Is Power defender Darcy Byrne-Jones worthy of an All-Australian jumper in 2019?
After a breakout year, Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley says Darcy Byrne-Jones should be in this year’s All-Australian team. But how do his numbers stack up against the AFL’s best?
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If Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was in charge of selecting this year’s All-Australian side, Darcy Byrne-Jones would be in it.
And, after a year which has seen the tough, no-fuss defender improve the offensive part of his game dramatically, rightly so.
As a general defender in 2019, the 23-year-old rates elite for disposals, contested possessions, uncontested possessions, intercepts, inside 50s, goal assists and pressure acts.
“He’s had an outstanding season,” Hinkley said ahead of this week’s clash with North Melbourne.
“If I was picking the All-Australian team, he would be (in it).”
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And Byrne-Jones is getting better as the year goes on.
After doing so just eight times in the first 72 games of his career, Byrne-Jones — who was selected at pick No. 52 in the 2013 draft — has tallied 25 disposals or more in nine of his past 12 matches.
“You don’t know lots about Darce from the outside because he’s a quieter bloke,” Hinkley admitted.
But as the Port Adelaide coach explained, once Byrne-Jones steps over the white line “he changes” and “becomes significantly competitive”.
And he’s winning by letting his footy do the talking this year.
Highlighting Byrne-Jones’ rise as one of the most-influential half-backs in the competition was his performance against Sydney, with playmaking Swan Jake Lloyd at the other end of the ground.
The 181cm right-footer tallied more Inside-50s than any other player and his nine intercept possessions and 562 metres gained was the second-most on the ground.
“He’s just matured. He’s played enough football now, he knows what his role is,” Hinkley said of Byrne-Jones’ development this year.
“He’s a really smart footballer, he plays with great composure, we love what he brings.”
But has the deceptively-quick Byrne-Jones done enough to catch the eye of All-Australian selectors ahead of the other standouts vying for a small-to-medium sized spot in defence?
While a slow start to the year, which saw him win less than 20 disposals in five of the opening six rounds, puts Byrne-Jones slightly behind some of the big names, the numbers of Hinkley’s man stack up.
Of the names on this list of general-defenders, compiled by Champion Data, Byrne-Jones ranks first for Inside-50s and third for intercepts and contested possessions.
While his 91 Champion Data ranking points per game across the season doesn’t reach the heights of a Jake Lloyd or Shannon Hurn, Byrne-Jones, with an average of 104, has tallied the fourth-most points since Round 8.
And defensively Byrne-Jones is as good as any but as Hinkley acknowledged “if your team has a great year, you get recognised better” and that’s where the likes of Hurn, Daniel Rich, Tom Stewart and Zac Williams might have the upper-hand.