AFL 2024: Champion Data names best and worst performers in the final rounds of 2023
In the middle of 2023, Mason Cox was in a pristine patch of form, then everything changed. Champion Data names best and worst performers in the final weeks of the 2023 season.
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A blistering end to a season can give hope for a big next year.
And a fade out can signal the decline of a veteran star.
Geelong goalkicking legend Tom Hawkins’ output was slashed in half in his final few games of 2023 as he battled a rare injury and Todd Goldstein’s output fell off ahead of a move to Essendon.
Is that a sign of things to come or a blip on the radar for the two ageing stars?
Adelaide key forward Taylor Walker and North Melbourne young stud Harry Sheezel only got better as the season rolled on.
Keidean Coleman gave us all a glimpse into the super finals series he was about to have in the closing rounds of the home-and-away season, while Dustin Martin proved he well and truly still had it.
Thanks to numbers collating ranking points from Champion Data, here is the best players in the final six rounds of the home-and-away season for every team.
Plus, the players who improved and who dropped off.
Only players who played at least three of the last six games of the year qualified for selection, while players required a minimum of nine matches from rounds 1-18 to be considered.
Time will tell whether the numbers represent SuperCoach stars for next year or just a small patch of form.
ADELAIDE
Who starred in the last six matches of the home-and-away season
Rory Laird (5 matches) – 119.4 ranking points
Jordan Dawson (6) – 110.7
Matt Crouch (6) – 108
A tale of two veterans here.
Taylor Walker’s improvement took a leap thanks to monster games against Port Adelaide (seven goals) and West Coast (nine goals) but showed the star goalkicker has plenty in the tank after a career-best season.
The numbers are not so kind to Rory Sloane, who was used as the sub twice and subbed off one other time in his final four games of the year.
Chayce Jones had two quiet games before being subbed out of round 21.
At the top end for the Crows were players from the engine room, with Matt Crouch’s strong finish to the season no doubt helping him earn a new contract.
BRISBANE LIONS
Starred
Lachie Neale (6 matches) – 101.4
Hugh McCluggage (6) – 99.1
Josh Dunkley (6) – 98.6
Anybody who saw how Keidean Coleman played through September would not be surprised that he had a huge lift in from just before the finals.
The half-back was sensational for the Lions from the end of July to the end of September and if he carries that form into 2024, Coleman will be an All-Australian.
Josh Dunkley had a dip from superstar numbers to just very good as the in the final weeks of the regular season.
CARLTON
Starred
Nic Newman (6 matches) – 120.1 ranking points
Charlie Curnow (6) – 107.2
George Hewett (6) – 103.5
A couple of Blues took their games to new levels to finish the regular season, led by Nic Newman.
Newman played the best footy of his career in the back-end of 2023 and carried that on to a solid finals series, marking him as a player to watch heading into 2024.
George Hewett had an injury-affected middle portion of 2023 but hit his straps as a do-it-all midfielder which shows good signs for the Blues and Jesse Motlop may have proven himself as a potential answer as a small forward.
Skipper Patrick Cripps saw the biggest dropaway at Carlton in the closing stages of the regular season and will want to get back to his best in 2024.
COLLINGWOOD
Starred
Josh Daicos (6 matches) – 97 ranking points
Lachie Schultz, playing with Fremantle (6) – 96.8
Scott Pendlebury (6) – 96.1
Music to Magpie ears that Lachie Schultz finished his season in such red-hot touch.
Playing as a Docker, the new Pie recruit’s final rounds included a four-goal haul against Sydney and 5.3 against West Coast. so he will come into Collingwood feeling good about his game.
Frontline Magpie stars Darcy Moore and Nick Daicos had their close to the regular season impacted by injury, while Mason Cox barely touched the ball.
Josh Daicos enjoyed a super finish to the home-and-away season but only had an OK finals series.
ESSENDON
Starred
Zach Merrett (6 matches) – 119.3 ranking points
Darcy Parish (6) – 108.3
Dyson Heppell (6) – 90.5
A tale of two recruits for the Dons, with Ben McKay an improver in the end of North Melbourne’s season and Todd Goldstein going the other way.
Goldstein had virtually no impact in his final three matches in the blue and white but the Bombers will only want him to play a bit-part in 2024.
There were some doubts about whether Dyson Heppell would last into another season but he had a strong 2023 campaign and finished off in fine form to get a new deal.
FREMANTLE
Starred
Andrew Brayshaw (6 matches) – 121 ranking points
Luke Jackson (6) – 118.2
Caleb Serong (6) – 111.1
Even after Sean Darcy’s mega contract extension, the question of how he fits with Luke Jackson will hover at Fremantle and these numbers only magnify the conundrum.
Darcy did not play in the final six rounds due to an ankle injury and Jackson played the best football of his career in that stretch.
Finding the balance will be a key for Justin Longmuir.
Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw had good but not brilliant seasons by their standards but finished off in good fashion, while Sam Switkowski took a step forward and will be a key man in Fremantle’s hopes of replacing Lachie Schultz.
Jaeger O’Meara struggled for consistent impact in his first year as a Docker and sputtered to the end of the year.
GEELONG
Starred
Tom Stewart (6) – 118 ranking points
Mitch Duncan (5) – 95.8
Tom Atkins (6) – 93.1
The good news here is that Tom Atkins finished off a good season in strong form, as Geelong hopes he can become a main man in the midfield in coming years.
And Sam De Koning shrugged off an injury impacted first half of the year to finish like the rising star that made such a difference in 2022.
The bad news was all in the forward half.
Tom Hawkins was wounded in the final two weeks but didn’t get more than seven disposals in his final three games, with his ranking points halved.
Gary Rohan didn’t kick a goal in his last three matches and Brad Close couldn’t find the footy.
It’s no wonder the Cats couldn’t put enough score on the board to stay in the finals race.
GOLD COAST
Starred
Sam Flanders (6 matches) – 103.5 ranking points
Matt Rowell (6) – 98.7
Noah Anderson (6) – 97.2
Gold Coast will need each of Sam Flanders, Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson to have big years if they are to make finals for the first time and all three had strong 2023 campaigns.
Nick Holman didn’t have more than 10 disposals in any of his last four games and dropped his output dramatically so will want to recapture his best form to start next season.
GWS GIANTS
Starred
Tom Green (4 matches) – 129.9 ranking points
Kieren Briggs (6) – 111.6
Lachie Whitfield (6) – 109.2
Each of Tom Green, Kieren Briggs and Lachie Whitfield dominated in the close out to the regular season and carried that form into strong finals campaigns.
The sky is the limit for Green in 2024 and if he stays fit he shapes as a serious Brownlow Medal contender.
Josh Kelly interestingly wasn’t quite at his best before an excellent finals series.
Nick Haynes was missing in September and faces a big year to lock himself back into the Giants’ best side.
HAWTHORN
Starred
James Sicily (6 matches) – 124.7 ranking points
Jai Newcombe (5) – 110.5
Karl Amon (4) – 107.8
Chad Wingard’s form was so good in the closing weeks of the season, he didn’t get a possession in his final game and still showed a marked improvement.
No doubt that form helped him get a new deal with the Hawks despite a ruptured achilles.
Winger Karl Amon rounded into form well, while Seamus Mitchell had the biggest percentage drop of any player in the competition in his closing rounds.
MELBOURNE
Starred
Christian Petracca (6 matches) – 120.1 ranking points
Max Gawn (6) – 110.7
Clayton Oliver (3) – 106.8
The big three led the way for Melbourne ahead of the finals.
While defender Steven May wasn’t as impactful as usual before September, he still played one of the great final quarters of all time in a losing semi-final to Carlton.
The two wingers had contrasting finishes to the regular season, with Ed Langdon in good form and Lachie Hunter going the other way.
NORTH MELBOURNE
Starred
Luke Davies-Uniacke (4 matches) – 122.8 ranking points
Harry Sheezel (6) – 113.5
Tarryn Thomas (6) – 94.3
First-year players often fade as the year wears on but phenomenon Harry Sheezel only got better.
That bodes well for the young star avoiding the second-year blues next season.
If the Roos are to rise up the ladder, Tarryn Thomas will need to fire and his finish to the season was encouraging.
Luke McDonald was quiet to end the year before getting injured, while Jaidyn Stephenson also struggled.
Up forward, the lively Paul Curtis and spearhead Nick Larkey got better late in the season.
PORT ADELAIDE
Starred
Zak Butters (6 matches) – 132.9 ranking points
Connor Rozee (6) – 106.6
Dan Houston (6) – 100.5
The Power pushed hard to land Esava Ratugolea but his final weeks at Geelong were extremely quiet.
In fact, the defender didn’t have more than 10 possessions in his last six matches in the hoops.
Fellow backman Trent McKenzie also struggled as he battled injury.
New vice-captain Zak Butters finished the home-and-away season in sensational nick though, with only Marcus Bontempelli averaging more ranking points than Butters in the final six weeks.
RICHMOND
Starred
Dustin Martin (5 matches) – 115.9 ranking points
Toby Nankervis (4) – 105.9
Jayden Short (4) – 102.3
No wonder some were shocked Dustin Martin missed the cut for the All-Australian team given how he finished his season.
The superstar was deadly as a mid-forward.
On the wing, Jack Ross has found himself a home in the Richmond outfit.
Rhyan Mansell’s fall away was impacted by being the sub in his final three matches, while Daniel Rioli and Jacob Hopper didn’t finish their seasons in strong form.
ST KILDA
Starred
Rowan Marshall (6 matches) – 132.6 ranking points
Jack Sinclair (6) – 118.7
Callum Wilkie (6) – 102.6
Expect Rowan Marshall and Tim English to duke it out for the All-Australian ruck spot next year after both fired at the end of the 2023 regular season.
Marshall was brilliant and essential in steering the Saints to a finals berth.
Marcus Windhager cemented himself in St Kilda’s best side with a strong finish to the year, while Mitch Owens faded somewhat as a first-year forward.
SYDNEY
Starred
Errol Gulden (6 matches) – 112.3 ranking points
Jake Lloyd (6) – 98
Chad Warner (6) – 97.3
Great news for Sydney’s forward line as John Longmire looks to replace Lance Franklin, with Hayden McLean and Logan McDonald stepping up as finals approached.
At the other end, the Swans know they need support in defence and Dane Rampe battled to finish the year.
Young star Errol Gulden was in top nick to close out a super season.
WEST COAST
Starred
Tim Kelly (6 matches) – 105.8
Alex Witherden (6) – 95.7
Liam Duggan (6) – 95.4
Forward Jack Darling somewhat salvaged what had been a poor year with an improved finish to the season, as Tim Kelly kept plugging away.
While Jamaine Jones played some super footy off half-back in the first half of 2023, he dropped away in the final rounds.
Jack Petruccelle still hasn’t found the consistency needed at the top level.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Starred
Marcus Bontempelli (6 matches) – 133.9 ranking points
Tim English (6) – 128.7
Adam Treloar (6) – 113.9
Much derided, Rory Lobb played some super football in the back end of the year, including a matchwinning turn in the ruck against Geelong in round 24.
Lobb kicked 10 goals in his last four matches and no player improved more in the final weeks of the season.
Jack Macrae played through possibly his roughest patch since 2013 to close out the year as he averaged just 17.7 disposals per game in his final three matches.
Expect him to bounce back in 2024.
Tim English locked in his All-Australian berth with a red-hot finish to the year, while nobody averaged more ranking points than Marcus Bontempelli in the final six rounds.
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