The Buzz: Jon Ralph nominates your club's big improvers

EVERY CLUB: BOMBERS Michael Hibberd and Jake Carlisle head Jon Ralph's list of AFL 2013 surprise packets.

Sam Kerridge

MICHAEL Hibberd played 13 injury-interrupted games last year as a talented half-back still seeking redemption after a 2011 assault in Mornington.

At the same time Jake Carlisle was a beanpole defender best known for being posterized as Carlton aerial specialist Andrew Walker perched on his 198cm frame.

Just 11 rounds into the 2013 season Hibberd and Carlisle have claims for the mantle as the AFL's most improved players.

Top 50 movers and sliders of 2013

And Walker, so disappointing last season after just 16 goals from 15 games, is another contender given only Chad Wingard and Dylan Roberton shade him for the biggest SuperCoach average jump this season.

All three are All-Australian locks, Hibberd as a tight-checking defender who uses his left foot to lethal effect, Walker as the surging half-back, and Carlisle as the swingman Essendon can build a premiership tilt around.

Scroll down to see Ralphy's big improvers at your club

When you consider Essendon's other significant improvers - Heath Hocking, David Myers, Dyson Heppell, Jason Winderlich, Cale Hooker and David Zaharakis - it is no surprise the Bombers are comfortably perched in the top four.

It seems so simple: how can you not improve when you get a sudden upsurge from a core of players?

Consider Gold Coast, with six of the 50 most improved players on SuperCoach points alone: Trent McKenzie (7th), Campbell Brown (12th), Charlie Dixon (14th), Dion Prestia (31st), Sam Day (37th) and Matt Shaw (47th).

All of which makes Carlton's perilous position so confounding.

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The Blues are in a similar position to their 2012 ladder position at the turn, 6-5 to last year's 5-6 and with Grand Finalists Hawthorn and Sydney to come.

Yet under Mick Malthouse the list of players to either make massive gains or rebound from injury-riddled seasons goes on and on.

Walker in a positional switch, reborn taggers Ed Curnow and Jaryd Cachia, key defenders Lachie Henderson and Michael Jamison and small forward Jeff Garlett.

Garlett has kicked 27.15 and is enjoying regular forays into the midfield, Cachia took another scalp in Jobe Watson last weekend, Henderson looks good both forward and back, and Walker is even getting tagged as a half-back.

Then consider the flipside.

Can you think of one West Coast player bar Eric Mackenzie who has improved this year?

All of Andrew Gaff, Jason Porplyzia, Robin Nahas, Toby Greene and Sam Wright have claims as the biggest sliders of the year.

Lance Franklin might be defending his goals tally, but he has recorded the seventh-biggest points slide of the year.

Take out the players either back from injury, suffering injury early in games or regular subs - Nathan Foley, Liam Anthony, Jason Porplyzia, Taylor Walker among them - and Franklin's points drop year on year (from 117 points to 89) is the second-biggest in the game.

WHO IS THE BIGGEST IMPROVER FOR YOUR SIDE THIS YEAR?

ADELAIDE

Stinker of a year all round for Adelaide, given Sam Jacobs (down an average of 17 SuperCoach points), Jason Porplyzia (down 31 points) and Taylor Walker (down 29) are all in the top 50 sliders.

That doesn't mean there haven't been some signs of life.

We know Sam Kerridge is a star of the future after his six of the best against North Melbourne, while Tom Lynch's bag of 10 was no flash in the pan.

Lynch only has 15 total goals but is averaging nearly 18 touches, while Ricky Henderson and Richard Douglas have both flown the flag in a terrible year.

Sam Kerridge

BRISBANE

Tough old year in many ways.

Even those who have shone are now being limited by sides aware Brisbane hasn't got that many strings to its bow.

Brent Moloney started with a bang, but is too easily tagged with Daniel Rich out of the side, and is now injured.

Pearce Hanley didn't come from the clouds given he had two top-five best-and-fairest results, but he's gone to another level.

Now he gets taggers of the likes of Brent Macaffer affixing themselves to his side. He needs to work a way through that to continue his excellent season.

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CARLTON

Too many improvers to mention, but we will try.

How are they only 6-5?

If Chris Yarran had kicked truly with those two late shots against Richmond, and then not got a case of the sad sacks when the sub against Essendon last week, they could be 8-3.

Yes, he was tagged by Jason Winderlich, but he just had to go harder at that critical Lachie Henderson pass and at least halve the contest by knocking the ball out of bounds.

No wonder Micky Malthouse ripped into him yesterday.

It that really tough? Probably, but the Blues are trying to win the flag, not just have another nice pleasant year of gradual improvement.

But to the positives, because there are plenty.

In a year reminiscent of the Blues in 2011 under Brett Ratten, a host of players have pulled the finger out.

Jeff Garlett is the 2012 Eddie Betts, kicking goals and playing midfield, the key backs Lachie Henderson, Michael Jamison and Simon White are all rock solid, the taggers in Jarrad Cachia and Ed Curnow are proving undroppable, and Andrew Walker is a backline ball magnet.

He has scored more than 100 in Supercoach in seven of 11 games so far this year.

If Mick can continue to eke out the improvement from the likes of Matthew Kreuzer, Josh Bootsma, Troy Menzel and co, who knows what can happen this year?

Andrew Walker

COLLINGWOOD

A season of highs and lows but no doubt some progression from the seven debutants, six of them who are upgraded rookies.

Who of the regular personnel, though, has really lifted this year?

Certainly Harry O'Brien, who has been released from the defensive role which made him jittery and such regular fodder for TV analysts.

Jamie Elliott will never be consistent given his role as a small forward but has given plenty, while Sam Dwyer has been an instant hit despite missing the Lions and Demons victories with groin soreness.

Brent Macaffer probably vies with Harry O for the most improved tag, close to bring dropped for the foreseeable future until coach Nathan Buckley found a tagging role in which he has been a revelation.

ESSENDON

Unlike Carlton, the clutch of Essendon's on-ground improvers have been reflected in the win-loss tally of 8-3.

You could argue the toss that either Michael Hibberd or Jake Carlisle are THE biggest improver of the year, while David Myer's ice-cool finish against Carlton on Friday night underlined his improvement this season.

Dyson Heppell has always been cool in a crisis, but has he ever been so magnificent overhead. At least three times on Friday night he rose above an opponent to pluck the Sherrin clean.

Just a thought: how good would Gold Coast be if they had taken him at pick seven, rather than Josh Caddy? He went to Essendon at pick eight, with Gold Coast worried about his durability.

They don't need him - Essendon sure do - but think about his poise off half back alongside Jarrod Harbrow and David Swallow. It doesn't bear thinking about.

All of Heath Hocking and Jake Melksham have been better than their horrible 2012 seasons with the likes of Jackson Merrett, Elliott Kavanagh and Nick Kommer all showing heaps of potential.

Dyson Heppell

FREMANTLE

Players just go better under Rossy Lyon, don't they?

Garrick Ibbotson is back in favour and playing quality football after a year in the wilderness, while Michael Walters exploded into the season before missing a handful of recent games with an ankle injury.

Nick Suban is another to rediscover his best form given the demolition he can accomplish with his raking left foot, while the only real surprise is that they didn't maximise Dylan Roberton's potential before letting him go to St Kilda.

One more - Michael Johnson continues to play assured, reliable football, although the tail-end of his 2012 season means he probably doesn't technically qualify for this list.

GEELONG

How in God's name does Mathew Stokes go from third to fifth gear this late in his career?

How does a mercurial goalsneak in Steve Johnson go into the midfield and dominate, recording a 19 Supercoach points average jump?

Harry Taylor, currently basking in Bali with a lucrative new deal, has only one problem in that Jake Carlisle might be a candidate to pinch his title as the league's best swingman.

It won't worry him too much as he sips another Bintang at Ku De Ta.

The concerns are Tom Hawkins, who is high in the sliders list given his back issues, and Josh Caddy.

His stats are hurt by his status as the substitute at times, but he is averaging just 38 Supercoach points and can't get back into the seniors.

130402 S Joel Selwood

GOLD COAST

The hits keep coming.

Is Dion Prestia a bigger improver than Trent McKenzie? Is Jarrod Harbrow a bigger improver than his fellow mature-aged recruit Campbell Brown?

McKenzie has North Melbourne's total disinterest in manning him up to thank for his monster game last week, but he's been great all year.

Prestia is an out-and-out gun, and Harbrow and Brown have been key cogs in the recent wins.

Throw in Charlie Dixon, Tom Lynch, reborn defender Sam Day and newbie ruckman Tom Nicholls and you can see why this side is finals-bound with a bullet this year or next.

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

A bust on most levels, despite another eight or 10 games in most of the younger brigade.

Yet amid the wreckage of a winless season, at least Tom Scully has shown in the last month that he might just one day become the player his pay packet suggests he needs to be.

Jeremy Cameron was a star last year, but also faded from games. With the General Patton down and out for the year, he is the go-to man and hasn't let anyone down.

HAWTHORN

Surely the best side of the first 25 weeks of 2012 can't get much better, can it?

Of course it can, especially under Angry Al Clarkson.

Hawthorn might not have many bona fide contenders for the improver of the year, but many Hawks have made tangible gains.

Luke Hodge has shrugged off his knee issues and is back to his best, Jordan Lewis's past month has been phenomenal, Jack Gunston (three bags of three) has become a real forward factor, and Paul Puopolo is a feral chasing machine in the midfield.

With Bradley Hill and Jed Anderson showing real promise, there is all of a sudden hope of a regeneration of this list too where it was not apparent last year.

The fact Lance Franklin has recorded a 27-point SuperCoach drop is down to a number of factors - inaccuracy in front of goal in his 0.7 effort against the Roos, a load being spread more evenly in front of goal, and a clear downturn in form.

Still, he still has 27.20 after 10 games, and is probably on his way to another 60-goal season.

Hawks

NORTH MELBOURNE

When a fourth-gamer kicks six goals it is a monumental occasion.

So Majak Daw has to be in this list.

So does Aaron Black, who has North Melbourne fans daring to believe he could be the Drew Petrie replacement for the next decade.

Ben Cunnington has taken on some quality tagging jobs, but from then on the names don't roll off the tongue.

Andrew Swallow has battled on valiantly despite a knee injury, but for every player who has good statistics there are too many who have let the Roos down at key stages in close games.

Majak Daw

MELBOURNE

You can't really label first-year players improvers, but surely Dean Terlich and Matt Jones would be top-five in the Dees best-and-fairest.

Colin Garland has been simply magnificent, even if he eventually spat the dummy against Travis Cloke when the dam wall broke.

Understandably too, when his teammates further up the field were handing the ball back to the Pies on a platter.

He mostly beats his defender, backs himself to surge through the corridor, and by all accounts leads well behind closed doors.

For all his highlights, Jeremy Howe has only 16 goals from 11 games, but then again has any side had fewer inside-50s?

Nate Jones flies the flag, but then again he always has.

PORT ADELAIDE

Can we split the season into two blocks of five weeks?

All of Chad Wingard, Justin Westhoff and Gus Monfries ran amok in the first month and a bit, yet only Wingard has really maintained the rage.

Of course, he was the fish John West rejected, overlooked with the first five GWS picks in the 2010 national draft.

We haven't seen much of GWS kids Dom Tyson (pick 3, injured), Will Hoskin-Elliott (pick 4) and Matt Buntine (pick 5, injured too), but they will have to be good to match Wingard's exploits.

Paul Stewart was a revelation last year but has fallen off a cliff this season, his SuperCoach points falling from 65 to 42. Ouch.

RICHMOND

When Damien Hardwick said Daniel Jackson could be leading the club's best-and-fairest after the first month of football, few believed him.

But the stats bear out his influence, with Jackson in the top 50 for SuperCoach improvers alongside Dusty Martin and Reece Conca, up 22 points.

Brandon Ellis has peeled off a couple of monsters before recent injury.

At times in the last year you wondered if Martin was too much of a loose cannon, if Conca had any tricks, if Ellis was just a solid half-back.
P
atience was then in short supply, but a year on Martin has started finishing off games and seems reformed, while Ellis and Conca are certain 200-gamers.

Shane Edwards took the step up last year, but his sure hands in the centre bounces have won games for the Tiges this year and is averaging 20 touches.

Shane Edwards

ST KILDA

A pair of Saints basically top and tail the top 50 Champion Data improvers, with Dylan Roberton at No.2 (up 36 SuperCoach points), and Nick Riewoldt at No.49 (up 13).

Both have been mighty, and if Roberton cannot play on the big dogs he uses the ball well and just doesn't make mistakes in defence.

The Saints backline isn't bad at full strength, but all of Sam Fisher, Sean Dempster and James Gwilt have had injury issues that have caused a domino effect.

Gwilt is actually at No.30 on the improvers list - up 18 points, while Jack Steven has put the afterburners on his career and Jarryn Geary's tagging roles (especially on Marc Murphy) have mostly been successful.

The problem has been Fisher has mostly failed to play with the pain of his toe injury and Nick Dal Santo has had a shocker.

That is just one of the reasons the Saints are 2-9.

Dylan Roberton

SYDNEY

Mark Robinson has already hailed the poise and balance of rookie elevation Dane Rampe off half-back this week.

Of course, this is Sydney, so he is just one cog in a team that has not basked in the premiership glory.

Instead, half a dozen players have kicked on, with Mike Pyke leading the charge.

He has led the AFL in contested marks for much of the year, and is probably the AFL story of the season alongside Brett Goodes.

Then you add in Luke Parker, who plays half forward and midfield with equal dexterity, and of course Dan Hannebury, who is second in some AFL player of the year awards.

Jarrad McVeigh - at half-back - and Jude Bolton - at half-forward - just keep on keeping on.

No wonder this team is the complete side, and has the adulation of every football purist.

WEST COAST

Who has improved at West Coast?

Eric Mackenzie.

That is all.

Eagles fans might argue the toss over a handful of players, but Matt Rosa and Andrew Gaff have had stinkers and Mark LeCras has battled when not injured.

Josh Kennedy is the other candidate after an excellent 34 goals from 10 games, but he is only returning to the form that saw him kick 59 goals in 2011 before injury last season.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Mostly good news for the Dogs despite their three-win season, which is why the heat has only been on the club for a seven-day period before their last couple of wins.

Will Minson was mostly excellent last season but has clearly gone again this year, totally dominant as the sole ruckman with Jordan Roughead, also a big improver, playing on the last line.

It would be some feat for Ryan Griffen to go again after his second-placing in last year's B&F but he has monstered the opposition this year. He is in the absolute elite on this year's form.

The players on the rise continue - Tom Liberatore is an inside ball warrior despite a handful of quiet games, even if his partner in crime Mitch Wallis has been out of favour and is statistically at least a big slider given he has felt the lash of the subs vest.

Liam Jones takes two steps forward and one back, Nick Lower has been a sensational tagging recruit, Dale Morris has returned from a catastrophic injury, and Adam Cooney (pre-hamstring injury) turned back the clock.

It has disguised the fact that Matthew Boyd has missed much of the year with injury, Shaun Higgins and Ayce Cordy almost all of it, and Daniel Cross has battled away in the twos.

Will Minson

Follow Jon Ralph on Twitter: @RalphyHeraldSun