In the season past 19 players won an AFL best and fairest award – there was a dead heat at Collingwood – and 182 finished in the top 10 in their club voting with a triple dead heat for 10th at GWS.
Taking into account there would be maybe 15 West Coast, Collingwood and Richmond players not listed here who had better seasons than many who finished in the top 10 at other clubs, what we have is a list of players who did pretty well in 2018.
Here’s a fairly unreliable statistical look at them.
SECTION ONE: CLUB CHAMPIONS (19)
- 47% were first round draft picks.
- 21% started or spent time on the rookie list.
- Four come from another club (Western Bulldogs {2}, Brisbane {1}, Sydney {1}).
- One has left his club. (Those making connections between my visit to Brisbane in July and the defection of Lachie Neale are being mischievous).
SECTION TWO: TOP 10s (182)
- 38% first round draft picks.
- 14% rookies
- 28% have been on another AFL list (Sam Menegola {Fremantle & Hawthorn} and Josh Caddy {Gold Coast & Geelong} have been on two).
FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICKS
It would surprise no one to learn GWS had the most first round draft picks in their top 10. Here’s the list in percentage terms to take account of GWS having 12 players in their top 10. GWS (75%); Melbourne (50%); Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond, West Coast (42%); Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs (33%); Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, St Kilda (25%); Geelong, North Melbourne, Sydney (17%); Fremantle (8%).
GETTING ROOKIES RIGHT
Sydney had the most formerly rookie listed players in their top 10. Here’s the list: Sydney (4); Adelaide (3); Carlton, Collingwood, Gold Coast, Geelong, Melbourne, Richmond, West Coast (2); Essendon, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs (1); Brisbane, Fremantle, GWS, North Melbourne (0).
GENEROUS BENEFACTORS
Six former Hawthorn players finished in the top 10 at another club in 2018. There were none from North Melbourne or Richmond. Here’s the full list: Hawthorn (6); Adelaide, Collingwood, Western Bulldogs (5); Brisbane, GWS, St Kilda (4); Carlton, Essendon. Fremantle, Gold Coast, Sydney (3); Melbourne (2); Geelong, Port Adelaide, West Coast (1); North Melbourne and Richmond (0). Both clubs for Menegola and Caddy were included here.
BRINGING THEM IN
Here’s the number of players previously on other AFL list who featured in the top 10 at each club: Adelaide (3); Brisbane (3); Carlton (5); Collingwood (2); Essendon (three); Fremantle (two); Gold Coast (five); Geelong (three); GWS (3); Hawthorn (four); Melbourne (two); North Melbourne (two); Port Adelaide (one); Richmond (one); St Kilda (three); Sydney (three); West Coast (four); Western Bulldogs (one).
By the way seven of West Coast’s premiership line-up had played for another club: Brisbane (2); St Kilda (2); Carlton (1); Geelong (1) and Sydney (1).
MOVING ON
Five top 10 finishers will be at another club in 2019: two from Port Adelaide and one each from Brisbane, Fremantle and GWS.
What’s it all mean? I don’t know.
Any corrections welcome.
Adelaide Malcolm Blight Medal
1. Rory Laird
2. Matt Crouch
3. Josh Jenkins
4. Bryce Gibbs
5. Hugh Greenwood
6. Tom Doedee
7. Luke Brown
8. Wayne Milera Jr
9. Rory Atkins
10.Paul Seedsman
Dayne Beams is one of five players who finished in the top 10 of their club champion award in 2018 and will be elsewhere in 2019. Photos by Les Everett.
Brisbane Merrett/Murray Medal
1. Dayne Zorko
2. Dayne Beams
3. Stef Martin
4. Darcy Gardiner
5. Harris Andrews
6. Jarrod Berry
7. Hugh McCluggage
8. Luke Hodge
9. Nick Robertson
10.Alex Witherden
Carlton John Nicholls Medal
1. Patrick Cripps
2. Kade Simpson
3. Ed Curnow, Charlie Curnow
5. Dale Thomas
6. Liam Jones
7. Zac Fisher
8. Sam Rowe
9. Matthew Wright
10.Marc Murphy
Collingwood Copeland Trophy
1. Steele Sidebottom, Brodie Grundy
3. Scott Pendlebury
4. Jack Crisp
5. Taylor Adams
6. Tom Phillips
7. Jeremy Howe
8. Jordan De Goey
9. Josh Thomas
10.Brayden Maynard
Essendon Crichton Medal
1. Devon Smith
2. Dyson Heppell
3. Zach Merrett
4. Adam Saad
5. Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti
6. Tom Bellchambers
7. Michael Hurley
8. Cale Hooker
9. Conor McKenna
10.Brendon Goddard
Fremantle Doig Medal
1. Lachie Neale
2. David Mundy
3. Nat Fyfe
4. Ed Langdon
5. Luke Ryan
6. Nathan Wilson
7. Joel Hamling
8. Michael Walters
9. Stephen Hill
10.Alex Pearce
Geelong Carji Greeves Medal
1. Mark Blicavs
2. Patrick Dangerfield, Tim Kelly
4. Tom Hawkins
5. Joel Selwood
6. Mitch Duncan
7. Tom Stewart
8. Jake Kolodjashnij
9. Sam Menegola
10.Zach Tuohy
Gold Coast Club Champion
1. Jarrod Harbrow
2. Touk Miller
3. Lachie Weller
4. Rory Thompson
5. Alex Sexton
6. David Swallow
7. Aaron Young
8. Jarrod Witts
9. Nick Holman
10.Jack Martin
Greater Western Sydney Kevin Sheedy Medal
1. Lachie Whitfield
2. Callan Ward
3. Phil Davis
4. Stephen Coniglio
5. Nick Haynes
6. Dylan Shiel
7. Adam Tomlinson
8. Tim Taranto
9. Josh Kelly
10.Jacob Hopper, Jeremy Cameron, Heath Shaw
Hawthorn Peter Crimmins Medal
1. Tom Mitchell
2. Blake Hardwick
3. Isaac Smith
4. Jack Gunston
5. Jaeger O’Meara
6. Luke Breust
7. Ben Stratton
8. Ben McEvoy
9. Liam Shiels
10.James Sicily
Melbourne Bluey Truscott Medal
1. Max Gawn
2. Clayton Oliver
3. James Harmes
4. Nathan Jones
5. Tom McDonald
6. Angus Brayshaw
7. Jake Melksham
8. Christian Salem
9. Neville Jetta
10.Jordan Lewis
North Melbourne Syd Barker Medal
1. Shaun Higgins
2. Ben Cunnington
3. Robbie Tarrant
4. Ben Brown
5. Jack Ziebell
6. Trent Dumont
7. Todd Goldstein
8. Jed Anderson
9. Scott Thompson
10.Jamie MacMillan
Port Adelaide John Cahill Medal
1. Justin Westhoff
2. Tom Jonas
3. Ollie Wines
4. Robbie Gray
5. Jared Polec
6. Chad Wingard
7. Darcy Byrne-Jones
8. Dan Houston
9. Travis Boak
10.Tom Clurey
Richmond Jack Dyer Medal
1. Jack Riewoldt
2. Kane Lambert
3. Dustin Martin
4. Shane Edwards
5. Dylan Grimes
6. Alex Rance
7. Trent Cotchin
8. Nick Vlastuin
9. Jayden Short
10.Josh Caddy
St Kilda Trevor Barker Award
1. Jack Steven
2. Seb Ross
3. Jack Steele
4. Jade Gresham
5. Jarryn Geary
6. Jimmy Webster
7. Jake Carlisle
8. Tim Membrey
9. Jack Billings
10.Daniel McKenzie
Sydney Swans Bob Skilton Medal
1. Jake Lloyd
2. Luke Parker
3. Lance Franklin
4. Isaac Heeney
5. Josh Kennedy
6. Dane Rampe
7. George Hewett
8. Jarrad McVeigh
9. Callum Sinclair
10.Harry Cunningham
West Coast John Worsfold Medal
1. Elliot Yeo
2. Jack Redden
3. Shannon Hurn
4. Jamie Cripps
5. Andrew Gaff
6. Jeremy McGovern
7. Mark Hutchings
8. Brad Sheppard
9. Jack Darling
10.Willie Rioli
Western Bulldogs Charles Sutton Medal
1. Lachie Hunter
2. Jack Macrae
3. Marcus Bontempelli
4. Aaron Naughton
5. Josh Dunkley
6. Caleb Daniel
7. Jason Johannisen
8. Hayden Crozier
9. Toby McLean
10.Bailey Williams
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