Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne joined SEN’s Sportsday to discuss the five performances from Gather Round which may have been overlooked in the Coaches votes.
Hoyne used Champion Data’s rating system, which values impact above volume and punishes mistakes, to find under the radar performances from players.
See his five performances from players over the weekend below:
Jake Lloyd (Sydney)
“Jake Lloyd had zero votes from the coaches but he was the fourth-highest rated player on the ground against Richmond,” Hoyne told SEN Sportsday.
“He had 25 disposals, but unlike his profile throughout his career, he won 11 of them in a contested situation, which is the second most of his career.
“His ability to use the ball has always been good, but his ability to win the ball in a contest was something we haven’t really seen too much of throughout his career.”
Hugh McCluggage (Brisbane)
“It was good to see Hugh McCluggage get back to some impact on the scoreboard with some numbers on the weekend.
“Zero votes from the coaches but we had him as the third-highest rated player on the ground.
“He only had 21 disposals, but the thing McCluggage has been able to be over the last three or four years is not being a high-disposal player but a high-impact player.
“12 score involvements on the weekend and one goal, to put that into context he had kicked zero goals and had 12 score involvements total in his first four weeks.
“It was good to see him get back to form.”
Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
“I fell off my chair when I saw that (he hadn’t got a coaches vote).
“To put his game into context, by the end of the season, it will be a top 20 or 25 rated game by any player throughout the year.
“15 contested possessions, the most of any for the Dogs, 12 clearances … but his ability to be able to do that and get involved in seven scores in a low scoring game and being the best pressure player for the Dogs as well, it’s extraordinary.”
Connor Nash (Hawthorn)
“Connor Nash had zero votes, but we had him as the third-highest rated player on the ground on the weekend.
“31 disposals, the most of his career, 18 contested possessions, the most of his career.
“The thing I noticed about Connor Nash as well that if there was one good aspect in Hawthorn’s game as well is winning clearance and centre-bounce clearance.
“When he goes into the centre-bounce Hawthorn are actually winning the centre clearance 51 per cent of the time, that’s the third-highest percentage of any player in the competition.
“His role, that Sam Mitchell has developed for him, has been a real win.”
Tom Mitchell (Collingwood)
“Tom Mitchell was another one with zero votes, but we had him as the third-highest ranked player on the ground.
“He’s only averaging 25 disposals a game, which is the least of his career since 2014.
“But his impact from a ball use perspective has increased by 159 per cent this year.
“I don’t know what they do down at Collingwood, but he’s been able to get involved in the way they move the ball.
“I think everyone assumed he was going to be just a stoppage player, but he’s actually been able to have an impact in their ball movement game as well.”