Marcus Lentini on track for staggering number of disposals in 2019
The numbers are staggering and Coburg star Marcus Lentini’s ball-winning ability could put him alongside some of the best midfielders ever to play VFL.
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Coburg young gun Marcus Lentini is on track for one of the all-time ball-winning seasons.
The Lions star is averaging a VFL-leading 29.7 disposals per game in 2019, ahead of Collingwood’s Alex Woodward and Werribee’s Tom Gribble.
If Lentini maintains his average across 18 home-and-away games he could amass 535 disposals, good enough for third most since Champion Data began collecting VFL statistics in 2010.
Ex-Saint Clint Jones holds the record with 562 disposals in the regular season for Sandringham in 2015.
Lentini has collected 30 or more disposals in four games this season and more than 40 in two others.
A 43-disposal day out against Northern Blues is Lentini’s biggest haul this year.
Coburg’s best-and-fairest winner and a VFL Team of the Year member in his debut season last year cemented Lentini has a star of the future and he has gone to another level in 2019.
After collecting 509 disposals at an average of 28.3 in 18 games last year — ninth best since 2010 — Lentini already has 386 touches through 13 games.
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Coburg teammate Luke Bunker is also having a career-best year despite the Lions’ lack of wins.
The tenacious midfielder sits fourth in the VFL with 25.5 disposals a game and third in tackles with 7.5 per match.
The rugged onballer earned some buzz before the AFL mid-season draft and could hear his name called out in November’s national or rookie drafts.
It’s also been a strong season for Lions skipper Peter McEvoy, who sits fourth in the Frosty Miller Medal race with 22 goals, five behind leader Jordan Lisle from Port Melbourne.
VFL legend Ben Jolley produced the highest average disposals in a season with 31.4 in 17 games with Williamstown in 2016.
Former Melbourne onballer James Magner has the second most disposals in a season with 543 in the 2011 season with Sandringham, while former Seagull and current Blue Michael Gibbons racked up 535 in his JJ Liston Trophy-winning season in 2016.
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