Mega Thread Nick Daicos - Can he be the GTWEB? Part 2

[Fadge]

Daicos has avg 13.9 and 10.5 CPs per game in last two seasons, NWM 5.4 and 7.5.

Daicos has avg 1.8 and 2.0 hard ball gets, NWM 0.6 and 1.0

Daicos has avg 7.7 and 6.2 clearances, NWM hard ball gets, NWM 1.0 and 3.1

Daicos has avg 7.3 and 7.8 score involvements, NWM hard ball gets, NWM 4.3 and 6.3

Daicos has avg 30.7 and 30.0 disposals, NWM 25.7 and 29.9 - but Daicos avg 0.2 kick-ins, NWM 4.1...adjusted disposals end up being Daicos 30.5 and 29.8, NWM 21.6 and 25.8.

So Daicos wins more of his own ball, wins clearances for his team, is involved in setting up more scoring...the only thing NWM has him covered in is kick-ins, meters gained and uncontested marks across HB (all linked to NWMs role as an outside player who the Saints want to give the ball to).

Stats are fun

Probably explains why coaches and players have both agreed that Daicos was their player of the year / MVP.

Now that how you use STaTZ to support an argument.

Now over to you, Mynamesinuse.....

 

[Fadge]

Go to 2025 as I’ve asked numerous times.

Contested ball by the way is a very broad and loose way of describing it.

I mean, he's actually given you both 2024 and 2025 stats separately...

But come on, use the stats to support your contention, instead of just posting a lame screenshot.

Go.

 

[doppleganger]

They are all fair comments, but the facts are Daicos has outperformed NWM in 4 of 4 seasons at the level, and had done so despite receiving more attention than any other player in the competition.

It is yet to be seen as to how NWM deals with similarly regular opposition attention, because it will be coming in 2026 and beyond. For the sake of the game I hope he can handle it, because I too love watching him in full flight.

Yep, NWM finally made a transition into the midfield for what the last half a dozen games of 2025 (and performed very well).

He had 20 HB receives in the famous game against the Dees (something morons criticize Nic for), surprise surprise the Saints players want to give the ball to NWM.

Daicos has done what NWM did for six weeks for the best part of three consecutive seasons (AnZAC day 2023 was when Naicos started regularly attending CBA for the Pies).

 

[Mynamesinuse]

I mean, he's actually given you both 2024 and 2025 stats separately...

But come on, use the stats to support your contention, instead of just posting a lame screenshot.

Go.

NWM went into the midfield for the last 6 games and basically equaled Daicos stats.
Easy to suggest with an improved team and permanent mid field role he will eclipse Daicos numbers.

He’s also better aerially so he has more strings to his bow.

 

[doppleganger]

Go to 2025 as I’ve asked numerous times.

Contested ball by the way is a very broad and loose way of describing it.

Please don’t suggest that Daicos doesn’t run 15 meters sideways to receive easy ball.

Yes NWM finished 2025 with a six week purple patch (when the Saints won 4 games against teams who had already given up - Ess, NM, Rich and Melbourne).

Daicos wins the contested ball, gives it off and runs 15m to get it back and start an attack.

It is why he is the complete midfielder - he is great both at the stoppage and outside on the spread.

The great thing is that Daicos isn't even at his physical peak yet, it took GAJ until season 6, Dusty season 7, until they were able to consistently dominate the contest in the middle.

Daicos was up alongside contested beasts like Crippa, Rowell and Tom Greene in season 3! But unlike those 3, Daicos also still hurt teams on the outside and being involved in more than 30% of the Pies scoring.

 

[doppleganger]

NWM went into the midfield for the last 6 games and basically equaled Daicos stats.

Yep, in games against teams who had given up on the season.

Easy to suggest with an improved team and permanent mid field role he will eclipse Daicos numbers.

Yeah, it is really easy to extrapolate a 6 week purple patch across a full season on a spreadsheet and create an amazing hypothetical season.

Pity Daicos has already actually produced 3 outstanding seasons.

He’s also better aerially so he has more strings to his bow.

Yeah, NWM took a speccy

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Yes NWM finished 2025 with a six week purple patch (when the Saints won 4 games against teams who had already given up - Ess, NM, Rich and Melbourne).

Daicos wins the contested ball, gives it off and runs 15m to get it back and start an attack.

It is why he is the complete midfielder - he is great both at the stoppage and outside on the spread.

The great thing is that Daicos isn't even at his physical peak yet, it took GAJ until season 6, Dusty season 7, until they were able to consistently dominate the contest in the middle.

Daicos was up alongside contested beasts like Crippa, Rowell and Tom Greene in season 3! But unlike those 3, Daicos also still hurt teams on the outside and being involved in more than 30% of the Pies scoring.

Surrounded by 30 year old team mates in a top performing side.

NWM in a younger improving team.
Daicos runs behind and also boundary side in safe spots calling fi short kicks
It’s a bad habit that will be called out much more when the team falls.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Yep, in games against teams who had given up on the season.

Yeah, it is really easy to extrapolate a 6 week purple patch across a full season on a spreadsheet and create an amazing hypothetical season.

Pity Daicos has already actually produced 3 outstanding seasons.

Yeah, NWM took a speccy

2025 stars are even
I repeat

 

[doppleganger]

2025 stars are even
I repeat

Nope.

Daicos in 2025 had NWM covered for
CPs, clearances, hard ball gets, disposals (and a higher DE%), tackles, pressure acts and score involvements

NWM had more kick-ins, uncontested marks, bounces and meters gained....all the result of spending the majority of the season on his own behind the ball (how Nic played his debut season).

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Nope.

Daicos in 2025 had NWM covered for
CPs, clearances, hard ball gets, disposals (and a higher DE%), tackles, pressure acts and score involvements

NWM had more kick-ins, uncontested marks, bounces and meters gained....all the result of spending the majority of the season on his own behind the ball (how Nic played his debut season).

Oh 30.0 to 29.9
Daicos more frees for accounts for that
NWM more meters gained by plenty probably puts him out of the one two conversation.

 

[sr36]

Well I’m asking how he is indisputably better.
Stats ?
Awards well that’s ridiculous as well.
Hype? Well I’m not sure a player has been pumped up more.
Or just watching the game and seeing

They're probably the two best outside runners in the comp, but Nick has a top shelf inside game to go with it. NWM in 2025 is roughly where Nick was in 2023 - awesome outside runner who had moved into the centre square. But in 2024 Nick went ballistic as a clearance mid on top of it. NWM hasn't done that yet and probably wont. It's that simple.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

They're probably the two best outside runners in the comp, but Nick has a top shelf inside game to go with it. NWM in 2025 is roughly where Nick was in 2023 - awesome outside runner who had moved into the centre square. But in 2024 Nick went ballistic as a clearance mid on top of it. NWM hasn't done that yet and probably wont. It's that simple.

Gee there’s some mayo on that.

 

[doppleganger]

Oh 30.0 to 29.9
Daicos more frees for accounts for that

Frees and kick-ins are where players can get "cheap" disposals

Daicos 1.7 frees and 0.2 kick-ins (1.9 total)
NWM 0.9 frees and 4.1 kick-ins (5.0 total)

Disposals adjusted

Daicos 30.0 - 1.9 "cheapies" = 28.1
NWM 29.9 - 5.0 "cheapies" = 24.9

Daicos winning his own ball accounts for him having more of the ball.

NWM more meters gained by plenty probably puts him out of the one two conversation.

Yep, NWM more meters gained, running bounces, kick-ins and uncontested marks is where NWM "outperformed" Daicos...NWM was playing the loose HBF role where the Saints fed him easy ball, bit like Lachie Whitfield and the way the Pies used Daicos back in his debut season 2022.

Funny how morons were critical of Daicos for not winning his own ball and inflating his stats with kick-ins and cheap ball in the D50, but you are lauding NWM for doing it.

 

[HeathySure]

Since Nick debuted you can comfortably argue these players body of work have been as good, or better:

Marcus Bontempelli
Jeremy Cameron
Max Gawn
Zak Butters
Isaac Heeney
Lachie Neale
Patrick Cripps
Caleb Serong

Yes they're older than Daicos and yes it's impressive to be at that level already, but it's ignorant to pretend he has been in a league of his own or undisputed best player in the comp. He's been sitting at the big boy's table but has not put distance between most, if not all of the above names over the past 4 years.

Since Nick debuted only he and Neale dragged their side to a premiership. As for Cripps being on the list. spare me, he is a workhorse who rarely influences games at all. And of the midfielders only Nick gets a hard tag most games, and when Butters Neale and Serong get one they are nowhere near their best

 

[HeathySure]

I would take Heeney's 34 disposals, 5 goals and 9 clearances against North this year than Daicos's 42 disposals, 3 goals and 4 clearances against Richmond this year every day of the week.

well its a bit hard to get clearances in the backline but sure. Do y9u remember the game where the pies were down by 52 qn Nick went beserk and we won? I do

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Frees and kick-ins are where players can get "cheap" disposals

Daicos 1.7 frees and 0.2 kick-ins (1.9 total)
NWM 0.9 frees and 4.1 kick-ins (5.0 total)

Disposals adjusted

Daicos 30.0 - 1.9 "cheapies" = 28.1
NWM 29.9 - 5.0 "cheapies" = 24.9

Daicos winning his own ball accounts for him having more of the ball.

Yep, NWM more meters gained, running bounces, kick-ins and uncontested marks is where NWM "outperformed" Daicos...NWM was playing the loose HBF role where the Saints fed him easy ball, bit like Lachie Whitfield and the way the Pies used Daicos back in his debut season 2022.

Funny how morons were critical of Daicos for not winning his own ball and inflating his stats with kick-ins and cheap ball in the D50, but you are lauding NWM for doing it.

The loose HBF role

Running behind the ruckman for HB or calling for 15 meter backwards chip kicks.
Daicos has been heavily criticised for this and rightly so.

 

[sr36]

Frees and kick-ins are where players can get "cheap" disposals

Daicos 1.7 frees and 0.2 kick-ins (1.9 total)
NWM 0.9 frees and 4.1 kick-ins (5.0 total)

Disposals adjusted

Daicos 30.0 - 1.9 "cheapies" = 28.1
NWM 29.9 - 5.0 "cheapies" = 24.9

When you're a heavily tagged mid, frees aren't cheap possessions. Like Rowell, Nick has his numbers lowered by negators stretching the boundaries of legality.

 

[doppleganger]

Gee there’s some mayo on that.

Nope.

In 2024 Daicos was 5th for winning CPs with 13.9 per game (averaged more than Libba, Serong, Bont Wines etc.)

In 2024 Daicos was 4th for average clearances with 7.7 per game (more than Rowell, Bont, Tom Green etc.)

In 2024 Daicos was 4th for average 1st possessions with 8.8 per game (more than Rowell, Bont, Tom Green etc.)

It was only Cripps and Neale who were better inside mids in 2024.

And Daicos has both covered for impact on the outside and hitting the scoreboard.

 

[doppleganger]

When you're a heavily tagged mid, frees aren't cheap possessions. Like Rowell, Nick has his numbers lowered by negators stretching the boundaries of legality.

Happy to humour poor AdamH, especially when his "cheap" disposal claim and removing them impacts NWM more than Daicos.

Unsurprising when almost 20% of NWMs disposals were from frees or kick-ins. But yet he keeps lauding NWM and slagging off Nic.

 

[sr36]

Gee there’s some mayo on that.

I'm talking up Nick's inside game based on 330 clearances over the last two years - many of them out the front of stoppage. Whilst being heavily tagged. Meanwhile you're the poster talking up NWMs incredible aerial game and forward threat based on one mark ... And you think I'm the one adding mayo...

 

[doppleganger]

The loose HBF role

Running behind the ruckman for HB or calling for 15 meter backwards chip kicks.
Daicos has been heavily criticised for this and rightly so.

Yeah it is the role Daicos played in his debut season, and what NWM played for the majority of 2025.

NWM was one of just four players who averaged more than 4 kick-ins per game, less than 2.5 tackles and more than 2.0 running bounces per game in 2025.

Lachie Ash
Adam Saad
Colby McKercher
NWM

Of the four, it was A.Saad who was the only player to have more than 30% contested possessions.

Pretty decent company for NWM amongst the attacking loose HBFers who clubs like to feed the ball through.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Yeah it is the role Daicos played in his debut season, and what NWM played for the majority of 2025.

NWM was one of just four players who averaged more than 4 kick-ins per game, less than 2.5 tackles and more than 2.0 running bounces per game in 2025.

Lachie Ash
Adam Saad
Colby McKercher
NWM

Of the four, it was A.Saad who was the only player to have more than 30% contested possessions.

Pretty decent company for NWM amongst the attacking loose HBFers who clubs like to feed the ball through.

Think we can all agree that NWM is a soft outside receiver, when will he harden up like Daics?

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Yeah it is the role Daicos played in his debut season, and what NWM played for the majority of 2025.

NWM was one of just four players who averaged more than 4 kick-ins per game, less than 2.5 tackles and more than 2.0 running bounces per game in 2025.

Lachie Ash
Adam Saad
Colby McKercher
NWM

Of the four, it was A.Saad who was the only player to have more than 30% contested possessions.

Pretty decent company for NWM amongst the attacking loose HBFers who clubs like to feed the ball through.

If only you knew how a contested ball is judged.

Interested to who plays the loose ( apparently) HBF role at Collingwood.

Seems odd a player who kicks the ball better than most like NWM would be loose all game.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

I'm talking up Nick's inside game based on 330 clearances over the last two years - many of them out the front of stoppage. Whilst being heavily tagged. Meanwhile you're the poster talking up NWMs incredible aerial game and forward threat based on one mark ... And you think I'm the one adding mayo...

Out the front so a HB receive so not really a contest that’s hot.
Cheers

 

[Corn Cobbers]

Out the front so a HB receive so not really a contest that’s hot.
Cheers

If it's a hb receive its not a clearance, don't you know ANYTHING?

Cheers