates a goal after the siren. 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. For this exercise, I'm looking at the 50 best players heading into season 2023.
Houses For Rent Hammond, La Craigslist,
Lds Area Presidencies Map,
Harman Management Team,
Consequences Of Breaching Confidentiality In Childcare,
Articles M