Brodie Smith is congratulated by Patrick Parnell (37) after playing a brilliant game against St Kilda on Sunday. Photo: GETTY IMAGES
FULL BACKS
Nathan Broad (Richmond)
Broad owes Richmond a couple of good ones, and on Friday night he delivered. Playing a hybrid defender role, he tailed Jeremy Cameron in dangerous areas, holding him to one (late) goal. When Cameron pushed upfield and followed the footy, Broad sat back in front of Tom Hawkins, helping restrict his output after quarter-time. An overall excellent display.
Harris Andrews (Brisbane)
Once the centrepiece of Brisbane’s defence, Andrews is now part of a reliable core that includes Jack Payne and a rejuvenated Ryan Lester. The Lions co-captain competed strongly in the air, but also played off his man to win the ball back. His ball use coming outside defensive 50 was terrific.
Andrew McGrath (Essendon)
If it’s decided that McGrath’s best position will be as a small defender, he’s at least shown that he can be an absolute top-line one. Brisbane clocked up a season record inside 50s on Saturday night, yet one of the hottest forwards in the game – Charlie Cameron – registered only one behind, with McGrath defending doggedly against him all evening.
HALF-BACKS
Miles Bergman (Port Adelaide)
A move to half-back has worked wonders for Bergman, who finds himself in his best patch of form for more than a year. With a great combination of aerial ability and neat ball use by foot, Bergman was one of the most impactful players on the ground against North Melbourne, ultimately reeling in seven intercept marks from 10 in total.
Charlie Ballard (Gold Coast)
One of the best games by a defender all season. Granted the opposition wasn’t much chop, but Ballard’s dominance against West Coast reached historic levels. His 10 intercept marks equalled the AFL record (since the stat started being recorded), and he also managed eight contested marks, which for context, is only two short of the all-time record (again, since the stat started being recorded). Coaches talk about intercepts and post-clearance contests as the key drivers for victory in modern footy, and Ballard obliterated the opposition on both.
Brodie Smith (Adelaide)
With a career featuring plenty of ups, and more recently, plenty of downs, Smith seems totally refreshed having come out the other side and playing in a strong team once again. His contribution on Sunday was significant as the Crows smashed St Kilda on the outside, Smith himself taking 731 metres of territory with precise ball use.
CENTRES
Sam Walsh (Carlton)
The debate will continue about whether Walsh is best utilised as a permanent inside midfielder or as part of a wing, midfield and half-forward rotation. Whatever the answer, the fact remains that Walsh simply doesn’t play a bad game no matter the role. He was damaging on the outside against the Dogs, with nine inside 50s, a goal and two assists.
Matt Rowell (Gold Coast)
Everyone knows what Rowell can do well, with his tackle counts and contested possession rate consistently among the league’s best. All that was there in the big win over the Eagles, but to add 10 inside 50s, eight score involvements, 17 uncontested possessions and a goal (not to mention a lazy 17 tackles for good measure) shows the notable growth in his game.
Errol Gulden (Sydney)
Gulden continues to be a shining light in a pretty gloomy month for the Swans. Mixing his time between half-back, the wing (almost the same thing at the SCG), and centre bounce, Gulden was again prolific with 39 disposals, two goals and eight clearances. His efforts in the third quarter, in particular, helped the Swans twice mount a challenge.
HALF-FORWARDS
Dustin Martin (Richmond)
What a thrill it is to see Dustin Martin back playing top gear footy in big matches at the MCG. In reality, he’s been more than handy all season, it’s just that his normally deadly radar around goals has been off. It was absolutely on in the win over the Cats, with Martin capping off an already strong night with three last-quarter majors that sealed the win.
Taylor Walker (Adelaide)
As the main man among what many would regard as the most powerful forward set-up in the league, Walker is enjoying a twilight that most – possibly himself included – would not have imagined. He was again precise in front of goal against the Saints, booting five straight from five shots, and setting up another.
Lachlan Murphy (Adelaide)
A surprise performer of 2023, not only has Murphy played every game in a strong Adelaide side since round two, but he’s produced two of the best games of his career in successive weeks. Working up the field in a conduit role, the lively forward gathered a career-high 22 touches, of which nine were score involvements, and also laid eight tackles.
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FORWARDS
Lachie Schultz (Fremantle)
One of the beneficiaries of Fremantle’s forward line finally starting to function is the diminutive Schultz, who’s so often called upon to do more than his fair share of grunt work. His first goal gave Fremantle its first lead, and when Sydney threatened in the third quarter, it was Schultz again who steadied with back-to-back majors.
Joe Daniher (Brisbane)
Daniher is always a figure of high interest in the AFL (the move to Brisbane perhaps not functioning as he’d hoped in that regard), and there’s no doubt that since his poor early season efforts, his form is better than it’s been in years. His six-goal haul was his biggest at the Lions, with three strong contested marks helping inflict the pain on his old side.
Jack Higgins (St Kilda)
A disappointing day for the Saints was made slightly more bearable due to the continued good form of Jack Higgins. Responsible for their only goal in the first quarter-and-a-half, Higgins added two more in the second half. He also notched nine score involvements, which, when you consider that St Kilda scored 19 times, is pretty impressive.
FOLLOWERS
Sean Darcy (Fremantle)
A dominant performance from the Fremantle ruckman. The Dockers’ surge in the game started when they began to control centre clearances in the second term, and that all stemmed from Darcy. When he wasn’t clearing the footy himself, which he did on nine occasions, he was tapping it with rigour and blocking space for others.
Tom Liberatore (Western Bulldogs)
His skipper Marcus Bontempelli has been plaudit-rich, and rightfully so, but Liberatore is also enjoying a great year as one of the season’s premier inside midfielders. He was in it all night with 13 clearances and nine tackles, and when the game heated right up in the final term, it was “Libba” who broke Carlton’s hearts with a great goal and a series of big contest wins.
Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)
Butters would now also have to be considered among the absolute form midfielders of the competition. He did everything against North Melbourne, with a good balance of contested and uncontested possessions meaning he had as much impact in scoring chains as he did in the clinches. A dynamic player who offers plenty.
INTERCHANGE
Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs)
The way that Richards has been able to round out his game over the last 12 months is a credit to him and a big win for the Western Bulldogs. Not only did he intercept 10 times from his 25 touches, but he kicked it at 90 per cent efficiency, and threw his body on the line a number of times. A player who just does everything asked of him to a really good level.
Christian Petracca (Melbourne)
The No.1 goal assist player in the competition was at it again on Saturday, as Petracca added a rarely-seen tally of five more to his season total. His ability to turn contests into scores is exceptional, and although he didn’t get on the end of any himself, still made sure the Demons’ work went on the scoreboard with nine inside 50s.
Mason Cox (Collingwood)
This was a Mason Cox special. Required to play as the No.1 ruck – something he’s done relatively little of over his career – Cox competed well in the hitouts, but mastered the contest around the ground. With impact in all areas of the oval, he enlivened the crowd with some contested marks and a few fantastic highlights.
Jordan De Goey (Collingwood)
De Goey was excellent in his role as an attacking midfielder, with his influence moving the ball from stoppage matched by his crafty work inside the tight confines of scrummages. With 31 disposals, seven clearances, seven inside 50s and a goal, he continued to show that he’s no longer a moments player, but a consistently damaging onballer.
STIFF TO MISS
Ryan Lester (Brisbane), Mason Redman (Essendon), Jack Viney (Melbourne), Trent Rivers (Melbourne), Jayden Short (Richmond), Noah Balta (Richmond), Ben King (Gold Coast), Jordan Dawson (Adelaide), Todd Goldstein (North Melbourne).
