Field Marshal: Champion Data reveals which players deserve more recognition at your club
These are the players who would be adored by their coaches, but perhaps aren’t quite getting the kudos they richly deserve. Champion Data is here to change that with exclusive numbers revealing the most underrated player at your club.
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Every club has players who fly under the radar.
While the superstars receive all the accolades, many of their teammates go unnoticed despite their exceptional form.
Here are the 18 young guns who are unsung heroes at your club. shooting the lights out this season.
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REILLY O’BRIEN (Adelaide)
The Crows might have picks No.1 and 2 (if Brad Crouch departs) in this year’s draft – and 198cm South Australian ruckman Riley Thilthorpe would enjoy learning off O’Brien, 24. The former rookie emerged when Sam Jacobs went down last year and since Jacobs stepped out O’Brien has taken another step up. This season he is averaging 12.6 disposals, 2.4 intercept marks and 8.2 hit-outs to advantage.
JARROD BERRY (Brisbane)
Brownlow favourite Lachie Neale and Hugh McCluggage soak up plenty of the kudos but you suspect Jarrod Berry is one of coach Chris Fagan’s favourites. Berry makes the likes of Charlie Cameron and Eric Hipwood shine brighter with his seven score assists ranked fourth of all midfielders. Berry, 22, also averages five tackles and could one day captain the club that has also drafted his younger brother.
LEVI CASBOULT (Carlton)
Eddie McGuire wants the Sherrins redesigned because they are too slippery and hard to grip. Try telling that to Levi Casboult, who has taken 30 marks this year (No.5 in the AFL) and 11 contested grabs (No.3). Casboult’s 8.0 masks a couple of set-shots that didn’t score but his glue-laded hands and average of 4.6 score involvements have helped make life easier without injured goalkicker Charlie Curnow.
BRYADEN MAYNARD (Collingwood)
Toby Greene might have taken the points in Round 4 but other than that Maynard has been a lockdown king for a few years. Offensively he is a weapon – rated elite for disposals (22), metres gained (442) and uncontested possessions (14) in 2020. Only Sam Docherty, Zach Tuohy, Ed Langdon and injured teammate Jeremy Howe carry the ball further than this powerful left-footer.
DYLAN SHIEL (Essendon)
The Brownlow Medal smoky (who has a game in hand) is averaging the most contested possessions (12.8) and clearances (6.8) of his nine-year career. Shiel’s 19 centre-bounce clearances ranks No.2 in the AFL and his average of 26.3 disposals ranks No.3 in the league. Looking every bit the special midfielder Essendon traded for and Shiel’s man-bun will only make him harder for umpires to ignore. As for Shiel’s scrutinised kicking efficiency, he is going at 58.7 per cent this year – his best since 2016.
ADAM CERRA (Fremantle)
The Victorian is coach Justin Longmuir’s Mr Fix It – he can play everywhere, a little bit like Lachie Whitfield. Cerra’s game time reads backline 11 per cent, wing 45 per cent, midfield 27 per cent and forward 17 per cent. Defensively, there might not be many better in the competition. Cerra is rated elite for tackles (3.4) and is ranked No.2 of all wingmen for pressure points. While Cerra only averages 14.2 disposals he has a kicking efficiency of 79 per cent. At draft time many feared Cerra would soon return home however he is signed up until the end of 2021.
GRYAN MIERS (Geelong)
The dreadlocked goalkicker is almost mimicking his junior numbers at AFL level. Miers is rated elite for uncontested possessions (11.8), marks (5.2) and has booted 6.0 in five games. How about this for the rise of Gryan – drafted at pick 57 after kicking seven goals in the 2017 TAC Cup grand final (including five on Bulldog Bailey Smith), played every VFL game in 2018 and has played all 30 AFL games since.
JACK BOWES (Gold Coast)
Footage of Bowes dancing around three Geelong players and delivering the ball to Ben King inside 50m on Saturday summed up Gold Coast’s improvement. The Cairns boy who is classed as a defender is averaging 18 disposals, 6.4 intercept possessions, two intercept marks and 319m gained. The Suns had four top-10 picks in 2016 and after 47 games Bowes is starting to shine brightest, ahead of Ben Ainsworth, Will Brodie and Jack Scrimshaw (Hawthorn).
NICK HAYNES (GWS)
Haynes made the All-Australian squad of 40 last year and then was somehow left on the shelf. Is there a more underrated player in the game? When Haynes chopped off Ricky Henderson’s kick on Sunday to set up an open goal for Jeremy Finlayson it was one 20 intercept marks this season, ranked No.1 in the AFL. Rated elite for marks (8.8), intercept possessions (7.6), intercept marks (4) and spoils (3.8). Better known for attending the Round 3 coin toss than his unrivalled intercept game.
CHAD WINGARD (Hawthorn)
Wingard’s elevation into the midfield has been joyful to watch at a time where the game is crying out for more devastating playmakers. Wingard’s average of six score involvements ranks equal-first for all midfield-forwards and he has also booted 9.4 in five games. Most impressively, the Hawks have retained possession form 83 per cent of Wingard’s kicks inside 50m – ranked No.1 in the AFL. Put simply, Clarko wants the ball in Chad’s trusty hands.
ED LANGDON (Melbourne)
The Demons identified outside run as something they desperately needed and wingman Ed Langdon is holding up his end of the bargain, with the Fremantle recruit’s 445m gained ranked No.3 in the AFL and his 18.2 uncontested possessions ranked No.1 in the AFL. The question remains though – was his ball use ever going to be good enough to take this team to the next level and fix the disconnect between Melbourne’s midfield and forward lines?
JY SIMPKIN (North Melbourne)
In a largely vanilla midfield this kid is a point of difference for coach Rhyce Shaw. Simpkin’s creativity and ball movement offers a bit of extra punch and at just 22 he is already the club’s barometer. Simpkin is averaging 23.4 disposals, 6.2 score involvements and a goal per game in 2020 while his 6.2 clearances ranks equal-seventh in the AFL.
TODD MARSHALL (Port Adelaide)
The 198cm junior off-spinner looks far more comfortable standing next to Charlie Dixon than at the end of a cricket pitch. Marshall’s 15 tackles is ranked No.1 of all key forwards this year while he is rated elite for forward 50m groundballs (1.8). Coach Ken Hinkley would love the Deniliquin boy’s pressure game and, like ruckman Tim English – who was drafted three picks later – Marshall is growing into a scary prospect.
JACK HIGGINS (Richmond)
Higgins has returned from brain surgery and is, well, braining them. The firecracker forward has spent 99 per cent of game time in attack and is rated elite for forward-50m groundballs (2.3), score involvements (6) and is averaging 15.8 disposals. In footy’s heartwarming story of 2020 the kid who kicks his legs to stay focused at team meetings is locked into coach Damien Hardwick’s 22. With Dion Prestia, Shane Edwards and Trent Cotchin missing will the Tigers throw Higgins – a prolific junior ball-winner – into centre bounces this week?
CALLUM WILKIE (St Kilda)
The 191cm defender played every game last year but, he honest, could you pick him out of a police line-up? Dustin Martin could, and that’s because Wilkie, 24, kept Martin goalless from their 26 minutes matched-up in Round 4. Dusty is unstoppable one-out but Wilkie has won 53 per cent of defensive one-on-ones this season, ranked No.1 of defenders. The SANFL rookie has also beaten Mitch McGovern, Sam Lloyd, Bailey Dale, Cam Zurhaar and Nick Larkey this year. Wilkie ranks third at the Saints for intercept possessions and spoils and his kicking efficiency is 89 per cent. He’s the sort of blue-collar reliable defender who would receive endless applause inside Moorabbin at game reviews.
TOM PAPLEY (Sydney)
Former Carlton list boss Stephen Silvagni knew what he was doing when he offered Sydney pick No.9 for Papley last year. The powerful yet undersized forward is rated elite for marks (5.6), score involvements (6.6) and leads the Coleman Medal with 11 goals. His scoreboard impact of 18.6 points per game is ranked No.2 in the AFL behind Tom Hawkins and, without Buddy Franklin demanding supply, Papley’s 11 marks on the lead is No.1 in the AFL. How hard will the Blues come for the Bunyip boy this year?
LIAM RYAN (West Coast)
Flyin’ Ryan is all about impact at the Eagles. The premiership player opens the sweat glands on opposition defenders and that’s because from just 10 disposals this year he is averaging 1.4 forward-5om marks (elite), 5.8 score involvements (elite) and he has kicked a somewhat wasteful 8.8. West Coast was floundering until a brutal training session last Wednesday jolted them back to life although Ryan has kept his head above water.
HAYDEN CROZIER (Western Bulldogs)
In a dynamic backline that has conceded less than 40 points for the past three weeks this rebounding weapon is flying under the radar. Like Jason Johannisen, Crozier is the creative halfback that helps the Bulldogs ping the ball between the arcs at breakneck speed. Apart from a duel with Jack Lonie in Round 2 he has been free to use his bounce, averaging 312m gained, 13 uncontested possessions and 3.4 tackles. Might take mark of the year one day and hard to believe he was deployed in Fremantle’s forward line in a previous life. Credit to former list manager Jason McCartney, who convinced Crozier — a relative of respected Bulldogs commercial boss Nick Truelson — to relocate to Whitten Oval as a defender. Will be sorely missed against Carlton on Sunday due to suspension.
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Originally published as Field Marshal: Champion Data reveals which players deserve more recognition at your club