Who are the top 10 midfielders in the league?

Aug 9, 2017
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yeah it is baffling by how under rated he has become over the last 12 months

Throw all of the stats you want but Danger easily sits as the third best midfielder in the league only behind Fyfe and Martin and to be fair he isn't that far behind those two if at all
Yeah i think he is 2nd behind Fyfe.

In this supposed down year he currently sits

6th for disposals
1st for inside 50's
3rd for score involvements
2nd for goal assists
2nd for contested possessions
7th for clearances
2nd for meters gained

And this is all in a team that is currently top of the table
 
May 29, 2008
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The top 10 midfielders are as follows:

Dangerfield
Neale
Martin
Fyfe
Bontempelli
Cripps
Cunnington
T.Kelly
Pendlebury
Oliver

Neale ahead of Danger, Pendlebury should be higher, possibly after Bont. Soon, Oliver > Cripps and the gap will start to widen. Idk what is up with Cripps and hope he doesn't have OP or something, seems cooked and maybe needs a rest. Cunnington whilst being a contested clearance beast is simply that... a contested beast, of which he has peers that produce a similar output whilst being more damaging on the run and on the scoreboard. Going on this year Petracca has to feature in there, up the top somewhere. Has been better than Martin imo (Dusty obviously has the runs on the board and is a far better player over their careers so far, before Richmond fans raise their proverbial pitchforks).
 

Bungeye

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Aug 19, 2017
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Neale ahead of Danger, Pendlebury should be higher, possibly after Bont. Soon, Oliver > Cripps and the gap will start to widen. Idk what is up with Cripps and hope he doesn't have OP or something, seems cooked and maybe needs a rest. Cunnington whilst being a contested clearance beast is simply that... a contested beast, of which he has peers that produce a similar output whilst being more damaging on the run and on the scoreboard. Going on this year Petracca has to feature in there, up the top somewhere. Has been better than Martin imo (Dusty obviously has the runs on the board and is a far better player over their careers so far, before Richmond fans raise their proverbial pitchforks).
I should clarify that this list is in no particular order. Obviously, Dusty would be no.1 and daylight 2nd. I also don't think Cripps is as good as what people think, and his on shaky ground. Cunnington is the best player I've seen not to have an All Australian and deserves some love.
 
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Yojimbo

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Kicks:
Patrick Dangerfield 196
Andrew Gaff 186
Lachie Neale 184
Taylor Adams 183
Jarryd Lyons 177
Ed Curnow 172
Lachie Whitfield 169
Zach Merrett 166
Stephen Coniglio 164
Mitch Duncan 163

Handballs:
Jackson Macrae 217
Tom Mitchell 202
Clayton Oliver 181
Lachie Neale 180
Matt Crouch 179
Christian Petracca 162
Jack Steele 159
Travis Boak 158
Cameron Guthrie 156
Andrew McGrath 155

Disposals:
Jackson Macrae 378
Lachie Neale 364
Tom Mitchell 333
Clayton Oliver 331
Taylor Adams 322
Patrick Dangerfield 316
Andrew Gaff 316
Zach Merrett 314
Travis Boak 313
Jack Steele 311

Contested Possession:
Clayton Oliver 174
Hugh Greenwood 171
Patrick Dangerfield 168
Patrick Cripps 166
Christian Petracca 164
Taylor Adams 160
Lachie Neale 160
Jack Steele 158
Jackson Macrae 148
Tom Mitchell 143

Uncontested Possession:
Jackson Macrae 234
Andrew Gaff 223
Zach Merrett 219
Shaun Higgins 214
Lachie Whitfield 214
Lachie Neale 200
Sam Menegola 199
Bailey Smith 195
Tom Mitchell 192
Ed Langdon 188

Effective Disposal:
Jackson Macrae 277
Lachie Neale 265
Tom Mitchell 250
Clayton Oliver 244
Zach Merrett 232
Andrew Gaff 230
Shaun Higgins 229
Lachie Whitfield 229
Cameron Guthrie 226
Jack Steele 218

Clearances:
Patrick Cripps 85
Taylor Adams 83
Clayton Oliver 83
Todd Goldstein 79
Hugh Greenwood 79
Lachie Neale 73
Travis Boak 71
Patrick Dangerfield 71
Nic Naitanui 71
Dom Sheed 70

Metres Gained:
Patrick Dangerfield 6301
Shaun Higgins 5201
Tim Kelly 5188
Lachie Neale 5038
Zach Merrett 5018
Christian Petracca 4871
Sam Menegola 4799
Shai Bolton 4780
Ed Langdon 4651
Andrew Gaff 4642

Tackles:
Hugh Greenwood 103
James Worpel 74
Jack Steele 73
Luke Parker 72
Touk Miller 71
Clayton Oliver 71
Brandan Parfitt 70
Marcus Bontempelli 68
Andrew Brayshaw 68
Ed Curnow 68
Tom Rockliff 68

What makes the ten best midfielders is it their parents or is it statistical dominance, these nine areas do not define a true
midfielder worth noting is the great Dustin Martin does not appear on a single top ten and yet only a fool would fail to
acknowledge his impact and greatness. Would a numerical representation of who appears on the most lists give a even
representation of balance across many attributes perhaps, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder especially if beauty
happens to play for the team you support. What a long post to say absolutely nothing or is it saying nothing ?
 
What makes the ten best midfielders is it their parents or is it statistical dominance, these nine areas do not define a true
midfielder worth noting is the great Dustin Martin does not appear on a single top ten and yet only a fool would fail to
acknowledge his impact and greatness.

Tbf I don't think many if anyone would have Martin in the best 10 mids in 20 on only this years form
 

Bungeye

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Special mention goes to Shaun Higgins, who is one of the few outside midfilders that can consistently execute their kick, unlike Dangerfield!
 

Yojimbo

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Tbf I don't think many if anyone would have Martin in the best 10 mids in 20 on only this years form
There was no Nat Fyfe either in the random top tens, the big contributors were:

Lachie Neale: 8 of 9 lists

Clayton Oliver: 6 of 9 lists

Jackson Macrae: 5 of 9 lists
Patrick Dangerfield: 5 of 9 lists
Andrew Gaff: 5 of 9 lists
Zach Merrett: 5 of 9 lists
Tom Mitchell: 5 of 9 lists
Jack Steele: 5 of 9 lists

Taylor Adams: 4 of 9 lists

Travis Boak: 3 of 9 lists (Shared with Petracca, Higgins, Greenwood and Whitfield)

This is the list talking and obviously not me, i just do the typing and am not involved emotionally at all.
 
Special mention goes to Shaun Higgins, who is one of the few outside midfilders that can consistently execute their kick, unlike Dangerfield!
I know who I’d rather have in my team
 
There was no Nat Fyfe either in the random top tens, the big contributors were:

Lachie Neale: 8 of 9 lists

Clayton Oliver: 6 of 9 lists

Jackson Macrae: 5 of 9 lists
Patrick Dangerfield: 5 of 9 lists
Andrew Gaff: 5 of 9 lists
Zach Merrett: 5 of 9 lists
Tom Mitchell: 5 of 9 lists
Jack Steele: 5 of 9 lists

Taylor Adams: 4 of 9 lists

Travis Boak: 3 of 9 lists (Shared with Petracca, Higgins, Greenwood and Whitfield)

This is the list talking and obviously not me, i just do the typing and am not involved emotionally at all.
depends on what basis people are ranking the top 10 mids I guess

If it is based on 2020 form than Fyfe and Martin probably just miss out and Cripps defiantly misses out. Ditto Bont

But if it is over a body of work than Martin, Fyfe, Bont and Cripps are all probably top 5
 
Nov 26, 2012
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this year...

1. Petracca
2. Neale
3. Fyfe
4. Whitfield
5. Steele
6. Boak
7. Macrae
8. Martin
9. Dangerfield
10. Zorko
This year Zorko has been down on form (carried an injury for a while) and honestly would have been about our 4th best mid (behind Neale, Lyons and McCluggage off the top of my head).

If talking this year only I would have been looking at someone like Guthrie or Oliver over Zorko. And maybe over Fyfe and Whitfield too. Not sure they have been that great this year
 

Richo83

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Martin deserves to be there. AFL player rankings has him listed as the 11th best player in the league and he's the only player in the league which averages 20 touches, 10 contested disposals and a goal a game. Second for inside 50s for players who have played more than five games. And for those who think he's not playing enough midfield minutes, he's number one for clearances and contested possessions at Richmond.
 
Martin deserves to be there. AFL player rankings has him listed as the 11th best player in the league and he's the only player in the league which averages 20 touches, 10 contested disposals and a goal a game. Second for inside 50s for players who have played more than five games. And for those who think he's not playing enough midfield minutes, he's number one for clearances and contested possessions at Richmond.
You right only one player in the league averages 20 possesions, 10 contested possessions and a goal a game

Only problem is it isn't Dustin Martin (don't let the facts get in the way of a good story)

It is this man

1598837774268.png


23.8 disposals per game (12th in the league)
12.6 contested disposals per game (4th in the league)
1 goal per game
 
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Richo83

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Oct 2, 2005
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You right only one player in the league averages 20 possesions, 10 contested possessions and a goal a game

Only problem is it isn't Dustin Martin (don't let the facts get in the way of a good story)

It is this man

23.8 disposals per game 912th in the league)
12.6 contested diposals per game (4th in the league)
1 goal per game

Oh snap I stand corrected!

Alright, I'll admit I was using AFL tables and they haven't updated for this round. BUT, Martin is one of the few players in the same ballpark, and I agree that Petracca is up there. Knowing Martin he will feast on Fremantle this round and rejoin proceedings.

If I'm voting for best player of the year and I forget about the scoreboard (I think the brownlow is too dominated by midfielders and winning teams), Petracca possibly leads everyone. Honestly thought he'd always be a talent tease.
 
Oh snap I stand corrected!

Alright, I'll admit I was using AFL tables and they haven't updated for this round. BUT, Martin is one of the few players in the same ballpark, and I agree that Petracca is up there. Knowing Martin he will feast on Fremantle this round and rejoin proceedings.

If I'm voting for best player of the year and I forget about the scoreboard (I think the brownlow is too dominated by midfielders and winning teams), Petracca possibly leads everyone. Honestly thought he'd always be a talent tease.
and tbf I was a little harsh, I think Dusty is only 0.4 contested possession off averaging 20,10 & 1
 
Mar 18, 2013
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What do your other accounts think?
I’ve asked you on several occasions for who you think my “aliases” are, giving you multiple opportunities to make me look foolish and you never have. I’m not disabled enough to care enough about having multiple accounts, but clearly you are. So tell me, who are these fairy accounts?
 
Oct 20, 2004
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Yeah i think he is 2nd behind Fyfe.

In this supposed down year he currently sits

6th for disposals
1st for inside 50's
3rd for score involvements
2nd for goal assists
2nd for contested possessions
7th for clearances
2nd for meters gained

And this is all in a team that is currently top of the table
While spending much of the year resting forward.
 
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