Crows star Patrick Dangerfield puts contract pressure behind him to churn out career-best numbers
PATRICK Dangerfield may stay or go at the end of the year, but one thing is certain — that he has given his all for the Crows this season. Andrew Capel looks at the (very) impressive stats.
Andrew Capel
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PATRICK Dangerfield might be the only person who knows where he will be playing his football next year.
And there is a chance that even he doesn’t yet know as he weighs up whether to stay with the club that drafted him, Adelaide, or move to Geelong, which is the club closest to his family home at Moggs Creek, Collingwood, Hawthorn or Richmond.
As Crows fans hold their collective breath over his stay-or-go announcement, what can’t be denied is that explosive midfielder and restricted free agent Dangerfield has done what late coach Phil Walsh demanded of him — perform on the field.
“He’s contracted at the Adelaide Footy Club and has to perform at the best that we expect from all our players and that’s what I’ve asked him to do,” Walsh said in February of his expectations of Dangerfield in his contract year.
Rather than buckle under the intense media scrutiny over his future, Dangerfield has let his football do the talking.
He has churned out a career-best season
in a tumultuous one for the Crows, who are still reeling from the shock death of first-year coach Walsh.
Dangerfield, 25 and in his eighth season since being selected at pick 10 at the 2007 national draft, is recording career-best numbers in disposals (27.3), clearances (7.6), tackles (6.2) and Supercoach points (121).
He also ranks second in contested possessions (16) and score involvements (6.8) and third in metres gained (433).
Living to Walsh’s mantra, Dangerfield has “got the job done’’.
His form has been so strong in leading Adelaide to within sight of a first finals appearance in three years that he has probably added more dollars to what will be at least a $1 million-a-year contract offer.
“It’s the best season I’ve seen from him,’’ said Crows ruckman Sam Jacobs, who has a front-row seat to Dangerfield’s midfield magic.
“He’s taken his leadership to another level, he’s having a lot more high possession games and his contested possession numbers are through the roof, which shows that he is doing the grunt work.’’
Far from being burdened by his future and outside pressures, Dangerfield has taken it all in his stride and appears to have even relished the extra attention.
He cuts a James Dean-type persona with the way he dresses and struts around off the field.
But he plays hard on it.
Dangerfield’s 16 contested possessions a game rank second in the league of the 50 top ballwinners behind only hot Brownlow Medal favourite Nat Fyfe of Fremantle.
Remarkably, Dangerfield — nicknamed Raging Bull — has won 73.2 per cent of his disposals under pressure.
Champion Data awards pressure points for just how tough a possession is to get and Dangerfield ranks third in the competition for still winning the footy with opponents hanging off him. behind West Coast’s Matt Priddis and Sydney’s Josh Kennedy.
While he has been criticised for his kicking, Champion jumps to his defence.
It classifies Dangerfield as an “above average’’ kick.
His kicking efficiency is at a modest 57.1 per cent.
But when taking into account the degree of difficulty with Dangerfield’s kicks under pressure, Champion says he has an expected hit rate (kicks that result in a teammate retaining possession) of 42.5 per cent.
He is running at a percentage of 44.4 with his kicks — a +1.9 rating.
In the past two months Dangerfield is averaging 30 disposals and has rocketed into Brownlow calculations.
While defender Rory Laird has been touted as Adelaide’s gold jacket favourite, Dangerfield is the leading Crow in the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year award, with 45.
DANGERFIELD THE DYNAMO
Patrick Dangerfield is at the top of his game in 2015, recording career-best statistics in ranking points, disposals, clearances and tackles and top-three numbers in contested possessions, score involvements and metres gained.
THRIVING UNDER PRESSURE
Patrick Dangerfield wins 73.2 per cent of his disposals under pressure — ranked fifth in the competition among the top 50 ballwinners — while his 16 contested possessions a game rank only behind Dockers star Nat Fyfe (18.1).
MR CONSISTENCY
Patrick Dangerfield has recorded 23 or more disposals in 12 of 15 games this season. He also has chalked up more than 100 Supercoach points an equal career-high 13 times — the equal-most of any player this season, joining Brownlow Medal favourite Nat Fyfe and his Fremantle teammate David Mundy, North Melbourne’s Todd Goldstein and Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury.
* Adelaide’s Round 14 game was cancelled after the death of Phil Walsh.
KING CROW
Patrick Dangerfield leads the Crows voting in the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year award.
45 — Patrick Dangerfield
40 — Scott Thompson
25 — Eddie Betts
24 — Rory Sloane
22 — Rory Laird
19 — Sam Jacobs
THE NUMBER:
27.3 — Patrick Dangerfield’s average disposals — a career-high.
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