Best Contested Midfielder

[The Slitherin' Snake]

If its a genuine 50/50 to win the footy or even 40/60, Kennedy would be my pick.
But Dangerfield was better turning a step advantage on his opponent into a pack breaking run and forward movement.

 

[Wojcinski]

Yeah I think Dangerfield has him covered as a player, but when it came to contested ball I don't think there's a player you could say was better than Kennedy.

Selwood probably worth a mention in this thread as well.

Agree with this, Kennedy #1 for me. Built like Tarzan, plays like Tarzan.

 

[Roobs321]

JPK. Against a good mids side at the coalface he was something to behold. Some of those Swans-Freo games in the middle 10s were a gripping matchup.

 

[Caesarr]

JPK

What a player btw...

Danger and Fyfe arent on his level when it comes to contested ball in finals. No one is really... JPK was an animal. One of my favourite players of the 21st century.

JPK averages 16 CP over 22 finals... in 16 of those of 22 games, he had atleast 15 CP. 4 of those 22 finals had 20+ CP games - Fyfe and Danger have only 2 between them for comparison.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

We have a nice little stat called "hard ball gets" these days. Sadly, it only seems to be available for the last 4 seasons.

Per match hard ball gets over the last 4 seasons, only those who played in 2024 and averaged above 3.0 per match or others of interest listed...

5.0 Liberatoro - the bull
4.8 Oliver
4.4 Tom Green

12

Tom Green

Age

23

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

3star

CL

2.8

4star

D

11.5

3star

K

4.3

2star

HB

7.3

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

2.3

4star

CL

2.8

5star

3.8 Cripps, Dangerfield, Rowell
3.6 Wines, Dunkley, Laird, Petracca
3.5 T Miller, H Greenwood
3.4 Hopper, L Parker
3.2 Viney, T Mitchell
3.0 Yeo, Neale, Steele

2.9 T Kelly, C Guthrie
2.8 Walsh, Fyfe, J Macrae
2.7 Harley Reid, B Keays
2.6 Serong, Washcroft, Uniacke, Taranto, Treloar
2.5 Bontempelli, C Warner
2.4 T Adams
2.3 Parish
2.1 Newcombe, McLuggage, C Ward, Josh Kelly, Cerra
2.0 Andrew Brayshaw

8

Andrew Brayshaw

Age

25

Ht

185cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

9.3

5star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

2.1

4star

D

18.4

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

10.8

5star

M

3.3

3star

T

4.8

5star

CL

3.1

4star

D

12.6

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

6.6

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.0

5star

CL

0.8

3star

, Coniglio, Z Butters, D Martin
1.9 Z Merrett, Pepper
1.8 Heeney, Horne
1.7 Pendlebury
1.5 Blicavs, Gulden



1.4 N Daicos, C Rozee
1.3 Jack Bowes

12

Jack Bowes

Age

26

Ht

189cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

D/M

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.3

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

6.6

4star

M

3.9

4star

T

2.5

4star

MG

318.1

4star

D

18.0

4star

K

11.8

5star

HB

6.3

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.1

2star

MG

318.1

4star

D

11.6

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

2.4

4star

, M Holmes, D Shiel
1.2 T Stewart, T Bruhn, S Bolton
1.1 Docherty, Sidebottom
1.0 T Stengle, S DeKoning, Miers, Maynard
0.9 J Cameron, O Dempsey, T Hawkins, B Mihocek, D Moore
0.8 J Ginnivan, O Henry
0.7 Barely Avfritsch ( danster168 )
0.6 Jhye Clark




0.5 C Spargo( danster168 ) N Cumberland(in 2023 9 matches with zero hard ball gets.) L Ryan, Hipwood, Mitch McGovern

11

Mitch Mcgovern

Age

30

Ht

190cm

Wt

88kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.1

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

2.9

3star

M

4.6

4star

T

2.2

4star

MG

189.8

3star

D

7.6

2star

K

6.5

3star

HB

1.1

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.9

3star

MG

179.6

3star

D

10.8

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

3.0

5star

MG

218.0

4star

, Redman

0.4 B(band 1) McKay, Bobby "Norm Smith" Hill, T Marshall

 

[Mr Meow]

We have a nice little stat called "hard ball gets" these days. Sadly, it only seems to be available for the last 4 seasons.

Per match hard ball gets over the last 4 seasons, only those who played in 2024 and averaged above 3.0 per match or others of interest listed...

5.0 Liberatoro - the bull
4.8 Oliver
4.4 Tom Green
3.8 Cripps, Dangerfield, Rowell
3.6 Wines, Dunkley, Laird, Petracca
3.5 T Miller, H Greenwood
3.4 Hopper, L Parker
3.2 Viney, T Mitchell
3.0 Yeo, Neale, Steele

2.9 T Kelly, C Guthrie
2.8 Walsh, Fyfe, J Macrae
2.7 Harley Reid, B Keays
2.6 Serong, Washcroft, Uniacke, Taranto, Treloar
2.5 Bontempelli, C Warner
2.4 T Adams
2.3 Parish
2.1 Newcombe, McLuggage, C Ward, Josh Kelly, Cerra
2.0 Andrew Brayshaw, Coniglio, Z Butters, D Martin
1.9 Z Merrett, Pepper
1.8 Heeney, Horne
1.7 Pendlebury
1.5 Blicavs, Gulden



1.4 N Daicos, C Rozee
1.3 Jack Bowes, M Holmes, D Shiel
1.2 T Stewart, T Bruhn, S Bolton
1.1 Docherty, Sidebottom
1.0 T Stengle, S DeKoning, Miers, Maynard
0.9 J Cameron, O Dempsey, T Hawkins, B Mihocek, D Moore
0.8 J Ginnivan, O Henry
0.7 Barely Avfritsch ( danster168 )
0.6 Jhye Clark




0.5 C Spargo( danster168 ) N Cumberland(in 2023 9 matches with zero hard ball gets.) L Ryan, Hipwood, Mitch McGovern, Redman

0.4 B(band 1) McKay, Bobby "Norm Smith" Hill, T Marshall

That's insane for old man Dangerfield to have those averages 2021-2024, especially with his low time on ground.

Would have loved to see his 2015-2019 averages.

 

[Aaron Reed]

We have a nice little stat called "hard ball gets" these days. Sadly, it only seems to be available for the last 4 seasons.

Perfect timing for Nick Daicos to own it.

 

[matty lloyd the champ]

Prime Nat Fyfe for me. Brilliant in the air and at the stoppage.

 

[Lingsface]

Rowell has a chance of having the most of all time I think, he wins about 75 percent of his footy that way, doesn’t like anything uncontested, which actually sort of limits him as a player.

 

[SSSSSS]

Fyfe for mine if we are going at their absolute prime.

JPK also up there, one dimensional but gee did he do it well.

 

[Jakksynn]

If I’m picking any contested player in their prime to play in a grand final tomorrow, I’m picking Voss or JPK.

 

[deflated]

JPK based on his finals play, he found another gear in the big games against the best teams. The 2016 finals with 18+ contested possessions, 30+ disposals and a goal a game were something else. Did it all.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

That's insane for old man Dangerfield to have those averages 2021-2024, especially with his low time on ground.

Would have loved to see his 2015-2019 averages.

But commentators saying he is getting better with age, so he must have got less in his prime.

 

[Mr Meow]

But commentators saying he is getting better with age, so he must have got less in his prime.

Nah look at his disposal numbers 2016-2019 compared to now. If you need any help spotting the difference, do let me know.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Nah look at his disposal numbers 2016-2019 compared to now. If you need any help spotting the difference, do let me know.

Mainly more handball receives and Nick Daycare style "contested" possessions where there is nobody within 5 metres of you when you pick the ball up.

 

[Mr Meow]

Mainly more handball receives and Nick Daycare style "contested" possessions where there is nobody within 5 metres of you when you pick the ball up.

Yeah you're absolutely right, Dangerfield 2016-2019 was basically a Daicos clone. He just started winning hard balls when he was 31 years old. Seriously, do you even think?

33.1% of Dangerfield's contested possessions 2021-2024 have been hard ball gets.

If you applied the same ratio to 2016-2019 you get 5.28 hard ball gets per game, beating Libba's.

Of course that's assuming that Dangerfield was not more capable of winning hard balls in his prime, which is seriously hard to believe. He's still very good at it now but was an absolute beast back then.

Thanks for playing though.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Yeah you're absolutely right, Dangerfield 2016-2019 was basically a Daicos clone. He just started winning hard balls when he was 31 years old. Seriously, do you even think?

33.1% of Dangerfield's contested possessions 2021-2024 have been hard ball gets.

If you applied the same ratio to 2016-2019 you get 5.28 hard ball gets per game, beating Libba's.

Of course that's assuming that Dangerfield was not more capable of winning hard balls in his prime, which is seriously hard to believe. He's still very good at it now but was an absolute beast back then.

Thanks for playing though.

I will work with facts. You carry on with your fantasies.

 

[Pistol Night]

Jude Bolton

Jude Bolton

Age

44

Ht

181cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.9

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

8.4

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.6

5star

CL

3.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

11.8

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

4.6

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

1.6

4star

worth a shout

 

[Pistol Night]

I will work with facts. You carry on with your fantasies.

Caro in lingerie?

 

[Mr Meow]

I will work with facts. You carry on with your fantasies.

Right but just to establish your theory. You believe that Dangerfield in his prime was a Daicos clone, so his hard ball gets would not have gone up in proportion to his contested possessions. He started winning hard balls at 31 years old.

Then say that I'm in a fantasy land. Comical.

 

[Mr Meow]

Mainly more handball receives and Nick Daycare style "contested" possessions where there is nobody within 5 metres of you when you pick the ball up.

If you want an uncomfortable truth, it's that Dusty actually wins a lot more of his contested possessions from loose ball gets compared to Dangerfield.

2021-2024 averaging 2.0 hard ball gets. 24% of his contested possessions; 33% for Dangerfield. 8.3 handball receives per game for Dusty compared to Dangerfield 5.8.

Martin the Daicos clone.

 

[WalshistheGOAT]

Oliver before he got fat was the best contested ball winner the leagues seen. Averaged 17 CP a game over 2 seasons. Whether he was the 'best' player is another question as others did more with it.

Cripps the best ATM, Fyfe the best I've seen in his prime. Danger a close 2nd imo.

 

[Xtreme]

Dusty

He's the GOAT of the AFL era for a reason

 

[Meteoric Rise]

Right but just to establish your theory. You believe that Dangerfield in his prime was a Daicos clone, so his hard ball gets would not have gone up in proportion to his contested possessions. He started winning hard balls at 31 years old.

Then say that I'm in a fantasy land. Comical.

Let me get this straight. I provide available figures for the last 4 years for hard ball gets.

You look past about 82 names and start fapping over what Geelong player Dangerfield's figures might have been during 2016-19. You expect us to join in with you on your fap over a fantasy extrapolation you have made about a Geelong player. When I don't you start making your usual straw man misapproriations etc about a person who is merely providing factual data to genuinely add to the subject matter. Take it to the Geelong board, I am sure there is someone there who will join in with you. They will moan about big bad Meteoric Rise with you all you like.

 

[Young Redleg]

Oliver when he was actually good