2016 AFL Prospectus: Champion Data nominates ‘elite’ players at every clubTom Morris
FOX SPORTS
February 8, 2016 11:34amHAWTHORN still has the top-end talent to win a fourth straight premiership in 2016, according to Champion Data’s player ratings.
The AFL’s official number-crunchers consider any player ranked in the top 10 per cent in their position ‘elite’ — and the Hawks lead the competition with eight players in this bracket.
West Coast is the next best with six, followed by Fremantle (five) and Richmond (four).
Hawthorn’s forward-line alone has more ‘elite’ players than 13 other clubs do across the field.
It’s no surprise the Hawks are ranked No. 1 for points scored in each of the last four home and away seasons, registering almost 250 more scoring shots than the next best team over this period.
In fact, the reigning premiers have six forwards ranked in the top 35 per cent or ‘above average’ in the AFL.
But Hawthorn’s firepower is not confined to the attacking half, with the midfield, headed by Sam Mitchell, also top-class.
At the other end of the ground, defenders Shaun Burgoyne and Josh Gibson, although both on the wrong side of 30, complete the elite eight.
In 2015 Hawthorn also had eight elite players, with Mitchell replacing Matt Suckling this year.
The swell of talent at Waverley Park is in stark contrast to Carlton, Melbourne, Essendon and St Kilda, who don’t have an elite player between them ahead of the 2016 season.
In the absence of 12 players serving season-long bans, Essendon has no players ranked above average, let alone elite. Before the suspensions, the Bombers had six players rated either elite or above average.
Carlton has two above average players on its books, while Melbourne possesses three and St Kilda four.
Since 2012, Champion Data has boxed players into five categories, ranging from ‘elite’ to ‘poor’ based on a complicated formula assessing their most recent form.
Since Sydney won the 2012 flag with six ‘elite’ players on its list, every premiership team has started the season with at least that number in their squads.
Matt Priddis celebrates a goal with Nic Naitanui.
HOW DOES CHAMPION DATA RATE YOUR CLUB’S ‘ELITE’ TALENT?Hawthorn: 8 (2015: 8 )Shaun Burgoyne
Sam Mitchell
Jarryd Roughead
Grant Birchall
Josh Gibson
Cyril Rioli
Luke Breust
Jack Gunston
IN: Mitchell
OUT: Suckling
West Coast: 6 (2015: 5)Matt Priddis
Shannon Hurn
Mark LeCras
Nic Naitanui
Luke Shuey
Jeremy McGovern
IN: Priddis, Shuey
OUT: Eric Mackenzie
Fremantle: 5 (2015: 4)Aaron Sandilands
David Mundy
Nat Fyfe
Harley Bennell
Michael Walters
IN: Bennell, Mundy
OUT: Michael Johnson
Richmond: 4 (2015: 4)
Brett Deledio
Jack Riewoldt
Shane Edwards
Alex Rance
NO CHANGEWestern Bulldogs: 4 (2015: 1)Bob Murphy
Easton Wood
Marcus Bontempelli
Matthew Boyd
IN: Wood, Bontempelli, Boyd
Adelaide: 3 (2015: 6)Eddie Betts
Rory Sloane
Brodie Smith
OUT: Patrick Dangerfield, Daniel Talia, Sam Jacobs
Geelong: 3 (2015: 4)Joel Selwood
Harry Taylor
Patrick Dangerfield
IN: Dangerfield
OUT: Corey Enright, Jimmy Bartel
Brisbane: 2 (2015: 3)Daniel Rich
Dayne Zorko
IN: Rich
OUT: Dayne Beams, Tom Rockliff
Port Adelaide: 2 (2015: 4)Robbie Gray
Chad Wingard
OUT: Travis Boak, Justin Westhoff
GWS: 2 (2015: 1)Heath Shaw
Dylan Shiel
IN: Shaw, Shiel
OUT: Ryan Griffin
North Melbourne: 2 (2015: 3)Brent Harvey
Todd Goldstein
OUT: Nick Dal Santo
Sydney: 2 (2015: 3)Lance Franklin
Josh P. Kennedy
OUT: Kieran Jack
Collingwood: 1 (2015: 1)Scott Pendlebury
NO CHANGE
Gold Coast: 1 (2015: 3)Gary Ablett
OUT: Harley Bennell, Nick Malceski
Melbourne, Essendon,* St Kilda, Carlton: 0*Essendon’s Cale Hooker and Michael Hurley are ‘elite’ according to Champion Data. However both are suspended for the 2016 season.
THE 2016 AFL PROSPECTUS IS AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL NEWSAGENTS OR VIA THE CHAMPION DATA WEBSITEhttp://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/champion-data-hawthorn-top-of-the-class-in-2016-west-coast-and-fremantle-hot-on-their-heels/news-story/6d845da1f98651040b6dd2cf08fb8787
