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. His contested ball, marking, rebounding from defensive 50 and tackling numbers all continue to rise. The Dockers looked down on confidence and direction as they lost an 11th-straight first quarter. Ruby Schleicher, Collingwood - intercept possessions. 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. 49. 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. May just doesn't get beaten in one-on-one contests, using his size and strength to unsettle forwards. Jerry Rice (151), 2. Some numbers, though, are incomplete. Lachie Neale is chaired off the Gabba after his 200th game. 2 for fewest one-on-one contest losses over the last five years -- but when freed up he is as damaging as just about any defender in the game. The Kangaroos remain the only winless team in the AFL, slumping to 0-6 for the first time in 49 years. What are the two most valuable things a player can do in football? >>SEE ALL THE KEY TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL RECORD-HOLDERS BELOW. Imagine if he was converting even 60% of his shots! 16 and am comfortable knowing who ranks ahead and behind him. 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. 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. 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. I'm going to be honest, the Giants skipper is my favourite player in the league to watch (narrowly edging out Sicily). Who are the best players in the AFL and how would you go about ranking them? Top 20? 7? 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Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. No surprise he ranked No. Crisp's insane durability also has to be factored in, given he is currently riding a league-longest streak of 188 consecutive games played. Lance Franklin celebrates the 1,000th goal of his career. 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. I don't reckon many non-Crows fans will believe some of these numbers. Adelaide was brilliantly led by captain Jordan Dawson, who had 30 disposals with 14 contested possessions, while Rory Laird shook off a calf concern to have 29 touches, including 11 in the first term, and Reilly O'Brien won 44 hitouts and took several strong marks around the ground. 1 Leigh Matthews. Sure, 2022 was a down year for the Power but Wines continued to play at a high level, averaging 28 disposals, five clearances, five inside 50s and four tackles per game. Jack Macrae is one of the best ball-winners in the AFL. Reggie Wayne (93), 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. 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. WATCH: Will Warner be a top three player in 18 months' time? Curnow jumped onto Shannon Hurn's shoulders to take a spectacular high grab before wheeling onto his right boot to snap his eighth. 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. Hugh McCluggage celebrates a goal during the 2022 finals series. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images. 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. Just remember, it's not easy to find the footy. In many ways, Steele is the prototype midfielder. Chargers RB Keith Lincoln vs. Patriots, 1963 AFL championship game. 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. 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. 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. 33-8-8. In fact, no non-key forward has kicked more than Fritsch's 114 over the last two years. 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. But last year we saw that number jump up . 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! 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. Few would argue Max Gawn isn't the No. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. There are over 800 players in the AFL. He also rates higher than most forwards in the finishing department, having kicked 85.49 over the last two seasons. contested touches, still play that game with the missus sometimes ! Collingwood celebrates its win over Adelaide in round seven, 2023. COLLINGWOOD has produced another trademark final-quarter charge to claim a thrilling one-point victory over Adelaide on Sunday to move into outright top spot on the ladder. Patrick Cripps shows off his 2022 Brownlow Medal. That's eight and a half seasons! In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. I cannot wait to see how he goes as captain! 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. Key defenders and general forwards had 8% each, while just one ruck and general defender were featured. Last year, he had the fifth-most score involvements in the league. Are his midfield days over? That average of 2.7 per outing ranks him fourth in the league. 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. 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. 9 with the Swans! More than a third of teams that have lost the handball count still managed to win the game. Anderson is one of the brightest young stars in the AFL and his game is developing at breakneck speed. It's also made ranking him amongst his contemporaries a near impossible task! 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. But Smith's running gifts extend beyond endurance. 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. Smith's greatest asset is his stamina and running power. It was the Hawks' (1-5) fourth straight loss, leaving them anchored to the bottom of the ladder. The intercept possession differential explains 25 percent of the variation in margins, uncontested possessions explain 28 percent, and contested possessions explain 39 percent. Champion Data has trawled through its data to make an "advanced stats AFLW all-stars team". At just 23 years of age, he has a ridiculous amount of unearthed potential, and with a little more consistency, is more than capable of joining the ultra elite group of key position players in the AFL. Perhaps the biggest tease in the AFL over the last three or four seasons. Albert Perez/GETTY IMAGES. His finishing rarely lets him down, either. Dustin Martin at 75% is still one of the best players in the AFL. I'm convinced that if Parish's numbers were even just 10% lower he'd receive far less (unjust) criticism. His unmatched speed, silky skills and elite finishing inside 50m allow him to flip games on their head in the space of minutes. Elite? 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. On average, the winning team has received 17 free kicks and given away 16 hardly a significant difference. Hawkins remains the AFL's king in score involvements (8.7 per game), and ranked No. Ask anyone to list the best dozen inside midfielders in the league and I'd be shocked if Liberatore's name is mentioned. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. . You guessed it, I'm a skeptic of the ruck position. All of a sudden, my mind was constructing something which half resembled an ordered list. He looked a shell of himself and his production had fallen off a cliff. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. Dylan Burns/Getty Images. Tahlia Randall, North Melbourne - spoils A Above Average: Top 11% to 35% of the statistical category. 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. He will go down in history as one of the league's all-time great key forwards. 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. Now where's that shaking my head emoji Is Rory Laird the most underrated player in the AFL? The 20-year-old Magpies young gun also spent time off the ground in the second term with a calf issue troubling him, but played on and played his part as Collingwood surged home. Laird and Clayton Oliver were the only two players who averaged 15 contested and 15 uncontested possessions in 2022. Check. 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. He has also made the list another time, notching 403 from 25 games back in 2012. And at just 23 years of age, we know he's not even close to reaching his potential. Aside from the two mentioned above, Tom Green looks a likely candidate, whilst Caleb Serong shows the inside strength to win a heap of footy. 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 . 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. Fritsch also doesn't crack the top 10 among general forwards for either score involvements or score assists. Impressive Kangaroos youngster Harry Sheezel and Aaron Hall each had 30-disposal matches. Richmond was next best with three players. But in the 'best players' category, sorry, it's just not happening. There's really no better way to describe Cameron, who, at this point, is practically a walking highlight reel. Brody Mihocek kept Collingwood in the contest with three goals. 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. But, contrary to what many believe, Laird does so much more than rack up touches. 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. 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. It's all the proof anyone needs that he's still undoubtedly one of the best players in the AFL. His previous career best was a seven-goal haul against the Western Bulldogs in 2019. However, his marking, contested marking and raw disposal numbers did tail off compared to 2021, the main reason he didn't secure a top 30 ranking here. He and Sam Berry were the only two players to rank top five in both tackles and pressure acts last season. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images. In the process of finding AFLWs most important statistics, the first challenge is to determine how importance should be calculated. The only thing that gets in the is that he never won a Brownlow otherwise he would be labeled the GOAT like Michael Jordan of the AFL. Champion Data's numbers would suggest he is. If it is a valid email, your password will be reset and emailed to you. No doubt the first of many 'controversies' on this list. Barely got a touch after 1/4 time IIRC. 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. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. 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. He also ranks equal-third for clearances and sits in the top 10 for . 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. Build your own custom leaderboards with Stathead Football. Intercepting defenders have become crucial in recent years, but the record for most intercept possessions is now a decade old, with another former Kangaroo, Scott Thompson, doing so 24 times. 1-ranked player last year in clearances, contested possessions and ground ball gets?! The 400-Club may see others join over the next few years. Plenty of AFL teams have received a rude wake-up call by means of a thrashing to start a new season. Whilst reaching 400 games remains an incredibly rare occurrence, the other 400-Club boasts just three players. Stewart doesn't get beaten in one-on-one situations. I've got to be honest, I was totally convinced Walker's career was finished about two or three years back. Emails will NOT be used for the sending of unsolicited, spam or promotional materials. 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. 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. Albert Perez/Getty Images. Collingwood booted three goals to one in the final term, rallying after Chayce Jones extended the home side's lead to 22 points early in the last. Will Ashcroft put forward a goal-of-the-year contender as the Brisbane Lions sunk Fremantle's season to further depths. 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. Bailey Smith (24 disposals, six clearances) made a successful return after two weeks out with a calf injury but the Bulldogs missed concussed midfielder Tom Liberatore's grunt around the ball. In reality, he's a key forward trapped inside a small's body. It's a damn shame that injuries have derailed Fyfe's hall-of-fame career. Last year, Toby Greene averaged seven more disposals per game and Isaac Heeney took twice as many contested marks. Then the second selection, and third, and so on. project. 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. Champion Data class Stewart as a 'general defender' but you feel 'the general' would be a far more appropriate title for him. For this exercise, I'm looking at the 50 best players heading into season 2023. In my mind, he's the league's most complete player. Required fields are marked *. Daniel Pockett/Getty Images. Heeney has well and truly lived up to the hype and continues to develop his game each and every year. If this list was constructed at the beginning of last year, Brayshaw's not on it. Is May the best pure defender in the game? In round two this year, Fremantle recorded seven clearances fewer than West Coast in the AFLWs inaugural western derby, but the Dockers still managed to cruise to a 45-point victory. He was initially in the top 10, then he dropped out of the top 20. Positives among negatives for CrowsAdelaide will be lamenting this loss, given its general dominance, inaccuracy and the final-quarter chaos. A career-best season from Schleicher finished in All-Australian selection. Win the Brownlow Medal and still fall short of top billing. Zac Bailey is one of the league's best young mid-forwards. 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. Connor Rozee was selected to the All Australian team in 2022. 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. Josh Kennedy had a game-high 22 contested possessions with the onballer ending his day . And those in the second camp, I want to share some numbers with you. 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. 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. On average, winning the inside 50 count also translates to a 15-point victory. Graham Denholm/Getty Images. 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. READ: The enduring magnetism of Scott Pendlebury, Scott Pendlebury is one of the all-time greats of the AFL. Darrian Traynor/Getty Images. 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. Top 30? Often at the bottom of a pack or having to deal with two opponents hanging off him, he never fails to hit a target with his lightning-quick hands, setting up more attacking thrusts from midfield than any other player. Petracca kicked 19.31 last season but 29.19 the year before. 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. Not too shabby, by any means. 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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). 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. 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. You are advised to change this password after using it to sign in again. At that moment, this bold idea was born. However, considering the advantage fantasy points possess, their superiority over kicks is not very significant. That last-second shove before taking a chest mark is borderline unguardable. Boy, was I wrong. No non-key forward averages more goals per game than Greene over the last two years. If you're playing a Grand Final tomorrow, and have first crack at drafting anyone in the league, there aren't many you're picking ahead of him if any. Just the one: Bailey. Ashcroft kicked another goal from a set shot soon after that and finished with 28 mostly silky disposals. That's too low. 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. 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. Not at all. 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. This was the third time this season they've won from a three-quarter time deficit. Over the last two years, Walker has booted 95 goals from just 35 games. 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. 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. I've referenced others on this list as difficult match-ups but Petracca is the most difficult. With more time in the midfield, and some further development as a player, I expect Rozee to begin pushing himself towards the top 20. So if you're one of them, I've got two questions for you. The Crows and Magpies clash in round seven. The youngest player in the entire list was Chad Warner (21), the oldest was Lance Franklin (36). Leigh Mathew's is definitely a top 5 player and arguably the greatest. He's also taken the third-most contested marks inside 50m in that period. And at age 21, he is easily the youngest player on this entire list. 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. Eventually, I settled with him at No. As one of the great runners and line-breakers in the league, Crisp offers a totally different package to the average AFL midfielder.
Rochester High School Yearbook, Articles M
Rochester High School Yearbook, Articles M