NORTH Melbourne skipper Andrew Swallow and his Richmond counterpart Trent Cotchin will be out to halt their slide down the Official AFL Player Ratings table when the Kangaroos and the Tigers do battle at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Swallow has been as high as 14th in the past, but after a quiet first half of the season he has dropped to 43rd position.

The 26-year-old is averaging 24.7 possessions a game this year, down from 25.8 last year.

Cotchin hasn't suffered such a big fall, but his recent performances have not been good enough to keep him in the top 20.

Having started the season rated 17th, he fell to 21st after the Tigers' victory over St Kilda last weekend.

Cotchin has averaged 25.4 touches a game this year, which is down on his output of 27.6 a game in 2012.

Gold Coast key defender Rory Thompson is heading in the other direction.

Having started the season at 436 on the player ratings table, he has climbed to 248.

In fact, he has won the fourth-most points of all key defenders in the competition so far in 2013.

Thompson is likely to be given the big job on Brisbane Lions captain Jonathan Brown in Saturday night's QClash at the Gabba.

Another player on the way up is Port Adelaide's Matthew Broadbent, who has thrived since being moved to the backline by Ken Hinkley.

Broadbent was 129 on the ratings ladder when the Power had their bye, but after a couple of good performances he is up to 107.

He is one of nine Port players to have jumped by 20 or more places in the past three weeks.

Broadbent will need to be at his dashing best this weekend if Port is to upset Essendon at Etihad Stadium in the Sunday twilight game.