Champion Data Ranks Clubs By Number Of 'Elite' Players

[LostDoggy]

In the AFL Prospectus, Champion Data have ranked the teams based on the number of players graded as 'elite'. Whilst these things need to be taken with a grain of salt, they are an interesting way of looking at things. They rate the teams as follows:

1 - Hawthorn 8 (last year 8, the player to drop off from 2015 - 2014 rankings - was Matthew Suckling)
2 - West Coast 6 (5)
3 - Fremantle 5 (4)
4 - Western Bulldogs 4 (Murphy, Bont, Wood, Boyd) (Last year 1 - Murphy), Richmond 4 (4)
6 - Adelaide 3 (6), Geelong 3 (4)
8 - Brisbane 2 (3), Port 2 (4), North 2 (3), Sydney 2 (3), GWS 2 (1),
13 - Gold Coast 1 (3), Collingwood 1 (1)
Last - Melbourne, Essendon, Carlton, St Kilda 0

[Ghost Dog]

It's just outstanding to see Murph and Matt in that class of players, riding out their careers at the top of the comp. Really proud of them.

[whythelongface]

surely you could include Stringer in that list. No doubt he will be by year's end.

[bulldogtragic]

surely you could include Stringer in that list. No doubt he will be by year's end.

Was thinking the same, he was AA last year. Suckling had an alright year too, swapping clubs doesn't downgrade that?

If Libba stays fit and Macrae keeps on, we could top this list very, very soon.

[Mantis]

If Libba stays fit and Macrae keeps on, we could top this list very, very soon.

Murf and Boyd will drop off soon enough which needs to be factored in.. But we do have a few pushing up including Dahlhaus who wouldn't be far away from elite this year on numbers alone.

[bulldogtragic]

Murf and Boyd will drop off soon enough which needs to be factored in.. But we do have a few pushing up including Dahlhaus who wouldn't be far away from elite this year on numbers alone.

Fair points. I was thinking of mentioning Wally, and Dahl too as you say. It will be interesting where both play and where they fit in the gameplan so they can achieve the 'elite' ranking. Mids being Libba, Bonts, Macrae, Stringer in the mid at times, Suckling maybe too, whether Wally & Dahl get enough of the opportunity to continue lifting their output to reach the next level. I think they've the skill and games to lift to 'elite' but there's a lot of competition to get anywhere near the midfield and Stevens was wrapped up by Bevo a bit recently and then Clay Smith if he can get on the park. If Dahl kicked straight for goal, I reckon he'd be elite ranking already. With Grant gone, the focus of poor kicking for goal might end up on him. I hope he can tweak this area.

[Ghost Dog]

Stringer draws premium defenders, and scares the shit out of any back who tries to get in his way. Also fires up the boys.
That's hard to measure.
We got done in Perth in our final game V Eagles for 2015, but all my relatives in WA were talking about him after the game.
Despite my Avatar, and I do love the Bont, Stringer remains my fav player on our list. He's the forward we have been dreaming of for years.

[bornadog]

Link (http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2016-02-19/the-bulldogs-according-to-champion-data)

The Bulldogs according to Champion Data


The Western Bulldogs have one of the healthiest list profiles in the competition according to Champion Data’s recently released AFL Prospectus.

The 2016 Bulldogs boast 29 players under the age of 25, the third most of any side, and more importantly, the quality of the group is ranked sixth best in the competition.

Of that group, Marcus Bontempelli at 20 years of age is one of four players ranked elite alongside veterans Robert Murphy, Matthew Boyd and vice-captain Easton Wood.

A player is rated as elite if they’re in the top 10% of his position, and Bontempelli is the youngest player in the League in this category, and by some margin.

Bontempelli has got over two years on Port Adelaide’s Chad Wingard (22.65 years old), his closest competition, followed by Greater Western Sydney’s Dylan Shiel (23.04) and Fremantle recruit Harley Bennell (23.48).

The ‘elite’ ranking puts the 37-gamer in Champion Data’s eyes alongside some of the genuine stars of the game.

Just outside of that group in the ‘above average’ category sits Luke Dahlhaus, Tom Liberatore, Jake Stringer and Jason Johannison.

All four are capable of pushing up into elite company based on their 2015 trajectory, and in Liberatore’s case, his Sutton Medal winning form preceding his knee injury last year.

The Dogs have five players that are rated in the top 35% in this age bracket, the most of any side.

Perhaps what’s most encouraging for the red, white and blue faithful is that the Bulldogs possess the least experienced midfield group in the competition with an average of 52 games per player, and yet in Champion Data’s eyes it's ranked the fourth best in League.

Of the players who spent a notable amount of time in the middle, only Liam Picken is over 25. For a bit of context, the League wide average per side is four.

Overall, the Dogs have the fifth youngest list in the League when measured by age, at 23 years and 270 days, and If analysing the 44 man squad based on games played, it’s a similar story, the Club listed as the fourth youngest at an average of 57.7 games played.

Sides who share a similar age profile to the Dogs are the Brisbane Lions, the Greater Western Sydney Giants, the Gold Coast Suns and Melbourne.

[Topdog]

Love reading stuff like that. We have a very special young group.