Champion Data reveals the players from the top-eight teams whose form has surged in the lead-up to finals

Remember when Mason Cox destroyed Richmond in the preliminary final? Well Collingwood’s giant could be about to do it again if his form is anything to go by. See the most in-form player at every finalist.

Red alert! Who’s ready to fire for the eight finals teams in October?

Timing is everything and these are the players running into form at the right time of the year.

We asked Champion Data to find the players whose performances have surged in the last month of the home-and-away season, priming them for a finals assault.

Magpies tall Mason Cox, Richmond spearhead Jack Riewoldt, Saints recruit Bradley Hill and Bulldogs father-son star Tom Liberatore are among those to have upped their game, recording a sharp rise in their player ranking points in the lead-up to the finals.

Champion Data has compared players’ performances from Rounds 1-13 to Rounds 14-18 and each must have played a minimum of five matches in the first block of games and a minimum of three in the last month.

BRISBANE LIONS

Veteran Daniel Rich has had the biggest form surge late in the season with his player ranking points rocketing by 44 per cent to 113.8 in the last month of the season.

The 30-year-old defender’s disposal average has shot up from below 15 to 21.5 in this time. He was arguably the Lions’ best in their final-round win over Carlton with his 22 disposals and two goals.

Rich is in good company at the Brisbane Lions, who are aiming to build on their fairytale semi-final run last season after finishing second on the ladder.

Former No. 1 draft pick Cam Rayner has also had a big rankings jump leading into the finals. Rayner, who missed games mid-season with a hamstring injury, has kicked six goals in his last four games to push his player ranking up 31 per cent.

Brisbane Lions veteran Daniel Rich has struck a purple patch at the right time.

COLLINGWOOD

There were questions over whether the Magpies’ American Pie experiment could be over earlier in the year. Big man Mason Cox was in and out of the Magpies’ line-up and struggling to impose his 211cm frame on games.

But Cox has got his mojo back, playing every game since Round 13 as his player ranking soared by 56 per cent.

Cox has taken nine contested marks in the Magpies’ last two matches of the season against Gold Coast and Port Adelaide and has kicked six goals from the past four games.

His bold running goal against the Suns showed the level of Cox’s confidence.

Teammate Isaac Quaynor has also experienced a sharp rankings rise late in the season, up by 34 per cent, alongside a similar rise from defender Jack Crisp.

Quaynor didn’t play his first game until Round 6 and then missed a few more games in the middle of the season after suffering a nasty leg gash against Sydney.

Champion Data stats also reveal defender Jack Crisp’s player ranking has surged by 33 per cent late in the season.

Crisp’s average disposals have gone from just below 18 for the first 13 rounds to almost 28 in his last four matches.

Could Magpies big man Mason Cox before a tour de force in the finals again?

GEELONG

Pressure forward Tom Atkins missed five games earlier in the season with a rib injury, but his late season form after returning to the team has produced a 69 per cent jump in his player ranking points.

In his three matches between Rounds 14 and 18 — he missed the final match of the season with chest soreness — Atkins’ player ranking jumped from 45.9 to 77.7.

He has averaged six tackles a game in his past four matches, including eight in his last match against Richmond.

Cats’ defenders Jed Bews and Tom Stewart have also experienced a rankings rise leading into finals, according to Champion Data.

Bews is up 24 per cent to 74.2, while Stewart’s average rankings points for Round 14-18 were up 22 per cent to 114.8.

Geelong’s Tom Atkins has really found his mark in the later rounds.

PORT ADELAIDE

Premiership coach Mick Malthouse had veteran Port Adelaide forward Robbie Gray on his list of players who should retire at the end of the season.

Malthouse said Gray had suffered from a “loss of pace and depth in his kicking” and was “getting by due to a very good football mind”

Gray averaged 83.8 rankings points in the first 13 games of the season, but in his last four games have produced a 38 per cent rise to 115.7.

“Rob’s been building his form and he had a quieter start to the year, there’s no doubt,” Port coach Ken Hinkley said.

“He’s building and that’s a good result if we can look forward to Robbie playing like that more … that will be a bit of a worry for some others.”

Power midfielder Tom Rockliff’s player rankings points have shot up to 128.7 in the last four games – a rise of 31 per cent.

Dan Houston, who was suspended for two matches for breaching the AFL’s return to play protocols in August, has also returned with a point to prove with a rankings leap of 28 per cent up to 110.5 in his last three games.

Port superstar Robbie Gray knows when to hit the overdrive button.

RICHMOND

Malthouse had also urged veteran Tigers spearhead Riewoldt to “consider going out on a high” and retire at season’s end.

He said Riewoldt had lost “power in his leap” and suggested he’d “lost a couple of metres with his kick and there’s a hint that he’s lost pace as he is no longer a tackling player”

In the first 13 rounds of the season, Riewoldt was averaging eight disposals and 1.5 goals a match. That’s increased to just below 14 disposals and two goals a match since Round 14.

It’s contributed to a rankings rise of 27 per cent to 76.6 in the past four games.

“Not bad for a bloke who was supposed to retire, according to Mick Malthouse, at the end of the season,” Riewoldt said after his four-goal haul against the Cats in Round 17.

Forward Jason Castagna has also had a rankings surge late in the season, up 29 per cent since Round 14.

As has Daniel Rioli, who was dropped mid-season, but his form since Round 14 has pushed his player ranking up 28 per cent to 75.2.

Jack Riewoldt knows when to step up and, with finals on the horizon, he’s doing just that.

ST KILDA

Former Hawk and Docker Bradley Hill was the Saints’ high-profile recruit of the off-season.

And Champion Data’s figures predict Hill is primed for finals after a ranking points surge of 43 per cent to 85.4 from his last four games of the home-and-away season.

In his first 13 matches for the Saints this season, the midfielder averaged 59.6 ranking points.

Hill averaged almost 20 disposals from Rounds 14-18 — above his season average of 15.9.

Defender Dougal Howard’s form is also on the rise, if his ranking points are a guide — up 32 per cent to 81.5 in the last four games.

Skipper Jarryn Geary, who has missed a handful of matches through injury this year, has recorded a 23 per cent rise in his ranking points in the last four games as he prepares to lead the Saints into their first finals series in nine years.

When you’re a triple premiership player you know what is needed come finals. St Kilda’s Bradley Hill has been raising the bar in recent weeks.

WEST COAST EAGLES

Small forward Liam Ryan is the flyer leading into finals for the Eagles.

Ryan’s player ranking points have rocketed from 64.2 between Rounds 1-13 to 105 in his last five matches — a jump of 63 per cent.

He has kicked 11 goals since Round 14, nearing half his season tally of 25.

“His numbers over the last five weeks have been absolutely sensational. He’s elite in almost every category,” Fox Footy commentator Garry Lyon said of Ryan last week.

“If he’s getting around 15 possessions each game you know the West Coast Eagles will be in it up to their eyeballs.”

Defenders Liam Duggan and Tom Barrass have also produced a rankings points rise late in the season to set them up for finals.

Duggan is up 39 per cent to 103.5 in his last five games, while Barrass is up 22 per cent.

West Coast forward Liam Ryan looks particularly dangerous heading into the finals series.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

After a delayed start to the season, returning in Round 3, midfielder Tom Liberatore hasn’t looked back.

But his last month has him primed for a finals assault with his player rankings points up 22 per cent to 122.5 in his past four games.

Liberatore has averaged 24.6 disposals in the last three rounds — up on his season average of 21.1.

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Bulldogs defender Ryan Gardner played the first two games of the season then not again until Round 11, but hasn’t missed a game since then.

Gardner’s last month has delivered a ranking points rise of 41 per cent.

“He’s a bright light, we feel like we’ve found a little diamond in the rough in Ryan and he’ll only continue to get better and better,” Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said recently.

After missing a chunk of matches through suspension and then personal issues, midfielder Lachie Hunter’s form is rising.

In the last four games, Hunter’s player ranking points have shot 17 per cent to 125.3. He finished the home-and-away season with a 35-disposal performance against Fremantle.

Bulldogs midfielder Tom Liberatore has been on fire for the past four games.

Player	Club	R1-13 Matches	R1-13 RP	R14-18 Matches	R14-18 RP	+/-
Daniel Rich	Brisbane Lions	9	79.2	4	113.8	+44%
Cam Rayner	Brisbane Lions	11	67.4	4	88.6	+31%
Noah Answerth	Brisbane Lions	6	53.5	3	63.1	+18%

Player	Club	R1-13 Matches	R1-13 RP	R14-18 Matches	R14-18 RP	+/-
Mason Cox	Collingwood	5	46.4	4	72.5	+56%
Isaac Quaynor	Collingwood	5	65.5	4	87.6	+34%
Jack Crisp	Collingwood	13	92.2	4	122.8	+33%

Player	Club	R1-13 Matches	R1-13 RP	R14-18 Matches	R14-18 RP	+/-
Tom Atkins	Geelong Cats	8	45.9	3	77.7	+69%
Jed Bews	Geelong Cats	12	60.1	4	74.2	+24%
Tom Stewart	Geelong Cats	10	94.3	4	114.8	+22%

Player	Club	R1-13 Matches	R1-13 RP	R14-18 Matches	R14-18 RP	+/-
Robbie Gray	Port Adelaide	13	83.8	4	115.7	+38%
Tom Rockliff	Port Adelaide	10	98.1	4	128.7	+31%
Dan Houston	Port Adelaide	12	86.1	3	110.5	+28%

Player	Club	R1-13 Matches	R1-13 RP	R14-18 Matches	R14-18 RP	+/-
Jason Castagna	Richmond	13	59.5	4	76.5	+29%
Daniel Rioli	Richmond	10	59.0	4	75.2	+28%
Jack Riewoldt	Richmond	13	60.3	4	76.6	+27%

Player	Club	R1-13 Matches	R1-13 RP	R14-18 Matches	R14-18 RP	+/-
Bradley Hill	St Kilda	13	59.6	4	85.4	+43%
Dougal Howard	St Kilda	13	61.5	4	81.5	+32%
Jarryn Geary	St Kilda	10	56.0	4	68.9	+23%

Player	Club	R1-13 Matches	R1-13 RP	R14-18 Matches	R14-18 RP	+/-
Liam Ryan	West Coast Eagles	12	64.2	5	105.0	+63%
Liam Duggan	West Coast Eagles	11	74.5	5	103.5	+39%
Tom Barrass	West Coast Eagles	12	78.4	5	95.3	+22%

Player	Club	R1-13 Matches	R1-13 RP	R14-18 Matches	R14-18 RP	+/-
Ryan Gardner	Western Bulldogs	5	36.8	4	51.7	+41%
Tom Liberatore	Western Bulldogs	11	100.2	4	122.5	+22%
Lachie Hunter	Western Bulldogs	5	106.8	4	125.3	+17%

Originally published as Champion Data reveals the players from the top-eight teams whose form has surged in the lead-up to finals