most contested possessions afl all time

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. 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. It's hardly a concern, though, given he's still just 22 years old and certainly has the potential to get there one day. But for all Adelaide's early dominance, the Crows were left to rue inaccuracy, including a run of three missed set shots, to only hold a 22-point quarter-time lead. 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? Callum Mills is one of the most versatile midfielders in the AFL. His finishing rarely lets him down, either. Forget top dozen inside midfielders, you can easily make the case Liberatore deserves to be considered among the top six. Michael Willson/Getty Images, Club: Western BulldogsPosition: Mid-forward. Toby Bedford made an immediate impact in his GWS debut after 16 matches with Melbourne, taking a diving mark in the forward pocket then nailing the set shot for the opening goal of the game. I'm going to be honest, the Giants skipper is my favourite player in the league to watch (narrowly edging out Sicily). Through last year's injury interrupted season, Martin averaged 18 disposals and 1.3 goals per game, playing predominantly in the forward line. The Giants finished the afternoon with 41 more contested possessions than Essendon, a . 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. Last year, Parker kicked 14 majors, including a bag of five against the Giants in Round 1 which netted him three Brownlow Medal votes. If he's in the midfield, he'll destroy you at the contest, breaking tackles with ease and always searching for his trademark burst play. He reads the game better than anyone else and has the skills to match. Collingwood dominated the last term, with 15-5 inside 50s, with the dam wall eventually breaking in the final five minutes. Noah Anderson celebrates a goal after the siren. 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: . No other player in recent history has come close to this type of production so early into their career. And mind you, this was no Tigers fanatic. . 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. Paul Kane/Getty Images. I don't reckon many non-Crows fans will believe some of these numbers. Also Lynch. And with an ability to push up the ground when required, Heeney's just about the complete football player. 3 in disposals last year with 32.1 per game. At 24, Oliver is just now entering his prime years, which is a scary thought. 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. I'll even answer them. Like. ABC sports journalist James Coventry brought mainstream AFL analysis into the 21st century when his groundbreaking book, Footballistics, was released in 2018. Patrick Dangerfield has won everything in the game. 2 last year in direct goal assists, highlighting just how selfless he is. Not the most valuable. That average of 2.7 per outing ranks him fourth in the league. 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. Enjoy the thrilling final moments between Adelaide and Collingwood in round seven. The 50 best AFL players heading into season 2023. Check out who's leading the way in every major statistical individual and team category since 2000. And who led the league in contested marks? Charlie Curnow was the 2022 Coleman Medal winner. Curnow started the match with undersized Eagles defender Josh Rotham for company, and the Carlton star burst out of the blocks with three contested marks and two goals in the first quarter. The Swans' dashing halfback Ollie Florent was a curious match-up on Greene for much of the contest and was mostly able to nullify the Giants' dangerman near goal. Anzac Day Eve has brought out the best and worst of both Richmond and Melbourne for the last eight years. I cannot wait to see how he goes as captain! 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. April 25, 2023. Let me preface this entry by making it clear Sicily's ranking is not a wild overreaction to what was, quite frankly, an objectively mortifying snub from last year's All-Australian team. Those who do it better than 99.5% of players in the sport deserve credit for it. However, considering the advantage fantasy points possess, their superiority over kicks is not very significant. If Warner stays healthy, I'll be utterly stunned if he isn't a unanimous top three player by the end of 2024. Curnow really is one of only a handful of players (okay, maybe two handfuls) who can literally take the game away from you in the space of 15 minutes. 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. 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. 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. Despite the colourful tattoos and retro moustache, 'Libba' flies totally under the radar and has done so for the bulk of his career. AFL Season 2023. That game? 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. Scary stuff. Tom Mitchell was also close, 12 possessions away from joining the club in his 2018 Brownlow year as the Hawks went out of the finals in straight sets. JACK CRISP. 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. 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. You guessed it, I'm a skeptic of the ruck position. 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). 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Cripps never had trouble winning the ball at the contest -- consistently ranking as a top five player in clearances and contested possessions -- but last year he became a much more complete footballer. His contested ball, marking, rebounding from defensive 50 and tackling numbers all continue to rise. With three games remaining in the 2021 season (plus at least one final for the Dees), Oliver sits at 327 contested touches. Check out the tables below to see the rest of the records that players and teams could chase. Among all players who have played at least 50 AFL games Kennedy ranks fourth all-time in average clearances and average contested possessions. scooterselwood Club Legend. The man who inspired this daunting (and at times regrettable!) Did I mention Oliver was also the No. Connor Rozee was selected to the All Australian team in 2022. 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. But like I mentioned in the introduction; no forecasting is allowed here. 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. I'm not sure there were many footy fans who had Hewett as a top 100 player heading into 2022, let alone top 50. 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. 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. 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. He is without question one of the hardest-working midfielders in the competition, constantly running and spreading all over the ground to always provide his teammates with an option. Crisp's insane durability also has to be factored in, given he is currently riding a league-longest streak of 188 consecutive games played. Not only is he every bit a star of the AFL but also an underrated candidate for best skipper. I'm thrilled Merrett has been appointed Essendon skipper for 2023. Each of the ten teams won the game by 20 points or more. 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. The once seemingly unassailable mark, set by Kevin Bartlett in 1983 has now been surpassed by Burgoyne, Michael Tuck and Brent Harvey (who still had a bit of gas in the tank when he finished up). So if you're one of them, I've got two questions for you. The true reason, of course, is that it is better to have possession of the ball than it is to be tackling an opponent who has the ball. 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. I'm convinced that if Parish's numbers were even just 10% lower he'd receive far less (unjust) criticism. He's never afraid to take on the game with his pace, run-and-carry and dare, and with more time in the midfield last year was able to enjoy career-highs in most statistical categories. Who knows, maybe even the top three! The clinical Mihocek snapped truly on his left and capitalised on Jordon Butts' defensive gift to close the gap to one goal by half-time. 1 draft pick from 2018? Most Possessions in a Quarter. 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. Last season, he was the No. 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. It's not easy! 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. Bayley Fritsch rarely plays a game without kicking a goal. The Swans co-captain gathered 33 disposals and booted an important final-term goal, but lacked support around the stoppages to stem the flow of goals as the Giants stormed home. 2 in the league for score involvements last season, behind only Tom Hawkins). Robert Cianflone/Getty Images. Imagine every player is lined up in the schoolyard and you can take your pick of the crop. 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. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images. Emails will NOT be used for the sending of unsolicited, spam or promotional materials. You could almost copy and paste the Macrae entry right here and just change the name references to Merrett, another highly underrated and super consistent midfielder who doesn't get the recognition he deserves. It holds him in good. 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. 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. I had absolutely no hesitation in making that declaration following Petracca's 2021 Grand Final heroics. ), McKay was the best forward 12 months prior, leading the competition with 58 majors, again, from only 19 appearances. Top 30? 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. 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. One other interesting note (and I don't think this counts as a spoiler), Dunkley is the only player on this list who will play at a new club in 2023. On average, the team that registered more marks inside 50 has won by 15 points. George Hewett was the best recruit of the 2021 off-season. Picture: AFL Photos, Shane Mumford competes with Callum Sinclair in the R6 clash between GWS and Sydney on April 27, 2019. Picture: Getty Images, Steve Johnson in action during the R19 clash between Geelong and Melbourne on July 30, 2011. He had the venue record of nine goals when he pushed off Bazzo to take a mark in a pack near the goal square. On average, the winning team has received 17 free kicks and given away 16 hardly a significant difference. Clayton Oliver might be the most consistent player in the AFL. At times he looks like a man vs. boys; good luck bringing him down as he charges forward from a contest. Dustin Martin at 75% is still one of the best players in the AFL. Teams were aware of this for years, but now they were getting the hard data to back up their game style. The team that wins the clearance count is victorious in just over half of AFLW games, winning by a goal on average. 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. 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. My slight knock on 'the Bont' is that he's prone to having too many quiet quarters (at least compared to those ranked above him on this list), but enough with the negatives, a top seven rank should be celebrated. The sheer volume of his disposals might not stack up with some of the game's other elite players, but I'm not docking him ranking value for that, because his impact is every bit on par. Last year, Toby Greene averaged seven more disposals per game and Isaac Heeney took twice as many contested marks. In fact, Lions recruit Josh Dunkley told ESPN in 2021 that Miller is the most difficult player to match up on in the midfield, given his speed, endurance and ability to lay bone-crunching tackles. 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. 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. Believe it or not, ruck contests appear to be almost entirely irrelevant in AFLW. 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. 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). Since the beginning of 2021, 163 of his 400 kicks (or 41%) resulted in a score. I've got to be honest, I was totally convinced Walker's career was finished about two or three years back. Isaac Heeney celebrates a goal in the 2022 AFL Grand Final. His masterpiece performance might well have been his effort on Sydney spearhead Lance Franklin in their qualifying final, holding him to just two kicks and no score, albeit in a loss. Picture: AFL Photos, Fremantle players celebrate a goal during the R4 clash against GWS on April 9, 2022. At age 24, Bolton is the youngest player in the top 20 and I'd argue he has more upside than anyone on the entire list not named Chad Warner. 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. Move him up. No surprise he had the fourth-most kicks of anyone last year, as well as the most rebound 50s. Tom Hawkins continues to perform at an elite level. Michael Willson/Getty Images. 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. Hawkins remains the AFL's king in score involvements (8.7 per game), and ranked No. He averages six tackles per game for his career and last season ranked fourth in the league for pressure acts. 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. Fyfe has taken 299 contested marks in his career, which ranks 39th all-time and is the most of any non-ruck or key position player since the statistic was recorded. Supporters and commentators love to discuss controversial umpiring decisions, but the free kick differential explains just nine percent of the variation in AFLW margins. At that moment, this bold idea was born. In many ways, Steele is the prototype midfielder. Some are sure to view Lynch's ranking ahead of Curnow as rather controversial. There's also no projection here. Joe Daniher also booted three majors, with Ashcroft, Cameron, Zac Bailey, Eric Hipwood finished the match with doubles. It's a damn shame that injuries have derailed Fyfe's hall-of-fame career. On Monday mornings at ESPN Australia headquarters, football debates and hypotheticals provide as much energy as the 9:30 a.m. coffee run. 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. That's too low. 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. It's just a shame his ball use (particularly around goal) often lets him down. 8 and watch him put in a shift. 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. Few would argue Max Gawn isn't the No. 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. Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images. Champion Data has trawled through its data to make an "advanced stats AFLW all-stars team". It's also worth remembering McKay is just 25 years of age! Sydney v GWS Sydney Chad Warner has averaged the second most disposals per game, as well as the most contested possessions per game of any of Sydney player. ABC Sport on Grandstand it's 100% Pure Footy. But I dug my heels in, refusing to be a prisoner of the moment. 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. He also ranks equal-third for clearances and sits in the top 10 for . I mentioned Warner in my introduction and that no forecasting was taking place when devising this list. 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. These are the 50 best, in order. Melbourne triumphed in a mismatch marred by a horror leg injury sustained by Kangaroos youngster Charlie Comben. 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. You've got to hand it to Cripps. Naturally, teams that generate more scoring opportunities are more likely to win. 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. 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. 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. Dangerfield was one of the most difficult players to rank. 00:00:00 Forward 15 seconds Back 15 seconds Share Subscribe Description 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. See leaders through past seasons 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. There are at least four others who play a very similar role and have stronger numbers over a greater period of time (keep reading, I'll prove it), they just don't get a fraction of the credit. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Would you believe me if I told you that no player has booted more goals than him since the beginning of 2012? 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. It highlights just how much of a potent attacking force he really is. Petracca kicked 19.31 last season but 29.19 the year before. The differential for this statistic explains 31 percent of the variation in margins. . Lynch. for rent by owner jacksonville, fl, sunshine mobile home park st petersburg, fl,

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