AFL analyst Daniel Hoyne has handed down Champion Data's top-10 players eight weeks into the 2023 season.
Hoyne, Champion Data's Competitions Analysis Team Lead, joined SEN's Sportsday to break down the opening eight rounds and spoke on the criteria for rating the best players.
“We’re basically looking at it per 100 minutes and we’re taking into account exactly where you’ve played all over the ground in that 100 minutes and what’s your expectation from an AFL player rating point that you’re meant to be exceeding or averaging per 100 minutes,” he told SEN’s Sportsday.
“If you’re a player that’s played 80 minutes as a midfielder, 10 mins as a defender as a forward, you might be expected to average 10 rating points in that time. If you average 15 in that time, you’re plus five on your expectation.
“That’s basically what we’re trying to do and I think it's going to be a far greater measure moving forward.
“In saying that, I’m prepared that this is going to get a little bit of traction, a little bit of heat coming back our way.”
See the list below.
10. Christian Petracca (Melbourne)
“Christian Petracca is meant to be averaging 11 AFL player rating points per game on the position he's actually spending (time in). He's averaging 15.5 per game, so he's going exceptional.
“Any time you're three or four points above expectation is a considerably good performance.”
9. Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood)
“This is going to be the first surprise... Steele Sidebottom. We've mentioned him a little bit on this show so far this year, the role he's playing, mainly as that wingman, you're meant to be averaging eight AFL player rating points per game, he's averaging close to 13 per game.”
8. Tim English (Western Bulldogs)
“Tim English, meant to be averaging close to 12 AFL player rating points per game playing mainly as a ruckman, he's averaging just over 16 per game.
“He's going quite nicely.”
7. Mason Wood (St Kilda)
“Another surprise, another wingman. It's Mason Wood.
“For the role he's meant to be playing, meant to be averaging 7.9 AFL player rating points per game, he's averaging 12.5 per game.
“So that transition from him to go from sort of being a little bit on no man's land to now really occupying a permanent wing role and being able to impact the game both defensively and offensively has been significant.”
6. Jeremy Cameron (Geelong)
“Another surprise to many and I'm probably going to cop a lot for this, Jeremy Cameron.
“Jeremy Cameron, like Mason Wood, meant to be averaging 79 AFL player rating points per game for the role he's playing, and he's averaging, just like Mason Wood, 12.6 AFL player rating points per 100 minutes.
“The no.1 reason why he isn't rated no.2 in the competition is he's had three games where he's been inaccurate in front of goal.
“For people who aren't familiar with the rating system, inaccuracy in front of goal costs you significantly.
“That's the only reason as to why he's not the second highest-rated player.”
5. Charlie Cameron (Brisbane)
“Charlie Cameron, he's just ahead of Jeremy Cameron. 7.9 like Jeremy but averaging 13 per game.”
4. Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
“He's meant to be averaging 9.3, he's averaging 14.3, so he's flying.”
3. Mitch Owens (St Kilda)
“Again, I know I'm going to cop criticism for this, it's Mitch Owens.
“Mitch Owens is flying. 8.3 he's meant to be averaging and he's averaging 13.5.”
2. Charlie Curnow (Carlton)
“Unlike Jeremy Cameron, where he's had a couple of poor days, Charlie's accuracy in front of goal this year has been through the roof through the whole eight matches.
“That's the difference between the two.”
1. Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
“Between no.2 and no.10 there is bugger all in it. The gap between no.1, it is just miles apart and that is Bontempelli.
“There's no one that's even close to him. We've gone back and done this since 2010 and at Round 8 it's the second-best season we've seen by a midfielder, the only better season we've seen by a midfielder was Gary Ablett in 2010 and any time I mention Gary Ablett in a sentence, you're performing to a ridiculous standard.”
.@Hoyney35 reveals the top 10 rated players in the AFL after eight rounds:
— Sportsday (@SENSportsday) May 9, 2023
1. Marcus Bontempelli
2. Charlie Curnow
3. Mitch Owens
4. Nick Daicos
5. Charlie Cameron
6. Jeremy Cameron
7. Mason Wood
8. Tim English
9 . Steele Sidebottom
10. Christian Petracca