Danger signs for Crows’ raging bull midfielder, who cops a battering every week

PATRICK Dangerfield says if he changes his game he won’t be the same player, but he is in danger of having his career ended prematurely.

20/4/14 - AFLR514 - AFL Round 5 - Adelaide Crows v GWS Giants at Adelaide Oval - Patrick Dangerfield Picture Simon Cross

PATRICK Dangerfield says he knows no other way, that if he changes his game he won’t be the same player.

But if the Crows’ gamebreaker continues to put his body through such extraordinary physical torment each week he is at danger of having his career ended prematurely.

Champion Data statistics reveal Dangerfield, 24, is putting his body — battered and bruised this year — at serious risk of crumbling before its time because of his absolute determination to win contested footy.

Dangerfield’s contested possession percentage this season of 63.3 per cent is greater than dual Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd, whose busted 30-year-old body has restricted him to just five minutes of playing time this season, has ever achieved in his 13 years of top-flight football.

And Judd has been known as the AFL’s contested possession king.

The competition’s other current dual Brownlow Medallist, Gold Coast superstar Gary Ablett, had a contested possession percentage of 65.4 in his debut season in 2002 but that was as a small forward when his overall disposal numbers were down.

Ablett’s contested possession rate slumped to the high 30s when Geelong made three consecutive grand finals from 2007-09, winning two.

This highlighted he was happy to win more outside ball in the middle of his career.

Ablett’s contested numbers have risen again since he joined Gold Coast in 2011, peaking at a high of 56.8 this year as he sets his sights on a third Brownlow.

But Dangerfield’s hard ball numbers are unique.

After averaging 41.7 per cent of his disposals in a contest in his two games in his debut season in 2008, Dangerfield’s contested possession wins have gone through the roof.
In his past six seasons, the Crows’ Raging Bull has won more contested than uncontested footy every year.

His 63.3 per cent this season is a career high and nearly four per cent greater than his previous best total of 59.4 in 2012.

Of Dangerfield’s 223 disposals, 143 have been classified as contested possessions, highlighting how hard he is fighting for the ball and putting his body at risk of being beaten up.

Champion Data’s new pressure measures show Dangerfield is under more pressure at ground level than any other player in the competition when disposing of the footy.

He is tagged every week and because he fearlessly throws himself at the ball with such scant regard for his body he has been barely able to walk after games.

In two of Adelaide’s past four matches — against the Western Bulldogs in round six and Carlton in round 10 — he has been hunched over in the changerooms after a game and struggled to even talk because of the pain he has been in.

He has carried back, rib, shoulder, knee, hand and finger injuries in the past year.

“Danger usually plays a big banged up,’’ teammate Rory Laird noted on Wednesday.

The question is how long that can continue and whether the explosive player who has the chance to be the greatest Crow ever needs to change his game to preserve his career.

At his current rate, Dangerfield could be struggling to get on the field, let alone make an impact, in his late 20s.

Judd’s impact has steadily declined since he won his last Brownlow in 2010 as the physical pounding he’s copped catches up with him.

Last year he averaged just 22.7 disposals, down from 25.1 in 2012, 26.4 in 2011 and 27 in 2010.

This season Judd lasted just five minutes as a sub against the Bulldogs in round five before ripping a hamstring.

A sore Dangerfield this week pondered the question about whether he needs to change his game to survive.

Right now, the answer is no, with Dangerfield retelling the story of how his dad, John — also his junior football coach — always told him to “go and win your own ball’’.

“I only know one way and that’s to go flat out,’’ Dangerfield said.

“I don’t have gears and I never want to be accused of going half-hearted or shirking a contest. I wouldn’t be the same player if I didn’t have that attitude.’’

But the question remains — how long can he last?

TITLE: Join us on Facebook