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Backs:

Reece Conca (Richmond) – Against a poor Dees outfit, Conca backed up his work of the previous two rounds with another strong display in defence. He had 29 disposals, plucked 8 marks and also drifted forward to kick 2 goals for the Tigers.

Josh Gibson (Hawthorn) – Facing the daunting task of a forward-line consisting of Tippett, Walker, Porplyzia and Lynch, Gibson took to the job with aplomb. He completely shut-down direct opponent Taylor Walker while gathering 30 disposals and a round-high 15 marks.

Jackson Trengove (Port Adelaide) – Although Port were eventually over-run by the Swans, no blame can be placed on Trengove. The young defender picked up 25 disposals and 11 marks in another solid game.
Halfbacks:

Heath Scotland (Carlton) – The hard-working half-back flanker had one of his better games in recent memory, racking up an astonishing 16 possessions in the first term on his way to 35 for the game. His powerful kicking was evident in his 6 inside 50s and 2 rebounds.

Sam Fisher (St. Kilda) – More than his stats would suggest, Sam Fisher’s quarterback role for the Saints was crucial in crushing Bulldog forays into the defensive 50. Leading the defense which kept the Dogs to 2 goals in 3 quarters, he racked up 20 disposals and 5 rebound 50s.

Brent Harvey (North Melbourne) – He may not be captain anymore, but he still plays like a leader should. The evergreen Harvey was used to great effect as a loose man around the half-back line and midfield, racking up 38 disposals and a goal. He seemed to be at every contest and was tireless in his endeavours.
Centres:

Clancee Pearce (Fremantle) – The rookie-listed Pearce looked on the fringes of an injury depleted Fremantle last year, but has proved to be a revelation. His 23 disposal, 8 mark, 3 goal game was his best yet. His goals (including an impressive running effort from 50m) were all the more important in a low-scoring scrap.

Shaun Grigg (Richmond) – In what was probably his most impressive performance for his side, Grigg racked up a mammoth 37 disposals coming off the wing. His 7 inside 50s and a goal topped off a great night.

Marc Murphy (Carlton) – Better than Judd? With the way he’s currently playing, he might just live up to that title. With a career-high 39 disposals alongside 10 inside 50s, 2 goals and 7 clearances on the weekend, Murphy would be an instant lock in any team’s midfield on current form.
Half-Forwards:

Luke Shuey (West Coast) – Shuey continued to show he’s one of the premium goalkicking mids in the competition, even at a young age. Shuey wasn’t about to relent against the AFL’s new boys in the Giants, and went on his merry way as he picked up 25 disposals and an equal career-high 5 goals.

Lance Franklin (Hawthorn) ­- Franklin was his usual strong self and made up for his blunders against the Cats with an impressive display as a high centre-half forward. His stints into the midfield let him end up with 24 disposals and 5 inside 50s. Of course, he also added 3 goals to the tally to cap off the performance.

Jack Ziebell (North Melbourne) – Although he’s struggled to consistently get on the park due to injuries and suspension, the hype from the Roos’ camp is real. Ziebell racked up 27 damaging disposals and kicked 4 goals, including the fat lady sealer from the boundary. He was immense when North needed him most.
Forwards:

Eddie Betts (Carlton) – Betts bettered his high-flying game against the Lions with a potent display against Collingwood. Harry O’Brien was left scratching his head as the nimble small forward racked up 5 goals.

James Podsiadly (Geelong) – Although the talk was reserved for the Roos’ powerful win over the Cats for the most part, Podsiadly once again showed what an important pick-up he was on the weekend. He brought down 8 marks and kicked 5.3 for the Cats, doing all that was asked of him in an old-school power forward fashion.

Aaron Edwards (North Melbourne) – Edwards has been relatively under the radar in 2012, but stamped his authority on the game against Geelong with 4 goals, including a couple of important early ones to get the Roos rolling. He’s equal second in the race for the Coleman after 3 rounds and during the final game of the round, he showed footy fans why.
Followers:

Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle) – There has been talk of Sandilands hit-outs not being advantageous enough to his side, but one can’t ignore such dominant ruck displays for long. His 54 hit-outs were more than double the Brisbane side managed.

Lenny Hayes (St. Kilda) – Hayes was back to his bone-crunching best, as the Bulldogs’ Easton Wood would know only too well. After Hayes pulled in and crushed Wood after a sidestep, the ball spilt and the Saints goaled, but Lenny Hayes was the one getting the kudos. It was just one of his tireless efforts during his 30 disposal, 7 clearance and 8 tackle bravado performance. Welcome back Lenny.

Gary Ablett (Gold Coast) – Having the best start to the season statistically since Champion Data doesn’t seem to be enough for Ablett. In the hard fought loss against Essendon, Ablett provided yet another astonishing example of why he’s currently considered the best footballer in the AFL.

45 disposals (27 contested), 13 clearances, 9 inside 50s and 2 goals is the written summary of his performance, but at the moment words don’t seem to be able to measure up to what Ablett is producing week-in, week-out.
Interchange:

Andrew Carazzo (Carlton) – Carazzo is strengthening his claim as the best run-with man in the AFL, completely negating Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury, while punishing the opposition with 29 disposals, 11 clearances and a goal. His role was crucial in the strong win.

Daniel Hannebery (Sydney) – After a fairly quiet 2011, 2010 Rising Star Daniel Hannebery announced his return in a big way against the Power. He was dominant around the ground, racking up 36 disposals and eliminating Port’s midfield with the help of partner in crime Luke Parker.

Scott Selwood (West Coast) – ‘Scooter’ continued his fantastic start to 2012, showing there’s still plenty of worth in the Selwood family outside of Geelong captain Joel. 31 disposals, 10 marks, 9 tackles and a goal were all ingredients for the satisfying result.
Substitute:

Jared Polec (Brisbane) – There were a few substitutes who had to play a half or more during round 3, but in terms of impact it was hard to go past Polec. Brisbane were stagnant throughout the game but Polec’s impact was evident immendiately, when he kicked a long goal straight after being subbed on. The young midfielder used his silky skills to rack up 15 disposals and kick 2.2; almost half of his teams score.

Did we miss anybody?  Don’t be afraid to speak your mind below…