ON THE weekend we witnessed three of the competition’s top midfielders at their very finest.
At Etihad Stadium on Friday night, Luke Hodge racked up 33 disposals, 19 of them contested, and seven centre clearances to once again be the Hawks’ best player in their draw with St Kilda.
The following day, Gary Ablett was back to his best, amassing 26 possessions and kicking five goals against the Lions at Skilled Stadium.
Up the road at the MCG, Dane Swan was once again getting plenty of it for Collingwood - 37 possessions, including 16 contested - against the Tigers.
While Hodge and Ablett are consistently and rightfully lauded as superstars of the game, many still seem undecided about Swan.
Is he a prolific ball winner but perhaps not a match winner the way the other two are? Or is he not getting the credit he deserves?
On 2010 form, Swan rates right up with Ablett and Hodge in almost every statistical category - and ahead in several.
Here’s a comparison of the three players:
Per game average - 2010 season
| Statistic | Swan | Ablett | Hodge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disposals | 32.1 | 31.9 | 26.9 |
| Kicks | 18.7 | 13.9 | 16.1 |
| Handballs | 13.4 | 18.1 | 10.8 |
| Disposal Eff (%) | 72.7 | 73.6 | 71.2 |
| Clearances | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5 |
| Goals | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.7 |
| Assists | 1.2 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
| Score Involvements | 8.8 | 9.1 | 6.1 |
| Metres Gained | 546 | 411 | 456 |
| Contested Possessions | 10.2 | 11.7 | 10.5 |
| Inside 50s | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.6 |
| Tackles | 4.8 | 4.4 | 5.6 |
| One per centers | 1.4 | 1 | 3.2 |
| Game time (%) | 79 | 90 | 85 |
Swan’s effectiveness is best captured in two areas:
- Metres Gained
This stat measures how far a player runs with the ball, plus the distance his disposals travel. The only player in the league driving the ball further forward for his team is the Bulldogs’ Ryan Griffen. - Score Involvements
Swan has a great knack of helping his teammates kick goals. He has been involved in 150 chains of play that have led to a score this year - second in total score involvements behind only Paul Chapman.
Finally, the Magpie onballer is also super consistent. In his 17 games this year, he’s racked up more than 30 possessions 12 times, including every one of the last seven games.
Perhaps he lacks that intangible X-factor - Ablett’s magical elusiveness or Hodge’s seeming ability to lift his teammates and drag them along with him - but statistically speaking it’s hard to argue that Swan isn’t every bit as valuable.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
