Review Most improved player so far in 2024

[Blightys Barrel]

One of the great awards in a football club is the most improved player. For the Kangas on the way up the ladder in 2024. Who has put their hand, mind and body up to be the improved?

• First year draft players excluded
• Traded in players count (eg, Pink, Biggy, Stephens etc)
• Timing is from day of exit interview (Sept 2023 to now)
• 3 picks only

 

[Topparoo]

For me it's got to be big X. This time last year I saw very little value in him. I couldn't believe the club could be so negligent in letting Goldy walk to that other mob. He has been a revelation and I will gladly eat every slice of that humble pie that I have baked for myself. Keep it up big fella

 

[Private Hudson]

Arch Jnr for me. I didn’t think he was AFL standard but his last month has been great.

 

[Kanga Glory]

X by the length of the Flemington straight

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Two of the top 3 candidates already mentioned. Has to be X for sure, then Comben followed by Arch Jnr.

Honorable mention for Kallan Dawson.

 

[wolvesRoos]

For me it's got to be big X. This time last year I saw very little value in him. I couldn't believe the club could be so negligent in letting Goldy walk to that other mob. He has been a revelation and I will gladly eat every slice of that humble pie that I have baked for myself. Keep it up big fella

Yeah and I wonder how close we came to losing him for a third round pick

 

[barnrokn]

Two of the top 3 candidates already mentioned. Has to be X for sure, then Comben followed by Arch Jnr.

Honorable mention for Kallan Dawson.

 

[amaz199]

Xerri by a huge margin.

Bloke is in AA form.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Kallan Dawson is the perfect example of reaping the rewards of a big preseason.

 

[CURVE]

I think all the players in the poll have showed improvement this season, but three I selected are:

Xerri - I didn't think he was an AFL standard ruck last season, now I think he is an outside chance of an AA squad selection this season. He is an absolute beast in the middle and compliments our midfielders well.

Comben - his move to the backline has been the best decision of the season, he has solidified our backline and it as a result it has looked stronger and more resilient as the season has progressed. He is our AA calibre CHB for the next decade.

Archer - I was always hopeful that Junior would show a bit of the fight and class that his dad showed for 14-15 seasons back in the 90's and 00's, and while I saw the fight from game one, the last month we have seen a bit of class as well. He reads the play well, puts his body on the line and is now showing his ability to intercept and play a more attacking game.

I'd like to mention Kallan Dawson as well who I think can become an important KPD over the coming years. At the start of season, we were all concerned about our back six, and the first 11 rounds it looked like a bit of a mess, but since the bye the improvement in Comben, Archer and Dawson shows we are building a strong back six which will only improve furtheras they play more games together.

 

[The acurate one]

Nostra is busy and having connectivity issues , he sent me mail via aus post.

Told me to put him down for Pink & Bailey Scott

8

Bailey Scott

Age

24

Ht

186cm

Wt

77kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

5.8

2star

HB

4.9

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

1.5

3star

MG

155.6

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.8

3star

MG

114.8

2star

D

11.8

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.2

3star

MG

171.6

3star

.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Nostra is busy and having connectivity issues , he sent me mail via aus post.

Told me to put him down for Pink & Bailey Scott.

Wrong thread

I was referring to the delisting one

 

[Sphynx]

According to AFL ratings and Supercoach, our biggest improvers to our biggest drop offs:

2024 vs 2023.

It's a pretty good illustration of our year to date.

Some absolutely massive (some of these numbers are huge) improvements from younger players. Some big drop offs across the board by "senior players"

Ford is an outlier as he's impacted by sub appearances vs majority starting appearances in 2023.

Player	Matches	Age_Decimal	Ratings Diff	Supercoach Diff
Charlie Comben	12​	23.44​	7.303​	35.94​
Blake Drury	5​	20.96​	6.135​	21.95​
Tom Powell	15​	22.83​	5.556​	23.81​
Tristan Xerri	15​	25.79​	5.162​	38.711​
Harry Sheezel	15​	20.21​	5.008​	16.211​
George Wardlaw	13​	20.55​	4.238​	24.394​
Jackson Archer	7​	21.97​	3.329​	12.286​
Kallan Dawson	7​	26.44​	2.6​	12.571​
Curtis Taylor	6​	24.73​	0.711​	6.812​
Paul Curtis	15​	21.82​	0.377​	10.057​
Charlie Lazzaro	9​	22.76​	0.167​	2.556​
Darcy Tucker	15​	27.93​	-0.015​	7.267​
Luke Davies-Uniacke	15​	25.56​	-0.397​	-4.976​
Jaidyn Stephenson	10​	25.95​	-0.502​	-4.286​
Luke McDonald	14​	29.89​	-0.812​	-12.552​
Callum Coleman-Jones	3​	25.55​	-0.966​	-10.778​
Bailey Scott	15​	24.47​	-1.071​	-6.559​
Hugh Greenwood	3​	32.82​	-1.303​	-2.357​
Miller Bergman	1​	21.93​	-1.317​	-6.5​
Cameron Zurhaar	14​	26.61​	-1.385​	0.474​
Josh Goater	1​	21.58​	-1.53​	-14.2​
Jy Simpkin	10​	26.82​	-1.596​	-7.733​
Aidan Corr	15​	30.62​	-2.062​	-3.888​
Nick Larkey	15​	26.56​	-2.297​	-10.368​
Eddie Ford	12​	22.52​	-2.615​	-12.31​
Liam Shiels	10​	33.67​	-3.716​	-21.388​

 

[Blightys Barrel]

According to AFL ratings and Supercoach, our biggest improvers to our biggest drop offs:

2024 vs 2023.

It's a pretty good illustration of our year to date.

Some absolutely massive (some of these numbers are huge) improvements from younger players. Some big drop offs across the board by "senior players"

Ford is an outlier as he's impacted by sub appearances vs majority starting appearances in 2023.

Player	Matches	Age_Decimal	Ratings Diff	Supercoach Diff
Charlie Comben	12​	23.44​	7.303​	35.94​
Blake Drury	5​	20.96​	6.135​	21.95​
Tom Powell	15​	22.83​	5.556​	23.81​
Tristan Xerri	15​	25.79​	5.162​	38.711​
Harry Sheezel	15​	20.21​	5.008​	16.211​
George Wardlaw	13​	20.55​	4.238​	24.394​
Jackson Archer	7​	21.97​	3.329​	12.286​
Kallan Dawson	7​	26.44​	2.6​	12.571​
Curtis Taylor	6​	24.73​	0.711​	6.812​
Paul Curtis	15​	21.82​	0.377​	10.057​
Charlie Lazzaro	9​	22.76​	0.167​	2.556​
Darcy Tucker	15​	27.93​	-0.015​	7.267​
Luke Davies-Uniacke	15​	25.56​	-0.397​	-4.976​
Jaidyn Stephenson	10​	25.95​	-0.502​	-4.286​
Luke McDonald	14​	29.89​	-0.812​	-12.552​
Callum Coleman-Jones	3​	25.55​	-0.966​	-10.778​
Bailey Scott	15​	24.47​	-1.071​	-6.559​
Hugh Greenwood	3​	32.82​	-1.303​	-2.357​
Miller Bergman	1​	21.93​	-1.317​	-6.5​
Cameron Zurhaar	14​	26.61​	-1.385​	0.474​
Josh Goater	1​	21.58​	-1.53​	-14.2​
Jy Simpkin	10​	26.82​	-1.596​	-7.733​
Aidan Corr	15​	30.62​	-2.062​	-3.888​
Nick Larkey	15​	26.56​	-2.297​	-10.368​
Eddie Ford	12​	22.52​	-2.615​	-12.31​
Liam Shiels	10​	33.67​	-3.716​	-21.388​

Scary looking at the above and shining the light on our 2024 6 person leadership group. Only 1 is in the positive, and 5 are in the negative.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

According to AFL ratings and Supercoach, our biggest improvers to our biggest drop offs:

2024 vs 2023.

It's a pretty good illustration of our year to date.

Some absolutely massive (some of these numbers are huge) improvements from younger players. Some big drop offs across the board by "senior players"

Ford is an outlier as he's impacted by sub appearances vs majority starting appearances in 2023.

Player	Matches	Age_Decimal	Ratings Diff	Supercoach Diff
Charlie Comben	12​	23.44​	7.303​	35.94​
Blake Drury	5​	20.96​	6.135​	21.95​
Tom Powell	15​	22.83​	5.556​	23.81​
Tristan Xerri	15​	25.79​	5.162​	38.711​
Harry Sheezel	15​	20.21​	5.008​	16.211​
George Wardlaw	13​	20.55​	4.238​	24.394​
Jackson Archer	7​	21.97​	3.329​	12.286​
Kallan Dawson	7​	26.44​	2.6​	12.571​
Curtis Taylor	6​	24.73​	0.711​	6.812​
Paul Curtis	15​	21.82​	0.377​	10.057​
Charlie Lazzaro	9​	22.76​	0.167​	2.556​
Darcy Tucker	15​	27.93​	-0.015​	7.267​
Luke Davies-Uniacke	15​	25.56​	-0.397​	-4.976​
Jaidyn Stephenson	10​	25.95​	-0.502​	-4.286​
Luke McDonald	14​	29.89​	-0.812​	-12.552​
Callum Coleman-Jones	3​	25.55​	-0.966​	-10.778​
Bailey Scott	15​	24.47​	-1.071​	-6.559​
Hugh Greenwood	3​	32.82​	-1.303​	-2.357​
Miller Bergman	1​	21.93​	-1.317​	-6.5​
Cameron Zurhaar	14​	26.61​	-1.385​	0.474​
Josh Goater	1​	21.58​	-1.53​	-14.2​
Jy Simpkin	10​	26.82​	-1.596​	-7.733​
Aidan Corr	15​	30.62​	-2.062​	-3.888​
Nick Larkey	15​	26.56​	-2.297​	-10.368​
Eddie Ford	12​	22.52​	-2.615​	-12.31​
Liam Shiels	10​	33.67​	-3.716​	-21.388​

Definitely a changing of the guard happening which is exactly what you want to see.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

I mean, even just WITHIN the season, Xerri.

His ruck work and synergy with the mids early in the year was awful, he got big numbers, but none of those numbers benefited his mids.

Last 8 weeks or so he has clicked with the mids and is still offering up a huge amount individually. It is impossible to replace a ruck like Goldy, but Xerri so far is a worthy successor.

 

[winalotroos]

Two of the top 3 candidates already mentioned. Has to be X for sure, then Comben followed by Arch Jnr.

Honorable mention for Kallan Dawson.

Yep totally agree

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

According to AFL ratings and Supercoach, our biggest improvers to our biggest drop offs:

2024 vs 2023.

It's a pretty good illustration of our year to date.

Some absolutely massive (some of these numbers are huge) improvements from younger players. Some big drop offs across the board by "senior players"

Ford is an outlier as he's impacted by sub appearances vs majority starting appearances in 2023.

Player	Matches	Age_Decimal	Ratings Diff	Supercoach Diff
Charlie Comben	12​	23.44​	7.303​	35.94​
Blake Drury	5​	20.96​	6.135​	21.95​
Tom Powell	15​	22.83​	5.556​	23.81​
Tristan Xerri	15​	25.79​	5.162​	38.711​
Harry Sheezel	15​	20.21​	5.008​	16.211​
George Wardlaw	13​	20.55​	4.238​	24.394​
Jackson Archer	7​	21.97​	3.329​	12.286​
Kallan Dawson	7​	26.44​	2.6​	12.571​
Curtis Taylor	6​	24.73​	0.711​	6.812​
Paul Curtis	15​	21.82​	0.377​	10.057​
Charlie Lazzaro	9​	22.76​	0.167​	2.556​
Darcy Tucker	15​	27.93​	-0.015​	7.267​
Luke Davies-Uniacke	15​	25.56​	-0.397​	-4.976​
Jaidyn Stephenson	10​	25.95​	-0.502​	-4.286​
Luke McDonald	14​	29.89​	-0.812​	-12.552​
Callum Coleman-Jones	3​	25.55​	-0.966​	-10.778​
Bailey Scott	15​	24.47​	-1.071​	-6.559​
Hugh Greenwood	3​	32.82​	-1.303​	-2.357​
Miller Bergman	1​	21.93​	-1.317​	-6.5​
Cameron Zurhaar	14​	26.61​	-1.385​	0.474​
Josh Goater	1​	21.58​	-1.53​	-14.2​
Jy Simpkin	10​	26.82​	-1.596​	-7.733​
Aidan Corr	15​	30.62​	-2.062​	-3.888​
Nick Larkey	15​	26.56​	-2.297​	-10.368​
Eddie Ford	12​	22.52​	-2.615​	-12.31​
Liam Shiels	10​	33.67​	-3.716​	-21.388​

Incredible that Sheezel has been able to improve so much on his debut year.

 

[koshari]

x

Wardlaw but from a pretty high previous bar, then prolly will Phill and pauly curtis.

Edit : and arch

Sheez was brilliant already.

 

[hsquid]

Doesn't look bad when plotted against age. Especially when the bottom left quadrant has people we feel ok about: Goater, Ford and Bergman, and none of the 2023 draft is represented.

 

[Liam Boy]

Xerri. He's gone from "I guess he's ok as a stopgap but we have to find a ruckman in a hurry" to a genuine AA contender. Chom is a close second, mainly because he's much better as a key defender than any of us had dared to imagine, but we knew he had crazy talent and he's played very good games before, he's just been held back by injuries.

 

[Engimal v3]

Xerri, Warldaw, and Archer are the big 3 for me.

 

[Dan]

Archer's played 1 good game...lets not over do it.

Xerri & Comben yes.

 

[harper2bastinac]

Xerri by a long way as he’s becoming one of the best ruckman in the game and fighting for a best and fairest.

Comben has shocked everyone by how well he’s performed as a key defender.

At the beginning of the year everyone was wondering how the club would improve without goldy and McKay and both players have replaced them and outperformed them both this year.

Archer and Phillips will be on this list if they continue their form from the last month.

Curtis Taylor

5

Curtis Taylor

Age

24

Ht

188cm

Wt

82kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

6.0

1star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

No current season stats available

D

6.0

2star

K

3.0

1star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.0

1star

, I wouldn’t say he’s improved as much as the others but hes definitely playing solid footy since coming back in the team

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Archer's played 1 good game...lets not over do it.

Xerri & Comben yes.

Geez, 1 good game? That's a bit stiff!