ADELAIDE goliath Sam Jacobs may have missed All Australian selection again, but no ruckman led more statistical categories in the 2017 home and away season.
The 29-year-old, who started his career on Carlton's rookie list, headed eight categories this year, including placing himself in the top 10 all-time in six of them.
Retired Greater Western Sydney big man Shane Mumford (three) and Hawk Ben McEvoy and Brisbane Lion Stefan Martin (two each) were the only other ruckmen to lead at least two.
Only Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin (nine) and fellow All Australian Sam Docherty (eight) bettered or matched Jacobs' effort.
Jacobs was at the top of total hit-outs, throw-in hit-outs, ball-up hit-outs, hit-outs to advantage, hit-outs sharked, ball-up hit-outs to advantage, throw-in hit-outs sharked and ball-up hit-outs sharked.
His 2017 campaign sealed his reputation as the competition's best tap ruckman, highlighted by him having 105 more hit-outs than anyone else in the home and away season.
The man known as 'Sauce' has averaged 30-plus hit-outs in six of his seven seasons at West Lakes and managed a career-high 39.84 this year.
Jacobs' 74 hit-outs in round eight against a Melbourne side without 2016 All Australian Max Gawn was only six short of North Melbourne ruckman Todd Goldstein's single-game record.
Goldstein set that mark against the Giants in his 2015 All Australian season.
Jacobs made the Virgin Australia AFL All Australian squad of 40 in 2012, 2014 and 2017, but Nic Naitanui, Aaron Sandilands and Paddy Ryder were adjudged the No.1 ruckman those years.
He was one of a galaxy of stars on this year's list of statistical standard-setters, but one name might not be so familiar outside of South Australia.
Sam Gray and new Crow Bryce Gibbs collected 35 uncontested gathers apiece to rank at the top of that area in 2017.
Gray, 25, had humble beginnings as a rookie-list player, but has become a more influential footballer in each of his seasons at Alberton Oval.
His move forward this year saw him record his maiden top-10 best and fairest finish and set career highs in games (23), goals (28), scoring shots (56, up from 12), uncontested possessions (287) and metres gained (329.8).
2017 stats leaders
| Player | Club | Stat | Count | First Recorded | Overall Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | HITOUT | 882 | 1999 | 4 |
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | THROW IN HITOUT | 372 | 1999 | 2 |
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | BALL UP HITOUT | 259 | 1999 | 2 |
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | HITOUT TO ADVANTAGE | 254 | 2002 | 7 |
| Daniel Talia | Adelaide | SPOIL | 186 | 2002 | 2 |
| Rory Sloane | Adelaide | TACKLE | 176 | 1999 | 4 |
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | HITOUT SHARKED | 158 | 2005 | 11 |
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | BU HITOUT TO ADVANTAGE | 80 | 2002 | 2 |
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | THROW IN HITOUT SHARKED | 65 | 2005 | 11 |
| Daniel Talia | Adelaide | SPOIL INEFFECTIVE | 59 | 2005 | 3 |
| Sam Jacobs | Adelaide | BALL UP HITOUT SHARKED | 46 | 2005 | 10 |
| Rory Laird | Adelaide | CRUMB | 44 | 2014 | 2 |
| Taylor Walker | Adelaide | GOAL ASSIST | 29 | 2003 | 5 |
| Matt Crouch | Adelaide | CENTRE BOUNCE HITOUT SHARK | 20 | 2005 | 15 |
| Rory Sloane | Adelaide | CONTESTED KNOCK ON | 16 | 2011 | 7 |
| Stefan Martin | Brisbane Lions | CENTRE BOUNCE HITOUT SHARKED | 49 | 2005 | 34 |
| Stefan Martin | Brisbane Lions | RUCK HARDBALL GET | 33 | 2002 | 20 |
| Sam Docherty | Carlton | KICK | 460 | 1999 | 2 |
| Sam Docherty | Carlton | EFFECTIVE KICK | 353 | 1999 | 1 |
| Sam Docherty | Carlton | SHORT KICK | 228 | 1999 | 1 |
| Sam Docherty | Carlton | MARK | 199 | 1999 | 10 |
| Sam Docherty | Carlton | UNCONTESTED MARK | 188 | 1999 | 1 |
| Sam Docherty | Carlton | UNCONTESTED MARK FROM TEAM | 156 | 1999 | 3 |
| Sam Docherty | Carlton | MARK PLAY ON | 87 | 2002 | 16 |
| Sam Docherty | Carlton | KICK BACKWARDS | 43 | 2005 | 1 |
| Bryce Gibbs | Carlton | UNCONTESTED GATHER | 35 | 1999 | 187 |
| Marc Murphy | Carlton | BAULK | 15 | 2011 | 4 |
| Jeremy Howe | Collingwood | CONTESTED MARK FROM OPP | 39 | 1999 | 3 |
| Jeremy Howe | Collingwood | KICK LONG ADVANTAGE | 24 | 2003 | 147 |
| Taylor Adams | Collingwood | BEHIND ASSIST | 20 | 2003 | 10 |
| Jeremy Howe | Collingwood | OUT ON FULL KICK IN | 17 | 2013 | 3 |
| Michael Hurley | Essendon | REBOUND 50 | 141 | 1999 | 4 |
| Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti | Essendon | RUNDOWN TACKLE | 13 | 2007 | 1 |
| Lachie Neale | Fremantle | MISSED TACKLES | 18 | 2011 | 1 |
| Cam McCarthy | Fremantle | MARK FUMBLED | 13 | 2016 | 1 |
| Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong | CONTESTED POSSESSION | 385 | 1999 | 1 |
| Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong | FIRST POSSESSION | 194 | 2001 | 10 |
| Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong | HARDBALL GET | 163 | 1999 | 4 |
| Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong | CLEARANCE | 162 | 1999 | 9 |
| Joel Selwood | Geelong | FREE FOR | 61 | 1999 | 4 |
| Patrick Dangerfield | Geelong | BALL UP CLEARANCE | 45 | 1999 | 5 |
| Mitch Duncan | Geelong | BALL UP HITOUT SHARK | 11 | 2005 | 26 |
| Tom J. Lynch | Gold Coast | ONE ON ONE CONTEST TARGET | 122 | 2012 | 7 |
| Adam Saad | Gold Coast | RUNNING BOUNCE | 93 | 1999 | 12 |
| Peter Wright | Gold Coast | KNOCK ON | 19 | 1999 | 71 |
| Shane Mumford | GWS Giants | HITOUT TO ADVANTAGE | 254 | 2002 | 7 |
| Nathan Wilson | GWS Giants | LONG KICK | 143 | 1999 | 89 |
| Shane Mumford | GWS Giants | TI HITOUT TO ADVANTAGE | 112 | 2002 | 4 |
| Callan Ward | GWS Giants | THROW IN CLEARANCE | 58 | 1999 | 21 |
| Shane Mumford | GWS Giants | FREE AGAINST | 56 | 1999 | 2 |
| Callan Ward | GWS Giants | HITOUT SHARK | 42 | 2005 | 16 |
| Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn | DISPOSAL | 787 | 1999 | 1 |
| Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn | EFFECTIVE DISPOSAL | 573 | 1999 | 1 |
| Ben McEvoy | Hawthorn | CENTRE BOUNCE HITOUT | 275 | 1999 | 15 |
| Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn | GATHER | 101 | 1999 | 8 |
| Ben McEvoy | Hawthorn | CB HITOUT TO ADVANTAGE | 95 | 2002 | 8 |
| Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn | INEFFECTIVE HANDBALL | 77 | 2001 | 6 |
| Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn | BALL UP FIRST POSSESSION | 53 | 2001 | 8 |
| Tom Mitchell | Hawthorn | CLANGER HANDBALL | 32 | 1999 | 2 |
| Clayton Oliver | Melbourne | HANDBALL | 482 | 1999 | 1 |
| Clayton Oliver | Melbourne | EFFECTIVE HANDBALL | 385 | 1999 | 1 |
| Clayton Oliver | Melbourne | GROUND BALL GET | 276 | 1999 | 1 |
| Clayton Oliver | Melbourne | LOOSEBALL GET | 132 | 1999 | 11 |
| Clayton Oliver | Melbourne | INEFFECTIVE HANDBALL | 77 | 2001 | 6 |
| Clayton Oliver | Melbourne | THROW IN FIRST POSSESSION | 76 | 2001 | 12 |
| Ben Brown | North Melbourne | INSIDE 50 TARGET | 288 | 2002 | 4 |
| Ben Cunnington | North Melbourne | GATHER FROM HITOUT | 84 | 2002 | 9 |
| Charlie Dixon | Port Adelaide | CONTESTED MARK | 56 | 1999 | 20 |
| Charlie Dixon | Port Adelaide | CONTESTED MARK FROM TEAM | 56 | 1999 | 10 |
| Robbie Gray | Port Adelaide | SCORE ASSIST | 41 | 2003 | 16 |
| Sam Gray | Port Adelaide | UNCONTESTED GATHER | 35 | 1999 | 187 |
| Robbie Gray | Port Adelaide | GOAL ASSIST | 29 | 2003 | 5 |
| Brad Ebert | Port Adelaide | THROW IN HITOUT SHARK | 17 | 2005 | 12 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | INEFFECTIVE KICK | 150 | 1999 | 1 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | INSIDE 50 | 137 | 1999 | 5 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | KICK INSIDE 50 | 122 | 2002 | 4 |
| Alex Rance | Richmond | ONE ON ONE CONTEST DEFENDER | 118 | 2012 | 3 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | CENTRE BOUNCE FIRST POSSESSION | 92 | 2001 | 3 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | CENTRE BOUNCE CLEARANCE | 79 | 1999 | 4 |
| Alex Rance | Richmond | SPOIL GAINING POSSESSION | 71 | 2005 | 3 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | BROKEN TACKLE | 68 | 2011 | 1 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | CLANGER KICK | 61 | 1999 | 1 |
| Alex Rance | Richmond | UNCONTESTED MARK FROM OPP | 49 | 1999 | 1 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | GROUND KICK | 48 | 1999 | 1 |
| Dustin Martin | Richmond | INEFFECTIVE GROUND KICK | 32 | 2013 | 1 |
| Dion Prestia | Richmond | SMOTHER | 27 | 2002 | 2 |
| Jake Carlisle | St Kilda | OUT ON FULL KICK IN | 17 | 2013 | 3 |
| Lance Franklin | Sydney | SHOT AT GOAL | 139 | 1999 | 8 |
| Lance Franklin | Sydney | GOAL | 69 | 1999 | 31 |
| Lance Franklin | Sydney | MARK ON LEAD | 69 | 2005 | 23 |
| Lance Franklin | Sydney | BEHIND | 56 | 1999 | 3 |
| Andrew Gaff | West Coast | UNCONTESTED POSSESSION | 502 | 1999 | 1 |
| Andrew Gaff | West Coast | RECEIVE HANDBALL | 358 | 1999 | 2 |
| Shannon Hurn | West Coast | KICK IN | 158 | 1999 | 27 |
| Jeremy McGovern | West Coast | MARK FROM OPP KICK | 75 | 1999 | 1 |
| Dale Morris | Western Bulldogs | BLOCK | 22 | 1999 | 182 |
Want more stats stories?
- Stats glossary: Every stat explained
- Stats kings: Players who hit new heights in 2017
- All-time season stats record-holders
