Opinion Who is currently the best player in the AFL

[Orfullrules]

Watching you try to prove Daicos’ superiority through statistics. It’s fricken hilarious. “Who wants Goals, goal assists, clearances, tackles and inside 50s when you could have even more handball-receives? That’s how you win games of footy.”

Also: “The coaches and media voted overwhelmingly in favour of Daicos”. Prove it?

By the way, Nick had 70% disposal efficiency last year compared to Bont’s 76%. This year the gap is already wider. Surely this is problematic since it’s one of the only two statistical categories that really matters?

Sidekick nick is an awesome player. No Marcus

 

[Fadge]

Also: “The coaches and media voted overwhelmingly in favour of Daicos”. Prove it?

Huh? Check out all the voting in the respective awards. It's all there on the World Wide Web.

You forgot to include the umpires as well.

Again, must be an honest oversight.

By the way, Nick had 70% disposal efficiency last year compared to Bont’s 76%. This year the gap is already wider. Surely this is problematic since it’s one of the only two statistical categories that really matters?

So you limit it to a single season, plus two games in 2026, where the stat favours Bont, and ignore the previous two seasons, where stat favours Daicos in both years?

What was the earlier comment about confirmation bias?

 

[Orfullrules]

Huh? Check out all the voting in the respective awards. It's all there on the World Wide Web.

You forgot to include the umpires as well.

Again, must be an honest oversight.


So you limit it to a single season, plus two games in 2026, where the stat favours Bont, and ignore the previous two seasons, where stat favours Daicos in both years?

What was the earlier comment about confirmation bias?

Fadge the numbers all you want. Bont is a smoother and more accomplished footballer. Sidekick can’t go forward either. Not far behind. Quinella for sure.

 

[Mr Meow]

By the barest of margins.

But you forgot to comment on the coaches, umpires and media.

Must have been an innocent oversight.

You already mentioned those. Not sure where your evidence is for the media saying Daicos had a stronger 2023-2025 than Bontempelli anyway.

Even with those 3 things, I highlighted 7 areas where Bontempelli came out on top or that make him a more complete player with less weaknesses.

7-3 to Bontempelli - the numbers and people have spoken. 2026-2029 Daicos could very well be the best performing midfielder. He just wasn't 2023-2025, that's all.

 

[ReturningHawk]

Huh? Check out all the voting in the respective awards. It's all there on the World Wide Web.

You forgot to include the umpires as well.

Again, must be an honest oversight.

Where are these awards? Do they have names? Were they published? You said it was overwhelmingly in Daicos’ favour? They average precisely the same amount of coaches votes in that time. Bont has been named the league MVP 2/3 of those years. How the hell is it “overwhelmingly” in Daicos’ favour? If anything, it’s the other way round.

So you limit it to a single season, plus two games in 2026, where the stat favours Bont, and ignore the previous two seasons, where stat favours Daicos in both years?


What was the earlier comment about confirmation bias?

It’s what happens when you hitch your wagon to the only statistic where Daicos could claim the slightest advantage over any given period. Then I want to know how you could, right now, contest that he’s better than Bont in any facet? You contest he’s got superior disposal efficiency when over the past year there’s a clear advantage the other way?

What part of playing football does Daicos do better than Bont? From where I’m sitting his advantages are limited to distance running and receiving handballs.

 

[SC_Power]

What part of playing football does Daicos do better than Bont? From where I’m sitting his advantages are limited to distance running and receiving handballs.

Frees for?

 

[Orfullrules]

Frees for?

Tanning and haircuts?

 

[SC_Power]

Tanning and haircuts?

Got the Bont covered for the “Brothers who play in the same team” key stat as well.

 

[beerbandit]

gets a bit extra ball in less important positions

Some would suggest it’s important to get the ball in any position on the ground, because when you have the ball, your opponent does not

 

[beerbandit]

Last time I checked Bont missed 5 games! Get a clue and check the averages.

If you want to select Daicos ahead of Bont then that’s fine, but if the other team has Bont then you’re going to lose.

Ok well if you want to play the averages then that’s fine, because all the accolades the little master has accomplished in 4 years averages out to be quite astounding.

Yeah Bonts 1 flag in 12 years is frightening.

as I said previously Daicos is the new number 1, Bont is number 2. Nothing to be upset about.

 

[RCAB]

Sidekick can’t go forward either.

That's not right.

His ranked no.1 for metres gained, no. 1 for kick metres gained and no.1 for net metres gained in 2026.

But you probably don't what that looks like as an Essendon supporter, so I can understand why you might miss it.

Essendon compared to their opponents rank last in kick metres gained, and there so abysmal they're twice as bad as the third worst in Fremantle and even three times worse than the 5th worst.

 

[Fadge]

Lets go back a few more then

21,20 and 19 AA and 19 Coaches reward.

Daicos is a gun but Bont has the runs on the board.

And noone has argued that Bont hasn't been better since 2019.

Would have been a bit hard for Daicos to be racking up All-Australians in 2019, as a 15 year old....

 

[Fadge]

Some would suggest it’s important to get the ball in any position on the ground, because when you have the ball, your opponent does not

Yep.

Daicos has the ball in his hands more than any other player in the comp, and the knock on him is 'fewer average tackles'.

Should he tackle himself?

 

[Fadge]

Ok well if you want to play the averages then that’s fine, because all the accolades the little master has accomplished in 4 years averages out to be quite astounding.

Yeah Bonts 1 flag in 12 years is frightening.

as I said previously Daicos is the new number 1, Bont is number 2. Nothing to be upset about.

No, no, no.

Averages don't count when they work in Daicos' favour.

They only count on 2025, but not in 2023...

 

[Mr Meow]

113 to 29 is an absolute walloping.

Take out 20 Pies supporters votes and the gap widens.

 

[Orfullrules]

That's not right.

His ranked no.1 for metres gained, no. 1 for kick metres gained and no.1 for net metres gained in 2026.

But you probably don't what that looks like as an Essendon supporter, so I can understand why you might miss it.

Essendon compared to their opponents rank last in kick metres gained, and there so abysmal they're twice as bad as the third worst in Fremantle and even three times worse than the 5th worst.

He kicks sideways allot. Shove your David king champion data.

 

[Fadge]

He kicks sideways allot. Shove your David king champion data.

Yep. The player who is one of the most creative and damaging kicks in the competition 'kicks sideways alot'....

But I guess this is yet another time where the facts and stats don't suit the narrative of the Daicos knockers...

 

[Fadge]

113 to 29 is an absolute walloping.

Take out 20 Pies supporters votes and the gap widens.

Will be an interesting watch in 2026 to see whether the player deemed as the 'best in the comp' by the Bigfooty brainstrust can outperform Daicos for the first time since Daicos' rookie season in 2022.

 

[Orfullrules]

Yep. The player who is one of the most creative and damaging kicks in the competition 'kicks sideways alot'....

But I guess this is yet another time where the facts and stats don't suit the narrative of the Daicos knockers...

In comparison to the bont. Funny seeing pies supporters get all defensive. Rather play in a forward line with the Bont kicking it in.

 

[Mr Meow]

Will be an interesting watch in 2026 to see whether the player deemed as the 'best in the comp' by the Bigfooty brainstrust can outperform Daicos for the first time since Daicos' rookie season in 2022.

You may even get a non Pies supporter to back you up on that when Daicos is actually the strongest midfielder in the comp. Until then, that gorgeous poll will do its work in highlighting the consensus opinion.

 

[Orfullrules]

Bont takes the highway. Nick is stuffing around the back streets trying to find google maps.

 

[beerbandit]

Bont takes the highway. Nick is stuffing around the back streets trying to find google maps.

They’ve played together once, like now I suppose Daicos was better then too.


Backstreets? You don’t take a Ferrari down the backstreets my man.

The baton has been handed over by Bont, I mean he is in his 30s and Daicos is only 23.
Scary really isn’t it.

 

[Fadge]

You may even get a non Pies supporter to back you up on that when Daicos is actually the strongest midfielder in the comp. Until then, that gorgeous poll will do its work in highlighting the consensus opinion.

Oh. Didn't realise Dwayne 'Daicos then daylight' Russell and Garry Lyon, amongst others, are Pies supporters...

 

[beerbandit]

Oh. Didn't realise Dwayne 'Daicos then daylight' Russell and Garry Lyon, amongst others, are Pies supporters...

Jay Clark, Joel Selwood

Ohh, and the players voted him the competitions best only last year. Guess they all barrack for Collingwood too.

 

[ReturningHawk]

Ok well if you want to play the averages then that’s fine, because all the accolades the little master has accomplished in 4 years averages out to be quite astounding.

You don’t seem to realise that Daicos being a fourth year player works against him. He hasn’t played at an elite standard for half as long as Bont. So if we’re going to say he’s better, there has to be some compelling reason. A few more disposals and 1% better disposal efficiency is not a compelling reason. Especially not while Bont is still streets ahead in both goals and clearances, and the defensive stats are not even worthy of comparison.