Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne has handed down the updated top 10 players in the competition after Round 8, with multiple changes to the Round 4 list.
Champion Data’s new ratings system works by analysing how far above or below expectation players have performed per 100 minutes, meaning all positions on the ground can be compared.
Check out the fresh rankings below.
1. Isaac Heeney (Sydney)
Previous ranking at Round 4: 1
“No surprise he comes in at number one. He’s miles clear of anyone else in the competition at this stage of the season,” Hoyne began on SEN's Sportsday.
“His start to the season is one of the best starts to a season that we have on record with this ratings system.”
2. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
Previous ranking at Round 4: 3
“Over the last couple of weeks he’s risen to 2nd position. His consistency over the last six years has been phenomenal. He’s been a top 10 player in this ratings system for the last six years in a row and if you go back over the last 10 years, eight of those years he’s been a top 10 player in the competition.”
3. Bailey Dale (Western Bulldogs)
Previous ranking at Round 4: Unranked
“I’m prepared to cop a bit of feedback on this one. Our ratings system is measuring three key aspects of the game: how you win it, where on the ground you win it and what you do with it.
“Bailey Dale is the absolute pinup example of a towards goal player who uses the ball extremely well which this ratings system recognizes and rewards significantly… he’s now been a top 10 player in three of the last four years.”
4. Elliot Yeo (West Coast)
Previous ranking at Round 4: Unranked
“We haven’t had a rating against Elliot Yeo for the previous four seasons due to injury, and the year before that we had him as a top 20 player in the comp.
“Hopefully for his sake and West Coast’s he doesn’t miss too much footy (with his latest injury).”
5. Matt Rowell (Gold Coast)
Previous ranking at Round 4: 10
“He was number two before last week. He had a quiet one against Josh Dunkley on the weekend, clearly having his best season this year though.”
6. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
Previous ranking at Round 4: Unranked
“Nick Daicos is coming with a bullet and a bullet that if it keeps going like this, he will be the likely one to challenge Isaac Heeney for the (title of) the game’s number one player.
“What he’s doing at the moment is ridiculous. He’s 6th in the competition, last year he was 11th in the comp.”
7. Nick Blakey (Sydney)
Previous ranking at Round 4: 5
“Nick Blakey is 7th in the competition. He had a very quiet game on the weekend, didn’t see him too much.
“That slid him down a couple of positions.”
8. Max Gawn (Melbourne)
Previous ranking at Round 4: Unranked
“This is an interesting one with Max. So far at the moment, this is his best season in five years. He’s on track again for another All-Australian.
“He’s playing more minutes as a midfielder. The impact he has as a forward isn’t really there, but the impact when he plays as a pure ruckman is there.
“He’s playing 80 or 90 per cent ruck time now, which he hasn’t really done in recent years.”
9. Izak Rankine (Adelaide)
Previous ranking at Round 4: Unranked
“Izak Rankine comes in at 9th, clearly the best small forward in the competition this year. The work he’s doing on the deck inside 50, he’s the only threat at ground level for the Crows inside 50.”
10. Caleb Serong (Fremantle)
Previous ranking at Round 4: 9
“He comes in at number 10. He’s never had an issue on our ratings system in terms of a ball-winning perspective, but how he’s been able to use the ball this year has seen him elevate to a top 50 player for the first time in his career.”
