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AFL player power rankings: Round 1

Josh Kennedy is the All Australian vice-captain. (AAP Image/Tony McDonough)
Expert
30th March, 2016
3

Imagine you could wipe you memory of anything that happened prior to last week’s season opener between Carlton and Richmond.

What would your perspective be on the best players in footy after watching the opening round?

Perhaps it’s one of those things the mind simply can’t manage. For example, it’s debatable whether Alex Rance was the game’s best player last Thursday night, but there’s little doubt in my mind he was the best player to take part in the game.

Would I have thought that without having previously seen Alex Rance play? Who knows. With that in mind, I’ve compiled my first AFL player power rankings.

Similar to Michael DiFabrizio’s team rankings, I’m trying to determine who is the game’s best player in 2016 without paying too much notice of what they’ve done in previous seasons. It’s not easy to completely ignore past deeds, however, which explains the guy at number ten.

1. Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
Save for some wayward kicking for goal, it was just about the perfect debut performance from the offseason’s biggest signing. In his first game in the blue and white hoops, Dangerfield was at his explosive best, bullying his way through congestion and into space on his way to a career-high 43 disposals, including 21 contested possessions.

It was a mighty performance.

2. Josh Kennedy (West Coast)
Shootouts are a bad idea when you’re playing against a team with this monster lurking in the depths of your backline. With little pressure up the ground and no one in the Brisbane defence worthy of defending him, Kennedy put on a key-forward clinic.

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Eight goals, four goal assists, 25 disposals and 16 marks. The 2015 Coleman Medallist could have bested his career-high mark of 11 goals if he had been so inclined.

3. Alex Rance (Richmond)
In a game that was a bit too close for comfort for the Tigers, Rance showed why he is head and shoulders above any other key defender.

Without him and his ability to read the play – and the confidence to back said ability – Richmond almost certainly would have suffered one of their most embarrassing of defeats.

4. Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
Feels like this guy still doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Brilliant in the contest, slick on the outside, strong one-on-one, reads the play brilliantly and is a lethal finisher.

All traits were on display in round one against the Saints when he filled the stat sheet like few can: 26 disposals, 14 contested possessions, eight clearances, five tackles and four goals. What a star.

5. Nic Naitanui (West Coast)
If you’re one of the few remaining sceptics on this guy, put the stat sheet away and focus on what a destructive force he is at the stoppages.

Brisbane’s Stefan Martin, a fine player, was so helpless in round one he didn’t even try competing with Naitanui; instead he tried to rove to the giant Eagle – in the first quarter.

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When that didn’t work, well, Martin was out of ideas, leading to Nic Nat putting in one of the most dominant ruck performances in recent memory.

6. Luke Parker (Sydney)
Sydney’s most complete midfielder was just a link in the chain of Sydney’s demolition of the Magpies, but what a link he was. Had 40 disposals, 20 contested possessions, six clearances and booted a goal. Showed his aerial prowess with eight marks (three contested). The sky is the limit.

7. Lance Franklin (Sydney)
Buddy gave the world just a taste of what he’s (still) capable of in a one-sided affair at the SCG. He remains the most difficult match-up in footy. Franklin did the hard work against the Pies before half-time, booting all four of his goals before the major break to help put the result beyond doubt.

Look out if he’s fit and firing.

8. Jake Stringer (Western Bulldogs)
In what was a dream day for the Bulldogs, Stringer was the stuff of nightmares for the Dockers. Whether he’s a tall small-forward or a small-forward is really just semantics, the fact is, Stringer was too good in the air for players good enough to match him on the ground and too good on the ground for players able to match him in the air.

Five goals and a couple of misses in a blowout victory was the result.

9. Callan Ward (Greater Western Sydney)
The Giants’ skipper couldn’t have done much more to prevent his side’s first-round loss. Never one to shirk a physical contest, Ward was busy at the coalface with 14 contested possessions and four clearances.

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A couple of goals combined with a couple of near misses showed his ability to impact the scoreboard. Had 10 disposals in the ‘premiership quarter’ when GWS took control – unfortunately his six final-term disposals weren’t enough to taste victory.

10. Gary Ablett (Gold Coast)
The numbers were impressive – 34 disposals, 14 contested possessions, nine clearances, seven tackles, seven inside-50s and a goal – but it wasn’t the dominant Ablett we’ve come to know.

Some of that is to do with the inept opponent he faced and part of it has to do with the incredibly high bar he’s set. We’ll know more about whether Gaz is still Gaz this weekend.

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