Pure Footy: David King, Daniel Hoyne lift lid on AFL trends, stats after round 1

He is maligned by some but Jordan De Goey’s numbers stack up against the very best in the game as he prepares to qualify for free agency. See the amazing stats.

Christian Petracca is widely acknowledged as the best player in the competition right now.

But a Collingwood star is almost matching Petracca’s numbers, without the recognition.

In the first episode for 2022 of Pure Footy – the weekly analysis show exclusive to heraldsun.com.au – Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne said that since round 13 last season Petracca is averaging just 1.8 more disposals (30.6 v 28.8), 1.7 inside-50s (6.7 to 5.0), and one score involvement (8.7 to 7.7) than Jordan De Goey, while the pair break even on 1.6 score assists per game.

WATCH THE FULL EPISODE OF PURE FOOTY IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE

De Goey is in the final year of his contract and will become a free agent at the end of the season. He is expected to command close to $1 million a year in his next deal and Hoyne said he was worth every cent – at Collingwood or another club.

“Since the halfway mark of last year his numbers, for the position that he plays, are incredible,” Hoyne said.

“I’m not saying write your own ticket, but if Jordan De Goey comes and asks to be on $800,000 or whatever it might be, I’m signing it right here, right now.

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Jordan De Goey flew out of the blocks with a big game against the Saints in round 1. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

“Think back to the last half a dozen finals series, who are the ones that have stood up, especially on grand final day? Goalkicking mids are what win you finals.

“The last two years 35 per cent of the time he’s involved in a chain, Collingwood score. That’s the third-best percentage of any midfielder or mid-forward in the competition. You pay big bucks for that.”

North Melbourne premiership champion David King said players who could make an impact like De Goey are hard to find.

“Every club in the competition would be going after Jordan De Goey. He’s every bit a 900,000 a year player. Collingwood may not way to play him that, but other clubs will, and they’ll give him a long-term deal, there’s no doubt about that.

“They’ll be coming from everywhere.”

In a packed first episode, Hoyne and King also discussed Carlton’s midfield dominance, Essendon’s horror day against the Cats, the Bulldogs’ biggest worry, how footy has changed in 2022 and more.