Opinion Who is currently the best player in the AFL

[threenewpadlocks]

Yep, things change and I haven't been able to watch as much footy as I expected this weekend.

Quote my posts all you like, you'll have to find a way to cope.

But let's see how my Pies v. Freo assessment stands up when the coaches votes are released.

And my quote was 'those who understand footy can do a better job based on simply watching the game'. Get it right.

Does player ratings get the right to not look at as much football as they intended to?

That's the whole point!!! They don't!! You can go online and look at the player ratings for every game since 2012!!

You can't claim that your eyes are better at predicting the coaches votes than Player Ratings if your eyes don't watch all 9 games - something that I've said over and over for weeks now!!

 

[Fadge]

Does player ratings get the right to not look at as much football as they intended to?

Well when the company gets paid to produce that data, yes it is their obligation...

Sorry, find yourself a way to get over it. I know how disappointing it is for you.

 

[South of the Yarra]

What's with the weird Pie hate boners toward Bont?

I love Bont, my favourite player from another club. One of the greats of this generation. Just highlighting how ridiculous it is to judge on one games statistics like Nick is subject to each week. The jealousy over Nick eats at some people. Bont is one of the greats of our game, Nick will be one of the greats of our game. I would happily have the career of either.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Well when the company gets paid to produce that data, yes it is their obligation...

Sorry, find yourself a way to get over it. I know how disappointing it is for you.

That's irrelavent. You knew that of Champion Data when you made the claims that you could be better than them.

 

[JHF1870]

Just did the game last night and Bont's dropped a place. Still think he's the best over the last 5 years

 

[RCAB]

What's with the weird Pie hate boners toward Bont?

T2B_ seriously?

 

[T2B_]

T2B_ seriously?

I mean of course I know why. But it just seems kinda silly. I think it's fair to say a lot of the flak Nick cops is precisely because of certain threads and posts by Pies fans around here. Without that I reckon he'd be more universally admired like Bont, Heeney etc tend to be.

 

[RCAB]

I mean of course I know why. But it just seems kinda silly. I think it's fair to say a lot of the flak Nick cops is precisely because of certain threads and posts by Pies fans around here. Without that I reckon he'd be more universally admired like Bont, Heeney etc tend to be.

Yes it's very silly.

But one poster in particular, rhymes with vadge, can't seem to accept that Daicos may not currently be the best in the AFL.

Even laughed at a rankings where Daicos was ranked 3rd behind Bont and Heeney yesterday. Preposterous suggestion.

Has used stats for decades on this website to form arguments (because like everyone isn't going to watch every game) and of course even when you do watch games, stats help inform others what you've seen. But said poster will simultaneously mock statistical evidence, analysis and methods, but is actually constantly acting like a hypocrite using "his own special sauce or knowledge" as gospel.

So the discussion on who or what makes the best player in this thread and forum, is hijacked by a grandiose narcissist, similar to a MAGA thread in the SRP where one poster spends 6 hours a day posting there defending Trump while Bigfooty mocks them.

But you've been reading this thread and others on the main board, yes? I don't think I'm saying anything new here.

 

[Mr Meow]

That's what you agreed to lol, do you want me to go back and check and quote the post where you agreed to this?

You claim that your eyes are better than ratings points to judging who the best players are, and then your eyes took Saturday night off.

Ratings points didn't take Saturday night off, that's literally the whole point.

Not gonna lie...old mate is probably lucky to watch 1 non-Pies match every week. This was a fun exercise to prove that though.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Not gonna lie...old mate is probably lucky to watch 1 non-Pies match every week. This was a fun exercise to prove that though.

It's funny how the claims didn't last more than 1 day, and when challenged on it "but yeah, that's their job!" (even though it was known before agreeing).

I still have some Fadge vs player ratings ideas up my sleeve

 

[Mr Meow]

It's funny how the claims didn't last more than 1 day, and when challenged on it "but yeah, that's their job!" (even though it was known before agreeing).

I still have some Fadge vs player ratings ideas up my sleeve

Yeah a fair bit of hypocrisy and a number of contradictory statements are currently being highlighted.

After mocking sTaTs, Fadge then uses stats to declare Heeney's performance against GC the best of the season...without watching the game. A game that Player Ratings then assigned Heeney a 30+ rating.

Fadge then fails to watch the Dogs game, but looks at stats to decide Bontempelli had a poor game by his standards (he did) and then declares Player Ratings will give him 25+...he comes in at 11.

This comes after saying Player Ratings "rarely" detect the strong performers (60% of the top 50 in a round of football received coaches votes...and 6+/8+ coaches votes receipients had a median Player Ratings score more than double the entire population's median).

When corrected on any of these points and shown instances where he has lied, misrepresented arguments or made wildly inaccurate claims - he simply goes into his turtle shell before coming up with some new whacky theory.

There will be dozens more examples to come.

 

[chaddy22]

I mean of course I know why. But it just seems kinda silly. I think it's fair to say a lot of the flak Nick cops is precisely because of certain threads and posts by Pies fans around here. Without that I reckon he'd be more universally admired like Bont, Heeney etc tend to be.

He has weaknesses that others don't like to see as in contested marking which some won't acknowledge.

 

[RCAB]

He has weaknesses that others don't like to see as in contested marking which some won't acknowledge.

This is really one of the dumbest arguments against Daicos, in fact it's more of a meme joke rather than serious commentary or rebuttal.

You realise last night Bont took a whopping one contested mark? The previous week when he tore up Essendon he took none.

 

[Fadge]

Just did the game last night and Bont's dropped a place. Still think he's the best over the last 5 years

View attachment 2580018

Petracca still #1, despite only playing 2.5 from 5 games?

 

[JHF1870]

Petracca still #1, despite only playing 2.5 from 5 games?

Can't play half a game mate.

He's played 3 games, and that's the cut off.

 

[Fadge]

Can't play half a game mate.

He's played 3 games, and that's the cut off.

So if he doesn't play another game for the year, he finishes as the nest player for the season?

 

[JHF1870]

So if he doesn't play another game for the year, he finishes as the nest player for the season?

Are you that obtuse?

3/5

I love how anything you don't agree with gets a laugh emoji followed by something of little significance.

 

[Fadge]

Are you that obtuse?

3/5

I love how anything you don't agree with gets a laugh emoji followed by something of little significance.

Just asking a question.

So the cut off is minimum half the games played?

Because your screenshot doesn't reference any criteria.

Are we meant to read minds?

And are you comfortable claiming Petracca has been the #1 player in the comp so far in 2026?

Because I reckon he's well down the list based on season output, having missed 2.5 games ?as good as his first two games were).

 

[JHF1870]

Just asking a question.

So the cut off is minimum half the games played?

Because your screenshot doesn't reference any criteria.

Are we meant to read minds?

And are you comfortable claiming Petracca has been the #1 player in the comp so far in 2026?

Because I reckon he's well down the list based on season output, having missed 2.5 games ?as good as his first two games were).

OMG anyone could look at the fact we've played 5 games and take it as it is and not feel the need to believe this would extrapolate into 23 games. It's merely suggesting Petracca has had an outstanding start.

It's 2/3 at this point and from last year my cutoff was 17 games.

I don't know why you lack maturity and why you're incredibly argumentative.

 

[Mr Meow]

OMG anyone could look at the fact we've played 5 games and take it as it is and not feel the need to believe this would extrapolate into 23 games. It's merely suggesting Petracca has had an outstanding start.

It's 2/3 at this point and from last year my cutoff was 17 games.

I don't know why you lack maturity and why you're incredibly argumentative.

It's all agenda and emotion driven. He's now desperately reaching for anything regarding statistics or models evaluating them, that he can mock and use to "prove" they are worthless/awful etc.

His "eye test" (despite failing to watch games) is the superior tool.

 

[Fadge]

OMG anyone could look at the fact we've played 5 games and take it as it is and not feel the need to believe this would extrapolate into 23 games. It's merely suggesting Petracca has had an outstanding start.

It's 2/3 at this point and from last year my cutoff was 17 games.

I don't know why you lack maturity and why you're incredibly argumentative.

Don't get so defensive. I'm simply trying to understand the algorithm.

So a player who plays 17 games is compared in the same way (with averages) as a player who plays 26 or 27 games?

But a player who plays 16 games is excluded?

Is that your approach?

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Don't get so defensive. I'm simply trying to understand the algorithm.

So a player who plays 17 games is compared in the same way (with averages) as a player who plays 26 or 27 games?

But a player who plays 16 games is excluded?

Is that your approach?

You've pooh-poohed an approach (the concept of being above replacement level) as a way for adjusting for the fact that people miss games several times over. When people offer solutions to your criticisms you just invent new ones.

 

[Fadge]

You've pooh-poohed an approach (the concept of being above replacement level) as a way for adjusting for the fact that people miss games several times over. When people offer solutions to your criticisms you just invent new ones.

Yeah, because in my view, you either play a game, or you don't. And the more games you play, the more opportunity you have to contribute to season output.

I don't pretend that the games you miss, you actually play at the same level (as is the case if you base your analysis on averages), or some sort of 'replacement value'.

 

[Mr Meow]

Yeah, because in my view, you either play a game, or you don't. And the more games you play, the more opportunity you have to contribute to season output.

I don't pretend that the games you miss, you actually play at the same level (as is the case if you base your analysis on averages), or some sort of 'replacement value'.

You've used hundreds of posts to emphasise that Daicos was on track to win a number of awards before his brief injury in 2023, so clearly average performance meant a lot to you until recently.

 

[Worm4]

Are you that obtuse?

3/5

I love how anything you don't agree with gets a laugh emoji followed by something of little significance.

Fadges next reach will be for players who spend 30 mins on the pine, will be noted at recording 3/4s of a game now ? Bloody extraordinary