An AFL club’s Best and Fairest award is among the highest players can win. The award is judged by the coaches.
Each club chooses their own unique way to adjudicate the winner. This can include how players train and apply themselves to the team values as well as how they perform on the weekend.
In 2022, Jeremy Cameron and Cam Guthrie shared the great achievement of winning the Best and Fairest for Geelong in a premiership year. Recognition for being the best and most professional players in the best club.
However, it’s not just winning the Best and Fairest that receives praise. Finishing second or third is still a very good achievement. To finish in the top 10 shows that you’ve performed your role and stuck to the team values.
Ahead of the 2023 AFL season, I wanted to look at which players could crack into the top 10 of their club’s Best and Fairest who weren’t in there last year. Perhaps, they were injured during the 2022 season or their form didn’t quite stack up.
I will be exploring this by examining the league in three groups of six teams, starting with Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon and Fremantle.
Adelaide Crows
2022 Best and Fairest: Rory Laird, 118 votes
2. Jordan Dawson
3. Ben Keays
4. Taylor Walker
5. Brodie Smith
6. Darcy Fogarty
7. Shane McAdam
8. Tom Doedee
9. Sam Berry
10. Jake Soligo
A surprising absence in the top 10 was Riley O’Brien, who won the best and fairest in 2021. He had a pretty good season in 2022. He was second in the competition for hit outs. For Adelaide he was ranked fourth in clearances and sixth for score involvements. Expect him to have another good year and be a big presence in the ruck, which is what Adelaide will need.
Brisbane Lions
2022 Best and Fairest: Lachie Neale, 66 votes
2. Hugh McCluggage
3. Brandon Starcevich
=4. Harris Andrews
=4. Charlie Cameron
6. Jarrod Berry
7. Daniel Rich
8. Lincoln McCarthy
9. Oscar Mclnerney
10. Zac Bailey
Cam Rayner played every game apart from the elimination final in his return season from an ACL. He was once again dynamic in bursts. He may never be a big possession winner, but he does make an impact when he gets the ball. He was fifth for contested possessions, fifth for centre clearances and seventh in score involvements. Look for him to take his game to another level this season.
(Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Carlton
2022 Best and Fairest: Patrick Cripps, 181 votes
2. Sam Docherty
3. Sam Walsh
4. Charlie Curnow
5. George Hewett
6. Adam Saad
7. Harry McKay
8. Zac Fisher
9. Matt Kennedy
10. Adam Cerra
Jack Silvagni had a good season without being very good. He was used in a range of different roles, occasionally being asked to second ruck when Marc Pittonet was injured. His accustomed role is as that third tall in the forward line behind Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay.
For a return of only 17 goals, he’d want to improve on that. He’s coming into his eighth season now – Round 1 will be his 100th game. This might be the season we see the best of Silvagni.
Collingwood
2022 Best and Fairest: Jack Crisp, 291 votes
2. Scott Pendlebury
3. Darcy Moore
4. Jeremy Howe
5. Steele Sidebottom
6. Patrick Lipinski
7. Nick Daicos
=8. Josh Daicos
=8. Brayden Maynard
10. Jordan De Goey
Darcy Cameron really grew into his own last season after Brodie Grundy went down with a posterior cruciate ligament injury. Playing ruck/forward he managed to win his fair share of hit outs, ranking 10th in the competition. More importantly, he was able to get around the ground and provide an outlet. For Collingwood he was ranked equal first for contested marks and kicked 20 goals.
Brodie Grundy is now at Melbourne. Cameron will have the onus on him to combine with Mason Cox and form a dynamic duo.
Essendon
2022 Best and Fairest: Peter Wright
2. Zach Merrett
3. Matt Guelfi
4. Mason Redman
5. Jordan Ridley
6. Jayden Laverde
7. Jake Kelly
8. Nic Martin
=9. Darcy Parish
=9. Dylan Shiel
=9. Nick Hind
12. Andrew McGrath
Jye Caldwell was brought over from GWS at the end of 2020. After only 14 games in three seasons, he played his best season to date for Essendon in 2022. He showed he could win plenty of his own football and also lock down the star midfielders.
This was illustrated when Essendon travelled up to the Gabba and Caldwell was given the task against Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale. Caldwell did the job superbly, keeping Neale to 21 disposals and zero goals, whilst he gathered 26 of his own possessions and kicked a goal.
Caldwell has good balance in his game – he ranked third for score involvements and equal first for tackles at Essendon. The fact that he only kicked six goals for the year and is ranked top three for score involvements shows there is plenty of upside to his game.
Fremantle
2022 Best and Fairest: Andrew Brayshaw, 273 votes
2. Brennan Cox
3. Caleb Serong
4. Alex Pearce
5. Lachie Schultz
6. Griffin Logue
7. Michael Walters
8. Hayden Young
9. Jordan Clark
10. Rory Lobb
Michael Frederick could take the next step and finish in the top 10 at the end of the 2023 season. Frederick played 22 games out of a possible 24. He missed one game for breaking club rules.
When he did play, he was electrifying, highlighted by the fact that two of his best games were in wins against fellow finalists. He kicked three goals against Brisbane and two against Melbourne, where he also set up a goal for teammate Lachie Schultz with an ingenious tap backwards.
The 2023 season will be his fourth and he’ll be 23 years old. He kicked 28 goals in 2022. If he can up that to 35-40-ish, he becomes one of the most dynamic players in the game.
Johnno
Roar Rookie
A bit late to the conversation but my thoughts. We need a big forward that kicks 40 odd goals but also brings other players into the game......by leading, competing, being dangerous, others get the opportunity to score. Taberner & Lobb don’t do that, Lobb more than Taberner though. Fyfe could be. Richmond became really good when Riewoldt became a smarter team player. That’s what I would be coaching our forwards in. Run for your team mate.
ScottD
Roar Guru
Yeah, he was definitely a target and could kick a goal . But he wasn't the guy to win you a game.
ScottD
Roar Guru
I agree. The top couple of goal scorers in any team must be +40 and preferable +50 each. Freo will miss Lobb but for all the reasons everyone knows about we need to do better than have our best goal kicker at 36 goals and the next best in the low 30's. 2023 needs to see Treacy, Amiss or Taverner establish themselves as a durable prospect on the paddock and deliver +50 goals with the smalls all chipping in 1.5 per game each. Over the year we need an extra 20 goals bagged as we are already one of the best defensive teams in the comp it is impossible to imagine us holding teams to 20 goals kess. If we can do that then we can take the next step to a GF and be a real chance to take out the big one. If we can't then we will be just another team in the top 8 albeit perhaps one of the better ones.
The Rocks
Roar Rookie
By seasons end. Luke Pedlar will be the #1 clearance player at the club and break Crows top 10!
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
He didn't. He's soft. Taberner makes us better. Amiss makes us better. Jackson makes us better. Fyfe makes us better. Lobb would not get a game at Freo with those guys back.
Luke
Guest
In sides like Geelonmg, he wouldnt be missed, but in a side like Freo, he will be missed. Only time will tell who is right on that one. Lobb wasnt going to win you premierships, but he definitely made you better
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Yea by playing a more attacking game style might leak a few more going the other way be interesting to watch!
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
36 goals for the leading goal scorer in a side is low. You could say that they spread the goals between players with Schultz 30, Frederick 29 and Walters 25 but I think it is more due to the Freemantle game style/ plan. 2023 could be interesting. The coach gave it a whirl and came up short. Will he roll the dice and look to score more?
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
You did need young Rory. I thought he did seem to be going through the motions at Freemantle this year. But he did kick a few at the end and kept the perpetually injury returning Taberner out of the side. I think he is well capable of more than 37 goals with a more scoring focused side. I think every coach has a cunning plan to knock the Cats off their walking frame. Should be a good year.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Only 33 players in the league averaged more goals per game - 3 of them were from Geelong, another 3 were from the Tigers and another 3 from the Hawks, so the other 15 teams had just 24 players above Lobb
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Yatt looking forward to our old fossil backline up against your effervescent old fossils. We have an atrocious record against the Mighty Cats at the tarmac but l feel very confident we can finally beat you in 23’. We can only hope at the Kennel we can finally lift our leg & mark our territory on your home turf. :stoked:
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
I am not sure if you replied to my response to Chanon on purpose. But all my figures were factual.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Great field kick & a wonderful defensive forward/back :thumbup:
Donal Wilson
Roar Rookie
That's a good point, I was thinking of him for Lions and Tom Mitchell for Collingwood. I thought I'd have players who didn't make top 10 regardless of club.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
You're getting a bit desperate; only able to mock and abuse instead of engaging in good fun pre-season banter. You display ignorance of other teams when you do that. Getting to Richmond 6 level here.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Any player that kicks 14 points a game is worth bottling :stoked: Fyfe is like a nice bottle of red if you store it long enough…… :shocked:
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Any team would miss a player kicking 1.8 goals per game. And 36 per season. Has Taberner, Banfield, Amiss, Fyffe kicked that many in their career? Always look on the bright side of life.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Nort only had 4 scoring shots a game? Fyfe has 8 (albeit 1.7)
Antony Pincombe
Roar Rookie
No Josh Dunkley at Lions?
Chanon
Roar Rookie
Think Nort had 84 scoring shots for 51 goals, JUH got 20 odd Darcy 9 Just the beginning for our Juggernaut forwards :stoked: