Best of the best: The AFL all-time records that will blow your mind
Check out who's leading the way in every major statistical individual and team category since 2000
Adelaide's Rory Laird tackles Collingwood's Patrick Lipinski in the round 18 match at the Adelaide Oval on July 16, 202. Picture: AFL Photos
RORY Laird's incredible 20-tackle performance at the weekend set a new benchmark for AFL players to chase.
Laird's remarkable effort in Saturday's loss against Collingwood surpassed Jack Ziebell's previous record of 19 set in 2016.
It got us thinking about which of the other individual and team records might be attainable in the near future.
>>SEE ALL THE KEY TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL RECORD-HOLDERS BELOW
Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell set the standard for most disposals in 2018 when he famously ran around without a tagger to gather the ball 54 times against Collingwood.
Hard-nosed Kangaroo Ben Cunnington still has the mark for contested possessions (32), while Joel Bowden's mark of 41 uncontested possessions in 2009 will take some beating.
Ben Cunnington attempts to shrug off Toby Nankervis in the R8 clash between North Melbourne and Richmond on May 13, 2018. Picture: Getty Images
Intercepting defenders have become crucial in recent years, but the record for most intercept possessions is now a decade old, with another former Kangaroo, Scott Thompson, doing so 24 times.
At the other end of the ground, Steve Johnson had a field day in Geelong's record-breaking 186-point win over Melbourne in 2011.
Johnson assisted an incredible 10 goals that Saturday afternoon at GMHBA Stadium – three more than any other player in history – and had 26 score involvements, three more than Brad Johnson's effort from five years earlier.
Steve Johnson in action during the R19 clash between Geelong and Melbourne on July 30, 2011. Picture: AFL Photos
On a team front, St Kilda set a record of 520 disposals in winning against a Fremantle team that rested 11 of its players ahead of the finals in the last round of the 2013 home and away season.
Jack Steven and Leigh Montagna finished with 47 touches apiece.
Check out the tables below to see the rest of the records that players and teams could chase.
*all stats are from 1999 onwards, courtesy Champion Data
Individual records
Disposals
Year
Player
Record
2018
Tom Mitchell
54
2012
Gary Ablett
53
2011
Scott Thompson
51
2019
Lachie Neale
51
Tom Mitchell kicks the ball during the R1 clash between Hawthorn and Collingwood on March 24, 2018. Picture: AFL Photos
Marks
Year
Player
Record
2007
Brian Lake
24
2008
Joel Bowden
23
2006
Nathan Bassett
22
2010
Brian Lake
22
Contested Possessions
Year
Player
Record
2018
Ben Cunnington
32
2014
Josh P. Kennedy
29
2015
Patrick Dangerfield
29
Uncontested Possessions
Year
Player
Record
2009
Joel Bowden
41
2013
Leight Montagna
40
2008
Andrew Carrazzo
39
Joel Bowden celebrates a goal during the R5 clash between Richmond and North Melbourne on April 25, 2009. Picture: AFL Photos
Clearances
Year
Player
Record
2011
Brent Moloney
19
2019
Patrick Cripps
19
2005
Sam Mitchell
18
2008
Shaun Burgoyne
18
2017
Gary Ablett
18
Hitouts-to-Advantage
Year
Player
Record
2015
Todd Goldstein
27
2018
Aaron Sandilands
26
2016
Max Gawn
25
Free Kicks For
Year
Player
Record
2018
Stefan Martin
9
2018
Lachie Neale
8
2022
Tim English
8
Free Kicks Against
Year
Player
Record
2019
Shane Mumford
9
2013
Shane Edwards
8
2014
Brodie Grundy
8
2016
Toby Greene
8
2016
David Armitage
8
2019
Shane Mumford
8
Shane Mumford competes with Callum Sinclair in the R6 clash between GWS and Sydney on April 27, 2019. Picture: AFL Photos
Metres Gained
Year
Player
Record
2022
Aaron Hall
1173
2009
Joel Bowden
1153
2016
Heath Shaw
1094
Score Involvements
Year
Player
Record
2011
Steve Johnson
26
2006
Brad Johnson
23
2015
Jarryd Roughead
21
Intercept Marks
Year
Player
Record
2002
Jade Rawlings
10
2016
Daniel Talia
10
2018
Liam Jones
10
2018
Steven May
10
2021
Tom Stewart
10
2021
Aliir Aliir
10
Intercept Possessions
Year
Player
Record
2012
Scott D. Thompson
24
2016
Jeremy McGovern
21
2004
Martin Pike
20
2018
Tom Langdon
20
Goal Assists
Year
Player
Record
2011
Steve Johnson
10
2007
Jonathan Brown
7
2010
Travis Varcoe
7
2011
Chris Judd
7
Team records
Highest Scores
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2011
Geelong
Melbourne
233
2007
Geelong
Richmond
222
2000
Essendon
North Melbourne
198
The scoreboard after the clash between Geelong and Melbourne in R19, 2011. Picture: AFL Photos
Biggest Win
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2011
Geelong
Melbourne
186
2011
Hawthorn
Port Adelaide
165
2012
Hawthorn
GWS
162
Total Disposals
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2013
St. Kilda
Fremantle
520
2019
North Melbourne
Port Adelaide
514
2011
Geelong
Melbourne
510
Total Marks
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2006
Richmond
Adelaide Crows
181
2011
Hawthorn
Western Bulldogs
180
2008
Richmond
Hawthorn
179
Inside 50s
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2018
Melbourne
Gold Coast
83
2012
North Melbourne
GWS Giants
83
2017
Adelaide
Port Adelaide
81
2022
Gold Coast Suns
North Melbourne
81
Angus Brayshaw runs with the ball in the R20 clash between Melbourne and Gold Coast on August 5, 2018. Picture: AFL Photos
Clearance Diff.
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2018
St. Kilda
Gold Coast Suns
+33
2011
Gold Coast
Brisbane Lions
+30
2012
Collingwood
Gold Coast Suns
+30
2009
St. Kilda
Brisbane Lions
+30
Contested Possession Diff.
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2017
Gold Coast Suns
Hawthorn
+62
2013
Geelong Cats
Fremantle
+62
2007
Adelaide Crows
Brisbane Lions
+60
Uncontested Possession Diff.
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2013
St Kilda
Fremantle
+213
2008
Geelong Cats
West Coast Eagles
+196
2009
Geelong Cats
Brisbane Lions
+188
Free Kicks For
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2022
Fremantle
GWS Giants
42
2013
North Melbourne
Port Adelaide
38
2008
Sydney Swans
Port Adelaide
37
Fremantle players celebrate a goal during the R4 clash against GWS on April 9, 2022. Picture: Getty Images
Free Kick Diff.
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2022
Fremantle
GWS Giants
+26
2013
North Melbourne
Port Adelaide
+23
2012
West Coast Eagles
Melbourne
+20
Total Tackles
Year
Team
Opponent
Record
2016
Sydney Swans
Melbourne
155
2010
Richmond
Port Adelaide
142
2016
Sydney Swans
Gold Coast Suns
135
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