Pure Footy: Stats gurus David King and Corey Mobilio analyse key stats, trends ahead of round 9

A surprise group of young stars are rivalling Bronwlow Medal fancy Marcus Bontempelli as the most influential players per disposal this year.

A young Cat has emerged as one of the most impactful midfielders in the competition as Geelong plans how to cope without skipper Patrick Dangerfield.

Max Holmes, who is averaging 20.5 disposals a game this year, is second only to Brownlow Medal fancy Marcus Bontempelli for rating points per disposal this year.

Stats gurus Corey Mobilio and David King zoned in on the most influential players in the game in this week’s episode of Pure Footy.

The Cats have lost Dangerfield for the “short term” with a hamstring strain and 20-year-old Holmes appears one of the leading contenders to shoulder increased centre bounce responsibility.

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“If you’re looking at all midfielders this year, just looking at their rating points won per disposal, he’s second in the competition behind Bontempelli,” Champion Data expert Mobilio said.

“We know how good Bontempelli is.”

Bontempelli is rated the most impactful player per disposal in the league by Champion Data, with Zac Bailey, Shai Bolton and James Rowbottom rounding out the top five.

“It’s where you win (the ball), what you do with it,” Mobilio said.

Max Holmes celebrates a goal against Adelaide.

Jai Newcombe on the burst against Western Bulldogs.

Asked whether Holmes could fill the Dangerfield void in coming weeks, Mobilio said:

“You look at how they have used Holmes this year, he spent the first four weeks of the year on the outside on the wing. That’s where he was last year.

“He’s starting to slow creep into that midfield mix. No Selwood obviously, we know that, no Dangerfield, Guthrie is coming back from an injury.

“I think he could offer a real point-of-difference in that midfield mix with Atkins and Blicavs.”

Meanwhile, Collingwood is in the box seat to set a premiership platform over the next month as stats reveal it has the easiest draw of any side in the next month.

The Magpies are 7-1 despite having the hardest-rated fixture in the opening eight rounds and next face GWS Giants (13th), Carlton (8th), North Melbourne (16th) and West Coast (17th).

Since 2008, four teams have started the year 11-1 and only one has missed out on the Grand Final — Fremantle in 2015.

Geelong (2008), Hawthorn (2013) and Melbourne (2021) all reached the decider after winning 11 of their first 12 games of the season.

Jai Newcombe’s impact forward, Luke Jackson and Dustin Martin’s big shift were other major talking points on this week’s show.