Herald Sun 2020 Dream Team: Who is the best tagger in the AFL?

Taggers still play a pivotal role in the game - and one current player may be among the best we’ve seen. Vote on who should take the tagger spot in the 2020 Dream Team. Is he better than Sam Mitchell’s No.1 stopper?

To be manned-up by a human glove, or tagger in AFL vernacular, is the ultimate accolade and one Sam Mitchell was afforded most weeks of his decorated 329-game career.

It makes Mitchell perfectly equipped to rate the finest run-with practitioners of the 21st Century, given he locked horns with a wide variety of extremely disciplined men who were hell-bent on reducing his possession tally from his average of 26.40 over 16 years.

“There were a lot of good taggers around in those periods, but (Cameron Ling) Lingy was the best,” Mitchell said.

“He was fitter than me, stronger than me, heavier than me, more disciplined and if you ever got away from him, because he played for such a good team, someone else would just tag you until he got back to you. He was a disaster to play on.”

For the record, Ling played on Mitchell six times over their careers, most notably in the 2008 Grand Final which Geelong lost despite Ling restricting Mitchell to just 13 disposals, including three in the first half.

Fremantle stopper Ryan Crowley shadows Sam Mitchell in the 2013 Grand Final. Picture: Michael Klein

Then again, Ling was well schooled by 2008, having cut his early tagging teeth on James Hird, Nathan Buckley, Anthony Koutoufides, Ben Cousins, Shane Crawford, Adam Goodes and Simon Black.

“I remember trying to keep up with Adam Goodes one day, gasping for air, and realizing in horror that he was still in first gear. It dawned on me that things could get nasty when he explodes,” said Ling.

“Shane Crawford was another who could just run all day as he did one when he gave me an absolute towelling.

“I do get asked a bit would I employ a tagger in today’s game? The answer is yes but only if you have the right player and only if that player is prepared to attack because there is no longer any room for a total negator.”

Prior to Ling there had been periods in the 1980s-90s where taggers were utilised with the sole aim of stopping their target, irrespective of their own possession tally.

That changed as Ling, Brett Kirk and Kane Cornes became dangerous by playing off their opponents. Take the 2011 Grand Final, when Ling’s ability to win exactly the same number of possessions (20) as his opponent Dane Swan was viewed as a major win for Geelong.

Giant Matt De Boer has taken Ling’s mantle as public enemy No.1 for the game’s biggest stars, but he has some tough competition when it comes to picking a tagger for the Herald Sun Dream Team — our best 18 for 2020, which will be selected over 18 days as we count down to the first game of the home-and-away season.

A tagger’s skill set includes extreme endurance, rare levels of concentration and an ability to work off an opponent to become dangerous the other way. Here are five of the best in today’s game.

MATT DE BOER (GWS)

The selfless role he plays is vital in the GWS midfield, allowing more gifted members to strut their stuff.

SuperCoach price: $408,000, 2019 Average: 72

Champion Data says: De Boer recorded the third-best defensive rating of any midfielder last season, keeping the likes of Dustin Martin, Tim Kelly and Patrick Cripps to below their expected output.

Matt de Boer pays close attention to Dustin Martin.

GEORGE HEWETT (Sydney)

Has learnt the fine line between stopping an opponent and creating attack, as rewarded with second in last year’s best-and-fairest.

SuperCoach price: $477,600, 2019 Average: 88

Champion Data says: Hewett had the fifth-hardest matchups of any midfielder last season, playing on a variety of players in Rory Laird, Lachie Neale, Ben Cunnington and Zac Williams. He ranked seventh in the AFL for post-clearance groundball-gets last season.

JAMES HARMES (Melbourne)

In 2019 he excelled in a run-with role, whereas this year we may see him more often behind the ball.

SuperCoach price: $516,400, 2019 Average: 94

Champion Data says: Harmes finished the season with the best defensive rating of any midfielder last season. He also recorded career-highs for disposals, contested possessions and score involvements.

JACK STEELE (St Kilda)

Has become an integral component via his hard-tackling and disciplined approach.

SuperCoach price: $515,900, 2019 Average: 95

Champion Data says: Steele had the hardest match-ups of any midfielder last season and still finished with a positive defensive rating, with his scalps including Clayton Oliver and Rory Sloane. Since 2017, he has applied the fourth-most pressure acts of any player in the competition.

MORE DREAM TEAM:

Dream team: Lock in your votes for Herald Sun’s ultimate AFL team of 2020

2020 AFL Dream Team: Who’s the best rebound defender in the AFL?

Vote now: Who is the AFL’s premier outside midfielder?

2020 AFL Dream Team: Who is the best utility in the AFL?

MARK HUTCHINGS (West Coast)

SuperCoach price: $274,200, 2019 Average: 48

Outstanding at shutting down opponents, now needs to further develop his attacking mindset

Champion Data says: Hutchings had a variety of opponents last season which included Scott Pendlebury, Michael Walters, Rory Atkins and Adam Saad. He finished with the second-best defensive rating of any midfielder.

ANDO’S TOP TAGGERS OF THE PAST 20 YEARS

1: Cameron Ling (Geelong)

2: Brett Kirk (Sydney)

3: Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide)

4: Ryan Crowley (Fremantle)

5: Brady Rawlings (North Melbourne)

Originally published as Herald Sun 2020 Dream Team: Who is the best tagger in the AFL?