Gold Coast have conceded more disposals and ranking points to opposition midfielders than any other team this season. Is it Rockliff’s turn to go big?

Gold Coast has conceded more disposals and ranking points to opposition midfielders than any other team. Is it Tom Rockliff’s turn to go big? Recap The Phantom’s live chat.

• Oliver’s price twisting in the right direction
• The psychology of SuperCoach trading
• Ultimate trade guide to Round 9
• SuperCoach Draft: The top free agents

With Gold Coast travelling to Adelaide Oval on Sunday, Port Adelaide midfielder Tom Rockliff will be licking his lips.

Coming off his fourth game tallying 35 disposals or more this season — Crow Matt Crouch is the only other player to achieve this feat — Rockliff will come up against a Suns’ on-ball brigade which concede more disposals and ranking points than any other team this year.

On average, the Gold Coast midfield give up 24.78 disposals to opposition midfielders — including wingmen — the most in the competition.

Against the Suns, the average SuperCoach points for opposition midfielders is 100 per game — six more than against the second-ranked Brisbane.

Last week, Melbourne’s Clayton Oliver had a field day in his side’s last-gasp victory at Metricon Stadium.

The 21-year-old tallied 38 disposals, 22 contested possessions, 15 tackles and a season-high 175 ranking points.

But he’s not the only midfielder to record a season-high SuperCoach score against the Suns this season.

In fact, he wasn’t even the only Demon to do so.

What the Gold Coast concede to opposition midfielders

James Harmes (119 points) and Nathan Jones (111) also recorded their highest-tally of the year in Round 8.

A week earlier in Perth, Eagles Andrew Gaff (154 points), Luke Shuey (133) and Elliot Yeo (132) did the same.

And the list goes on.

Carlton’s Patrick Cripps (169), Sam Walsh (123) and Marc Murphy, Bulldogs Tom Liberatore (150) and Jack Macrae (139), Docker Brad Hill (133), Brisbane’s Jarryd Lyons (114) and Saint Jack Steele have all recorded 2019-highs against Gold Coast.

While not their biggest scores of the season, Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe posted 124 points in Round 2 and Brisbane recruit Lachie Neale finished with 142 points in Round 6.

Carlton start Patrick Cripps posted a season-high 169 points against the Suns in Round 4.

You can argue the big numbers didn’t amount to much with the Suns winning three of the first four games of the year but the opposition dominance of the midfield in four consecutive losses since is a concern.

In Showdown 46, Rockliff had more than 40 disposals for the second time this season, finishing with 41 touches, 22 contested possessions, 12 clearances — all game-highs — and 122 points.

The former Lion, who averaged 132 points per game in a career-best year in 2014, tallied 44 disposals and 138 points against the Demons in Round 1, as well as 37 disposals and 140 points in the Round 6 loss to Richmond.

Teammate Travis Boak is also likely to continue his hot start to 2019 in Sunday’s clash with the Suns.

Travis Boak is likely to be among the points again in Round 9.

Boak has recorded the fourth-most disposals in the game — one more than the fifth-ranked Rockliff — and his average of 114.6 SuperCoach points per game in the seventh-best in the competition.

But, while the trend suggests the Port Adelaide midfield should win plenty of the ball this week, it must make it count — something which it didn’t do against the Crows.

ROUND 1 v St Kilda

Jack Steele: 21 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 10 tackles, and 115 points*

ROUND 2 v Fremantle

Brad Hill: 32 disposals, six marks and 133 points*

Nat Fyfe: 31 disposals, 17 contested possessions, 10 marks and 124 points

ROUND 3 v Western Bulldogs

Tom Liberatore: 30 disposals, 22 contested possessions, 12 clearances, 9 tackles, 150 points*

Jack Macrae: 33 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 6 clearances, 9 tackles and 139 points*

Marcus Bontempelli: 34 disposals, 16 contested possessions, 7 marks, 6 clearances, 124 points

ROUND 4 v Carlton

Patrick Cripps: 30 disposals, 19 contested possessions, 12 tackles, 8 marks, 2 goals and 169 points*

Sam Walsh: 28 disposals, 13 contested possessions, six marks and 123 points*

Marc Murphy: 29 disposals, 15 marks and 114 points*

ROUND 5 v Adelaide

Rory Sloane: 32 disposals, 20 contested possessions, 7 marks and 104 points

Brad Crouch: 36 disposals, 15 contested possessions and 100 points

Matt Crouch: 36 disposals and 108 points

ROUND 6 v Brisbane

Lachie Neale: 28 disposals, 14 contested possessions, 1 goal, 142 points

Mitch Robinson: 26 disposals, eight marks, 3 goals and 125 points

Jarryd Lyons: 27 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 2 goals and 114 points*

Andrew Gaff, left, picture with teammate Mark Hutchings, enjoyed himself against the Gold Coast in Round 7.

ROUND 7 v West Coast

Andrew Gaff: 35 disposals 10 marks and 154 points*

Elliot Yeo: 28 disposals, 13 contested possessions, 12 tackles, 8 clearances and 132 points*

Luke Shuey: 31 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 10 clearances, 8 tackles and 133 points*

ROUND 8 v Melbourne

Clayton Oliver: 38 disposals, 22 contested possessions, 9 clearances, 15 tackles and 175 points*

Nathan Jones: 28 disposals, 11 contested possessions, 7 clearances and 111 points*

James Harmes: 22 disposals, 13 tackles, 10 contested possessions and 119 points*

*season-high