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. You see, Martin's bar was set so high throughout his stellar career that we'll always unfairly compare him to what he once was. He continues to be the heartbeat of the Swans and the main catalyst behind the club's enviable high standards, never afraid to put his head over the ball or do the dirty work. I really don't think Hawkins gets enough credit for the level of quality he's produced over the past decade and change. 2022 AFL League Total Contested Possessions Leaders (Minimum 5 Games Played). Emails will only be used for identification purposes and for the resetting of forgotten passwords. Picture: AFL Photos, Joel Bowden celebrates a goal during the R5 clash between Richmond and North Melbourne on April 25, 2009. In fact, no non-key forward has kicked more than Fritsch's 114 over the last two years. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. 13 obscure AFL records going under the radar this season Tom Stewart holds the 2022 AFL premiership cup aloft. 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: . Against a depleted GWS, Essendon's contested possessions about as bad Picture: AFL Photos, Fremantle players celebrate a goal during the R4 clash against GWS on April 9, 2022. Is it because he's not the flashiest player going around? Reggie Wayne (93), 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. Dunkley is a great ball user and the ultimate team man, unafraid of the dirty work -- ranking top 10 in both tackling and smothers since 2019 -- that others often shy away from. Eventually, I settled with him at No. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images. For this exercise, I'm looking at the 50 best players heading into season 2023. Enjoy the thrilling final moments between Adelaide and Collingwood in round seven. As one of the great runners and line-breakers in the league, Crisp offers a totally different package to the average AFL midfielder. Tom Hawkins continues to perform at an elite level. Pies from the skies again: Collingwood edges Crows in thriller Isaac Heeney celebrates a goal in the 2022 AFL Grand Final. Richmond was next best with three players. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. RORY Laird's incredible 20-tackle performance at the weekend set a new benchmark for AFL players to chase. MOST CONTESTED TOUCHES IN A SEASON THE 400 CLUB, 400 clubClayton OliverJosh KennedyPatrick CrippsPatrick DangerfieldTom Mitchell. 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. Dangerfield was one of the most difficult players to rank. 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. It got us thinking about which of the other individual and team records might be attainable in the near future. 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. Whilst others were bigger and stringer at that point, Olivers ability to read the ball and put himself in the right spots to win the footy saw him simply beat his opponents to the right spot. 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. And those in the second camp, I want to share some numbers with you. AFL 2022 Champion Data Deep Dive - which Adelaide Crows and Port 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. And he often does just that. 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. . The numbers that prove this Roo is one of the game's best The Demons kicked their highest score this season and were on track to record their biggest winning margin against North Melbourne, before the Kangaroos kicked the last three goals of the match. NFL Receptions Career Playoffs Leaders - Pro-Football-Reference.com That in itself highlights just how exceptional the young Docker was in 2022, providing a much-needed spark in a year where former skipper Nat Fyfe just couldn't get on the park. 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. 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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. In tight, he's equally as effective, able to win clearances and set up attacking thrusts from stoppages. Even with a lean finals campaign, 2022 was clearly his best season yet. 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. Last year, Toby Greene averaged seven more disposals per game and Isaac Heeney took twice as many contested marks. 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). 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. 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. 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. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. Comben was hospitalised with a suspected broken leg. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. If it is a valid email, your password will be reset and emailed to you. project. Rozee is a clever, elusive, highly skilled player who kicks goals (aka the dream midfielder) and his positional switch was the main driver behind the Power turning its season around, improving from the horrific 0-5 start to finish a respectable 10-12. Steele's one of the best midfielders in the competition when the opposition possesses the ball, always providing elite defensive pressure. 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. 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! You've got to hand it to Cripps. 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. Here's one for you; how many players have kicked 30 goals in each of the last two seasons? 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. 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. 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 . 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. His finishing rarely lets him down, either. 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. 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. The potential was always evident and Curnow well and truly delivered on it in a breakout 2022. 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 must admit, I always find myself laughing when commentators seem surprised by his elite passing, particularly when going inside 50m. It's hardly a concern, though, given he's still just 22 years old and certainly has the potential to get there one day. A Above Average: Top 11% to 35% of the statistical category. So why doesn't he rank higher? It all bodes well for a career-best 2023, and the bookmakers agree, installing him as the pre-season favourite for this year's Coleman. 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. One of the great midfielders of the modern era and still with plenty left in the tank, despite the fact he's already amassed 260 physically-demanding games. They explain 55 percent of the variation in margins, slightly above the 51 percent explained by the kick differential. If Warner stays healthy, I'll be utterly stunned if he isn't a unanimous top three player by the end of 2024. In fact, there's really no weakness to his game. Joe Daniher also booted three majors, with Ashcroft, Cameron, Zac Bailey, Eric Hipwood finished the match with doubles. 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. Can he be a successful forward? So there you have 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). We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. . As Shaun Burgoyne rolled out to play his 400thAFL game a couple of weeks back, he joined an elite club. His previous career best was a seven-goal haul against the Western Bulldogs in 2019. As expected, the Magpies responded in the second, willed on by Moore who had six first-half intercept possessions, with ex-Crow Billy Frampton slotting their first, while Adelaide continued to spurn set-shot opportunities. 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. AFLW's most crucial statistics | Australia Zone - Medium Parish has transformed himself into a top tier midfielder and one of the best accumulators in the competition, averaging 32 disposals per contest since his breakout performance on Anzac Day in 2021. It's actually crazy that of Cripps' 159 games, zero have been finals. Jerry Rice (151), 2. 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. 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. Can Nat Fyfe return to his devastating best in 2023? The top 25 postseason performances in NFL history - ESPN AFL Draft the 10 most underrated prospects - ESPN Laird's remarkable effort in Saturday's loss against Collingwood surpassed Jack Ziebell's previous record of 19 set in 2016. More than a third of teams that have lost the handball count still managed to win the game. The ESPN Footy Podcast boys discuss who didn't make Jake's Top 50 AFL players. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. Champion Data's numbers would suggest he is. Fair company! By Sarah Black - womens.afl on Oct 29, 2020, 9:55pm. 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. AFL Home Fixtures Scores Ladder Podcast Tipping Champions Brownlow The team that wins the clearance count is victorious in just over half of AFLW games, winning by a goal on average. With three games remaining in the 2021 season (plus at least one final for the Dees), Oliver sits at 327 contested touches. Noah Anderson celebrates a goal after the siren. And at age 21, he is easily the youngest player on this entire list. Actual Hit Rate: How often a player hits the intended target (including50/50 contests) when attempting a kick. The modern game of football changed drastically in the early 2000s. Plenty of Demons fans would argue May's the club's most important player, and with that list, that's certainly saying something. Most Possessions in a Quarter | BigFooty Forum Adelaide's desperate attempt to race the ball up the other end from the kick-in was in vain as Pies skipper Darcy Moore fittingly intercepted to clinch an epic 8.11 (59) to 7.16 (58) victory. But May does a whole lot more than just lock down the league's best key forwards. There is a weak negative correlation between the rebound 50 differential and the margin. Ashcroft kicked another goal from a set shot soon after that and finished with 28 mostly silky disposals. 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. 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). See leaders through past seasons 2021 AFL League Contested Possessions Per Game Leaders No non-key forward averages more goals per game than Greene over the last two years. 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. 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). 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. 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. He ranks elite amongst key forwards in just about every imaginable category; goals, score involvements, disposals, marks, contested possessions and inside 50s. Ladies and gentleman, the best player in the AFL! Ash Johnson and Josh Daicos both goaled, before John Noble's running goal from 50m out with 2:52 left cut the margin to one point. Naughton's mobility also makes him far more dangerous than the average key forward, given he can still impact the play when the ball hits the deck. Tom Lynch is one of more underrated forwards in the league. There were 12 players aged 30+ who made the top 50, while the majority (54%) fell in the 25-29 age bracket, including the entire top seven. "You're crazy," he snapped, while furiously tapping away at his keyboard in search of stats that would substantiate his argument. On average, the winning team has received 17 free kicks and given away 16 hardly a significant difference. It should be no surprise that forward 50 entries are one of the competitions most important metrics. 2021 AFL League Contested Possessions Per Game Leaders (Minimum 5 Games Played) Rank: Player: Team Games: Average: 1: Clayton Oliver: Melbourne: 25: 17.44: 2: Ben Cunnington: North Melbourne: 15: 15.60: 3: . As much as I believe Chad Warner is a future top three player, he's obviously not there yet, and will be ranked accordingly. Not at all. An aspect of Oliver's game which I believe is completely underrated is his pressure. Picture: AFL Photos, BARRETT: Woeful West Coast entering Fitzroy territory, McRae stunned by late call, Nicks laments inaccuracy. In 142 AFLW games, the winner of the rebound 50 count has won just 46 times, losing by eight points on average. After the Blues' heartbreaking pre-finals exit last season, I'm expecting a hungry and determined Cripps to hit the ground running this year and finally lead his side into September. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. From lock-down midfielder to one of the game's ultra elite, it's been an incredible rise for Miller over the last two years. Last season, he was the No. WATCH: Will Warner be a top three player in 18 months' time? The Other 400 Club - The Mongrel Punt Most Possessions in a Quarter. Albert Perez/Getty Images. And what's even more unfortunate is that it's one of my favourites (yes, we're allowed to have our favourites!) Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. This was the third time this season they've won from a three-quarter time deficit. Last season, Moore had the third-most intercept possessions and the fourth-most one-percenters. Curnow has that Jeremy Cameron-esque ability (anyone seen him yet?) Not only is he every bit a star of the AFL but also an underrated candidate for best skipper. Who are the best players in the AFL and how would you go about ranking them? Champion Data class Stewart as a 'general defender' but you feel 'the general' would be a far more appropriate title for him. 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. De Goey has the enviable quality of being as effective forward as he is in the middle and is capable of winning any game off his own boot. Last year, he earned All-Australian selection for a season in which he tallied 43 goals, 41 behinds and averaged over 17 disposals and four inside 50s per game -- just outrageous numbers. Unsurprisingly, winning the rebound 50 count is not a good omen. He also ranked 13th in 2022 for score involvements, the eighth-highest rated midfielder in the category. 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. Yes, I know Brownlow votes aren't everything, but the fact Liberatore has polled just 14 -- seven of them coming last year -- since the Bulldogs won the flag in 2016 is downright criminal. established stars, regardless of how spellbindingly-brilliant his game on the weekend had been. Last year, Cameron was also the league's best pressure player, laying more tackles than anyone else inside forward 50. Warner is already averaging 23 disposals and nearly a goal per game as well as over four clearances, tackles and inside 50s, playing a brand of football that's drawing comparisons to the likes of prime Dustin Martin and Patrick Dangerfield. 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.
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