Spoiler alert! 2022 AFL League Total Contested Possessions Leaders (Minimum 5 Games Played). Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver impressed with 37 disposals, while Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw in his 150th match also shone. AFL Home Fixtures Scores. He just doesn't miss targets, or make mistakes, for that matter. 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. The slippery conditions provided a truly scrappy contest - but one player wasn't fumbling that day. 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. Last season, he was the No. Now how many have done that and averaged 17 or more disposals per game? That all equated to 15-5 inside 50s and a wealth of opportunity which they finally capitalised upon, albeit with only 30 seconds left. Daniel Pockett/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 . 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. The Dockers looked down on confidence and direction as they lost an 11th-straight first quarter. Callum Mills is one of the most versatile midfielders in the AFL. Plenty of Demons fans would argue May's the club's most important player, and with that list, that's certainly saying something. I'm thrilled Merrett has been appointed Essendon skipper for 2023. Tensions boil over after the Crows get stuck into Nick Daicos following Taylor Walker's goal, The Pies lose Nathan Kreuger to injury after the utility receives an inadvertent knock to the knee from teammate Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek punishes the careless Crows with these two goals to trim the margin, Josh Daicos edges the Magpies one step closer after finding himself in the right spot at the right time, Collingwood small defender John Noble drifts forward and nails this mighty kick on the run late in the game, Watch Collingwood's press conference after round seven's match against Adelaide, Watch Adelaide's press conference after round seven's match against Collingwood, Extended highlights of the Crows and Magpies clash in round seven, ADELAIDE 3.6 3.10 6.15 7.16 (58)COLLINGWOOD 0.2 3.4 5.5 8.11 (59), GOALSAdelaide: Pedlar 2, Jones 2, Walker, Sloane, RankineCollingwood: Mihocek 3, Noble, Johnson, Hoskin-Elliott, Frampton, J.Daicos, BESTAdelaide: Dawson, O'Brien, Laird, Soligo, Murray, DoedeeCollingwood: Moore, J.Daicos, Mihocek, N.Daicos, Sidebottom, McCreery, Murphy, INJURIESAdelaide: NilCollingwood: Kreuger (ribs), SUBSTITUTESAdelaide: Harry Schoenberg (replaced Jake Soligo in fourth quarter)Collingwood: Will Kelly (replaced Nathan Kreuger in first quarter), VFLW superstar Sergeant Rhiannon Busch joins the crew for Yokayi Footy's Anzac Day special, highlighted by Charlie Cameron's incredible haul, From college basketball to the biggest stage in the AFL, enjoy Mason Cox's career highlights, Conor Nash has enjoyed a meteoric rise under Sam Mitchell, forcing opponents to take notice, Join Damian Barrett and Nat Edwards for AFL Daily, Top draft hopeful Nick Watson tells the Gettable crew many have questioned whether he's too small to make it to the AFL, Access All Areas look at the contentious decisions during Collingwood's miracle win over the Crows, thanks to Crypto.com, Roy, Calvin and Warnie reveal their early trades for round eight, Round seven AFL Rising Star nominee Finn Callaghan discusses his season so far with Cal Twomey, Watch the highlights and find out why Finn Callaghan gets the AFL Rising Star in round seven, Tom Hawkins booted four goals in the first 20 minutes, and finished with a career-best eight - in Geelong's win over Essendon. Will Day (30 touches, six clearances, one goal), James Worpel (25, eight, one) and Jai Newcombe (24, 10, two) took up the fight with the Bulldogs' engine room and veteran forward Luke Breust (three goals) was a handful in attack before half-time. The pick of the bunch had to be his 38 disposal, 10 tackle, eight clearance and one goal game against the Kangaroos. 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. 1 intercept man in the league, averaging 9.5 per game (the next best had 8.5), and took more marks than any other defender. I really don't think Hawkins gets enough credit for the level of quality he's produced over the past decade and change. + Indicates Hall of Famer, season age in parentheses. It's not easy! As one of the great runners and line-breakers in the league, Crisp offers a totally different package to the average AFL midfielder. I bet you wouldn't have picked that, huh? 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. Hewett posted career-best numbers across the board, ranking 11th in the league for disposals and seventh for clearances. When you look deeper, Cripps is the only player to have collected over 1,500 contested possessions within his first 100 games. 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. The rock-solid Taylor became the No. Each of the ten teams won the game by 20 points or more. 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. 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. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. Not too shabby, by any means. Do I need to remind you of his match-winning after-the-siren goal against the Tigers last year? Also Lynch. It's crazy to think he's now gearing up for season No. 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 ESPN Footy Podcast AFL: Boring Blues, dismal Dockers, Ross Lyon, and hard-to-believe stats This week, we worry about Fremantle and Carlton's seasons, discuss Collingwood's clutch fourth terms, and heap praise on Ross Lyon. Key defenders and general forwards had 8% each, while just one ruck and general defender were featured. 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. The Bulldogs owned the scoreboard for most of the second half but struggled to shake off the gallant Hawks. The unassuming Oliver does the second of those better than anyone else in the game. 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. Walsh was already considered an A-grader before the end of his sophomore season, and each year he continues to elevate his game. If Warner stays healthy, I'll be utterly stunned if he isn't a unanimous top three player by the end of 2024. 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: . Not only can Moore play the ultra lock-down role -- he ranks No. An aspect of Oliver's game which I believe is completely underrated is his pressure. When I shared my initial ranked list (yes, there have since been plenty of tweaks!) No joke. 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. Over the past 24 months, Petracca has averaged 28 disposals, 12 combined clearances and inside 50s, 500m gained and a goal per game. EBOOK: MELBOURNE DEMONS YEAR IN REVIEW 2021, The Red Menace Reigns Mongrel Midfield Title Update, The Tim Kelly Trade A Superstar Price for a Star Player, The Road Warrior Ladder Post-Round Seven. Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images. In many ways, Steele is the prototype midfielder. Boy, was I wrong. The intercept possession differential explains 25 percent of the variation in margins, uncontested possessions explain 28 percent, and contested possessions explain 39 percent. AFL Stats - AFL.com.au 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. However, considering the advantage fantasy points possess, their superiority over kicks is not very significant. Last season, he was the only player in the league to average eight tackles and eight clearances and ranked fifth overall for contested possessions. Around this time, the AFL started to move out of the dark ages of basic statistical analysis and commenced the crawl toward advanced stats. 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 looked a shell of himself and his production had fallen off a cliff. 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. 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. Check out the tables below to see the rest of the records that players and teams could chase. I think there's plenty more awards coming his way, too. 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. Kennedy also went close to having a fourth season topping 400 contested touches, with 393 in 2015. Kick goals and win the ball. Melbourne v Richmond - The Doc's Autopsy - The Mongrel Punt 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). With respect to the dynamic Toby Greene, Taylor is proving to be the most valuable Giant. Even with three All-Australian blazers proudly hanging in his wardrobe, Macrae somehow remains criminally underrated. 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. 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. The Western Bulldogs ensured captain Marcus Bontempelli celebrated his 200-match milestone in positive fashion, grinding out a 29-point win over Hawthorn. Without any shadow of a doubt, Merrett is one of the best dozen midfielders in the AFL. 1 ruck in the AFL. It got us thinking about which of the other individual and team records might be attainable in the near future. Picture: AFL Photos, Fremantle players celebrate a goal during the R4 clash against GWS on April 9, 2022. And mind you, this was no Tigers fanatic. AFLW: Advanced stats - All-stars - North Melbourne Football Club I'll even answer them. Those who do it better than 99.5% of players in the sport deserve credit for it. That miniscule 3.6% loss rate is easily the best of any defender in the league. Steele's one of the best midfielders in the competition when the opposition possesses the ball, always providing elite defensive pressure. He has also made the list another time, notching 403 from 25 games back in 2012. As well as discovering the proportion of games in which the team that won a statistic also won the match, its also useful to examine the average margin by which the aforesaid team won, and the correlation between the statistics differential and the games final margin. AFL Season 2023. Which teams fared the best? I really hope the answer to all three is 'yes' and we see Fyfe back on a footy field doing what he does best. 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. It's no surprise he ranked No. JACK CRISP. 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. WATCH: Is Anderson the most underrated player in the Top 50? A ball winner and clearance getter, first and foremost, a great link man between defence and attack, but someone who is also willing and able to do the dirty work. 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. With three games remaining in the 2021 season (plus at least one final for the Dees), Oliver sits at 327 contested touches. 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. It highlights just how much of a potent attacking force he really is. 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. Steven May is rarely beaten in one-on-one contests. Is he finally over the injuries? 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. The potential was always evident and Curnow well and truly delivered on it in a breakout 2022. The Crows and Magpies clash in round seven. 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. So impressive was Rozee from Round 5 onwards -- averaging 26 disposals, four clearances, four inside 50s, four tackles and just about a goal per game -- that he was awarded an All-Australian blazer. That average of 2.7 per outing ranks him fourth in the league. The 50 best players in the AFL ahead of season 2023 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. 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. In tight, he's equally as effective, able to win clearances and set up attacking thrusts from stoppages. Cameron also deserves credit for his unselfishness, contributing 35 direct goal assists for his Lions teammates over the last two years. 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. 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. Matt Roberts/Getty Images. Not only is he every bit a star of the AFL but also an underrated candidate for best skipper. His first 400+ season came when he was just 21 years old. Cookies will be used for the identification of users if the "Remember me on this computer" option is checked. 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. Bayley Fritsch rarely plays a game without kicking a goal. If that's you, please get familiar with him! Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Rory Lobb kicked two goals each. The top 25 postseason performances in NFL history - ESPN It's his ability to play as both a traditional lead, mark and set-shot key forward as well as a hybrid small, winning the ball at ground level and using his size, speed, skill and craftiness to outfox defenders. Enjoy the thrilling final moments between Adelaide and Collingwood in round seven. There's also no projection here. It's hardly a concern, though, given he's still just 22 years old and certainly has the potential to get there one day. Brisbane, Carlton, Melbourne, Sydney and Western Bulldogs each had five players, while reigning premier Geelong and Collingwood both had four selected. It was the Hawks' (1-5) fourth straight loss, leaving them anchored to the bottom of the ladder. The long-time Collingwood skipper, who stood down from his post this off-season, is one of the most revered and respected figures in the league. 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. One of the premier defenders in the league, the athletic Moore continues to be as solid as a rock for Collingwood. No surprise, he got it. 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. Champion Data has trawled through its data to make an "advanced stats AFLW all-stars team". you would see a team who wins the contested possessions win about 70 per cent of the time. And had the Suns not fallen away in the back half of last season, something which has become a worrying trend, he very well may have won the Brownlow Medal. Everyone knows he's a ball magnet but nobody ever talks about his ball use. I'm going to be honest, the Giants skipper is my favourite player in the league to watch (narrowly edging out Sicily). In the spirit of reconciliation the AFL acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. With three games remaining in the 2021 season (plus at least one final for the Dees), Oliver sits at 327 contested touches.