Bulldog’s 189 per cent explosion; Demons’ sleeping giant awakens: 10 most improved players in AFL

[Axe Man]

Champion Data so take with a grain of salt, but no denying Bailey has really elevated his game this season.

Bulldog’s 189 per cent explosion; Demons’ sleeping giant awakens: 10 most improved players in AFL

No player has improved as much as Western Bulldog Bailey Williams in 2020.
The numbers prove it.

The defender hasn’t missed a beat or a game this season, solidifying his place in Luke Beveridge’s back six after penning a two-year deal.

According to Champion Data’s AFL Player Ratings, Williams has improved a whopping 189.6 per cent from 2019 and is rated the ninth best kick in the league and elite for metres gained.

In simple terms, the 22-year-old is almost three times the player he was in 2019.

From his nine appearances last year, he averaged a paltry 3.7 Rating Points per 100 minutes. This season, the 2015 draftee is averaging 10.7 Ratings Points (an increase of 189.6%)

With help from Champion Data, foxfooty.com.au has compiled the top 10 improved players in the league, the top three for each club and each position.

To qualify, a player must have notched at least five matches in 2019 and a minimum of five in 2020. Anything less is considered an inadequate sample size.

Intercepting defender Williams tops the charts, closely followed by Mitch Hannan from Melbourne and Will Setterfield from Carlton.

Hannan rates elite for score assists, and his accuracy – which remains a critical element to determine the AFL Player Ratings – has jumped from 50 per cent to 70 per cent. Despite these numbers, the forward was dropped for Round 12 and would have been an emergency had he not fallen ill.

Setterfield is a great example of why AFL Player Ratings are a good measure. He’s averaging exactly the same disposals per 100 minutes this year as he did in 2019, but the ex-Giant is having more impact per touch. Contested possessions numbers, clearances and ball use for Setterfield have all skyrocketed.

League-wide, clubs average a tick over nine players who have improved statistically this year. St Kilda boasts 15 improvers, while Adelaide has just two (Rory Laird and Kyle Hartigan).

Richmond, presumably due to the high bar it set in 2019, has just five improvers in 2020 after 12 rounds, including skipper Trent Cotchin.

Of the top 31 most improved players this year, just one averaged more than 10 Ratings Points per 100 minutes last year: Christian Petracca. The rest were coming off relatively low bases.

From an already lofty perch, the Demons midfielder has taken another quantum leap in 2020, averaging 19.2 Ratings Points per outing. He’s the 8th most improved player in the AFL and it is little wonder he’s second favourite for the Brownlow Medal behind Lachie Neale, who is Brisbane’s sixth most improved performer.

AFL Players Ratings measure the impact a player has on matches. The metric takes into account how a player wins the ball, where on the ground they win it and what they do with it.

Players who win the ball in the contest, gain territory towards goal or use the ball well will get rewarded. Players who win the ball on the outside, don’t impact the play in a positive manner for the team or don’t use it well don’t get rewarded.

10 MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS IN THE AFL

1. Bailey Williams (WB): 189.6%

2. Mitch Hannan (MELB): 166.5%

3. Will Setterfield (CARL): 123.1%

4. Josh Daicos (COLL): 111%

5. Jordan Ridley (ESS): 97.8%

6. Wil Powell (GC): 73.5%

7. Zac Bailey (BL): 68.9%

8. Christian Petracca (MELB): 68.8%

9. Jayden Laverde (ESS): 67.9%

10. Josh Battle (STK): 65.2%

MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS BY POSITION

KEY DEFENDER

Kyle Hartigan (ADEL): 51.6%

Sam Collins (GC): 47%

Brennan Cox (FREM): 38.9%

GENERAL DEFENDER

Bailey Williams (WB): 189.6%

Jordan Ridley (ESS): 97.8%

Aidan Corr (GWS): 64%

MIDFIELDER

Will Setterfield (CARL): 123.1%

Christian Petracca (MELB): 68.8%

Lachie Weller (GC): 56.4%

WING

Josh Daicos (COLL): 111%

Wil Powell (GC): 73.5%

Zac Bailey (BRIS): 68.9%

RUCK

Callum Sinclair (SYD): 27.3%

Jon Ceglar (HAW): 25.3%

Sean Darcy (FREM): 23.6%

MIDFIELD-FORWARD

Josh Battle (STK): 65.2%

Cam Rayner (BRIS): 50.8%

Shai Bolton (RICH): 47.8%

GENERAL FORWARD

Mitch Hannan (MELB): 166.5%

Steven Motlop (PA): 54.2%

Jake Waterman (WC): 49.9%

KEY FORWARD

Jayden Laverde (ESS): 67.9%

Tom Hawkins (GEE): 52.7%

Charlie Dixon (PA): 48.3%

YOUR CLUB’S TOP 3 MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS

ADELAIDE (2 players who have improved in 2020, according to AFL Player Ratings)

Kyle Hartigan: 51.6%

Rory Laird: 11.8%

BRISBANE (10)

Zac Bailey: 68.9%

Cam Rayner: 50.8%

Eric Hipwood: 29.4%

CARLTON (9)

Will Setterfield: 123.1%

Jack Newnes: 49.8%

Jack Martin: 32.8%

COLLINGWOOD (7)

Josh Daicos: 111%

John Noble: 52%

Brayden Maynard: 32.1%

ESSENDON (10)

Jordan Ridley: 97.8%

Jayden Laverde: 67.9%

Brayden Ham: 61.6%

FREMANTLE (12)

Adam Cerra: 51.1%

Brennan Cox: 38.9%

Taylin Duman: 26.7%

GEELONG (8)

Tom Hawkins: 52.7%

Sam Menegola: 40.7%

Mitch Duncan: 28.3%

GOLD COAST (8)

Wil Powell: 73.5%

Lachie Weller: 56.4%

Jack Lukosius: 55.2%

GWS GIANTS (8)

Aidan Corr: 64%

Lachlan Keeffe: 35.4%

Toby Greene: 23.8%

HAWTHORN (12)

Jaeger O’Meara: 29.6%

Jonathon Ceglar: 25.3%

Sam Frost: 22.2%

MELBOURNE (11)

Mitch Hannan: 166.5%

Christian Petracca: 68.8%

Jack Viney: 39.9%

NORTH MELBOURNE (9)

Trent Dumont: 28.9%

Luke McDonald: 22.5%

Marley Williams: 21.1%

PORT ADELAIDE (10)

Steven Motlop: 54.2%

Charlie Dixon: 48.3%

Zak Butters: 42.7%

RICHMOND (5)

Shai Bolton: 47.8%

Jayden Short: 33.9%

Trent Cotchin: 12.4%

ST KILDA (15)

Josh Battle: 65.2%

Nick Coffield: 54.7%

Dean Kent: 27.8%

SYDNEY (11)

Ryan Clarke: 45.1%

Will Hayward: 31.7%

Callum Sinclair: 27.3%

WEST COAST (8)

Jackson Nelson: 62.4%

Tom Cole: 57.8%

Jake Waterman: 49.9%

WESTERN BULLDOGS (8)

Bailey Williams: 189.9%

Caleb Daniel: 29.2%

Aaron Naughton: 14.4%

[mjp]

Is this the “If you set the bar low enough, it’s pretty easy to jump over it” year to year comparison?

[Axe Man]

Is this the “If you set the bar low enough, it’s pretty easy to jump over it” year to year comparison?

True enough, although it does note that Petracca is the only one in the top 31 not coming from a low base last year.

[Remi Moses]

Don’t take much notice of champion data
Although Williams has improved markedly this year

[Testekill]

Hartigan has improved? From awful to just bad?

[ledge]

This is what happens when you are an out and out star in your first year you get no credit in these things eg Bailey Smith.