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AFL top 100: What to watch for in 2018

Roar Guru
10th February, 2018
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The Blues are in the process of a rebuild. (AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
Roar Guru
10th February, 2018
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It is fascinating to think that every game of AFL football every week is adding to the rich history of a league that will have been around for 122 seasons when the first game for 2018 gets underway in 39 days.

In total 15,568 players have played at the 21 clubs that have been part of the league at various times during those 122 seasons.

Every club has produced champions over that time, and the 18 current clubs will add new players to that list each week and as some existing players add to their already impressive records of games played and goals scored.

Two useful measures of a player’s contribution to his club are his standing on the list of number of games played and number of goals scored at the club.

To achieve top 100 status in either of these categories – particularly at an overall all-time AFL level and at the ten clubs where the list represents 10 per cent or less of the number of players ever to represent the club – is a significant achievement and should be celebrated.

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That’s what we intend to do this year with regular updates on the movements in top 100 lists at the AFL and all the clubs.

Fortunately all clubs have at least one player in this category in both games played and goals scored, so every team selection will have interest for the statistically minded fan.

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In earlier times, when games were played only on the weekend, it was possible to see all teams selected on a Thursday night and therefore spend little time in seeing who would achieve a games milestone over the weekend. Now, with the first game being on a Thursday Night (Richmond vs Carlton) we will be drip fed the teams from Wednesday night onwards and a number of visits to our favourite sports website will be required.

Let me take you through the machinations of a statistical fan enjoying the 2018 AFL season.

(AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

On Wednesday, 21 March, the teams for the first game of the year will be announced. The first thing to check is whether the two competing teams have any current day players on the AFL all-time top 100 lists. Neither does, but if Kade Simpson is playing, this game will take him to one game behind Peter Riccardi (Geelong), who is in 100th position.

On the goal-kicking front, is Jack Riewoldt playing for Richmond? If so, on Friday we will need to check how many goals he scored, as he is currently equal 48th on the all-time goal-scoring list with Essendon legend John Coleman, so even one goal will improve his position.

From a club viewpoint we will look in this article at Carlton’s team and cover Richmond’s next time. While Kade Simpson’s selection for this game has significance on the AFL all-time top 100 list it is even more significant from a club viewpoint because this game will see him draw level with Justin Madden at number five on the club’s all-time game player’s list. The two other players on the club’s all-time list – Marc Murphy and Matthew Kreuzer – will also advance.

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