You guys think I just sit around for the first four or so weeks of the season, doing very little, don’t ya?
You check in on The Mongrel and what’s going on, and you see me dabbling in this and that, but in the background, I am working away on things that only tend to come to fruition a little later in the piece.
And that’s where we are today – the piece!
You see, I am a footy nerd. An absolute geek, and every week, I watch and assess the impact players have on a game. Every game. Wingman of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Young Defender of the Year, I have a heap of stuff I keep track of, but until we have at least four games as a sample size, it is not worth running with.
Now… it’s worth running with.
One of the things I track pretty religiously is the form of recruits. Not rookies, but those who have switched clubs during the season. And as I go, I compile these into a ranking, imaginatively called “Recruit of the Year”.
Creativity at its best, right there.
How does it work?
Well, it’s simply, really… much like me.
Each week, players are assessed a score out of ten for their performance. This ensures we are rewarding consistency as much as we are big one-off games. A player scoring four consistent 7/10 games will be ahead of the one that has two massive weeks, and scores 8.5 in both, then disappears for a couple of weeks and returns three and fours. I like it – it works for me.
I suppose the only downfall is that if a player is going particularly well, and then cops an injury or suspension, the pack catches him very quickly.
As Ned Kelly, and more famously, Ben Cousins said… such is life.
Previous winners of The Mongrel’s Recruit of the Year as follows.
2022 – Will Brodie
2023 – Tim Taranto
2024 – Brodie Grundy
2025 – Bailey Smith
Let’s jump into the leaderboard, and a bit of analysis after four rounds of the 2026 season.
In future, previous positions will be listed in parentheses
TOP TEN AFTER ROUND FOUR
29.5 – CLAYTON OLIVER (GWS)
29.0 – JACK STEELE (MELBOURNE)
27.5 – CONNOR BUDARICK (WESTERN BULLDOGS, JACK SILVAGNI (ST KILDA)
27.0 – JAI SERONG (SYDNEY)
26.5 – SAM FLANDERS (ST KILDA)
24.5 – CHRISTIAN PETRACCA (GOLD COAST)
24.0 – TOM DE KONING (ST KILDA)
23.0 – LIAM RYAN (ST KILDA)
22.0 – BRODY MIHOCEK (MELBOURNE)
ANALYSIS
So, what’s the surprise to you?
I have two, really. The position of Connor Budarick is one I don’t think many would have seen coming, but his efforts at the Dogs probably reflect how good they’ve been as a unit. He has been working brilliantly both as that small defender, replacing Taylor Duryea, and as the sweeper, feeding off the work of the big improver, Buku Khamis, Rory Lobb, and James O’Donnell.
Budarick’s time at Gold Coast was a mix of injury and frustration, and maybe a fresh start was exactly what was needed to give him the chance to shine. He chose very well with the Dogs, and has hit like a hand in a glove.
The other bigger surprise, for some at least, is the role of Jai Serong in Sydney.
Coming from a Hawthorn system where he struggled to get a run, Sarong has surprised many with the role he has played. In talking to Swans supporters in the pre-season, their expectation was largely that Serong was going to slot into their back six and hold down a supporting role to Tom McCartin. However, those who know the Hawks, and who have watched him at Box Hill, knew that Serong was capable of finding the footy. You don’t win back-to-back best and fairests at VFL level without plenty to offer.
The Swans deployed Serong onto the wing, and he has worked wonders for them. Make sure to check out our Robbie Flower Wingman of the Year posts next week to check out how he is travelling compared to is peers.
Christian Petracca’s injury likely prevents him from early contention, which is a shame. His start to the season was electrifying, with two of the highest-rated games of his career, back-to-back, before overextending and damaging his hamstring. He is still listed as being a week or so away, which will likely see him fall out of the top ten by the next time we publish.
The big talk of the offseason was the St Kilda spending spree, and all four of their acquisitions find themselves listed in the top ten.
Is that good enough?
Hmmm, if the club was winning, I’d say so, but with a losing record at this stage, many are having fun questioning the Saints’ strategy.
Not me. I understand that players take time to adjust to a new system, a new coach, and new teammates. De Koning has not dominated, as many thought he would with the new ruck rules (never assume anything about how a new rule will impact players – they always adjust), whilst Sam Flanders has reverted more to a half-back role, rather than the midfield minutes he craved at Gold Coast.
That said, Silvagni has been very solid, and Liam Ryan is rounding into form. It may not be this season, but this last trade period for the Saints will pay some pretty significant dividends – I am sure of it. For now, four in the top ten is a decent return… but it could be better.
What about so-and-so?
That’s what you’re wondering, isn’t it? Where is the player from your club you thought was going okay?
Lemme help you out, comrade.
Charlie Curnow sits in 14th. He has not yet set the world on fire at Sydney, but there is that period of adjustment I am allowing him.
Oscar Allen is at 17th, Sam Draper is 20th, whilst the Carlton duo of Florent and Hayward are 11th and 15th, respectively. Oh, and Ainsworth is at 18th. Collectively, that is a much more disappointing result than the St Kilda quartet, isn’t it?
But nobody is talking about it.
Finally, Jack Steele and Clayton Oliver – the top two who played musical midfield positions prior to the start of the season, have both busted a gut for their respective clubs. Outside Gawn and Pickett, Steele might be the Dees’ most consistent performer in the early going, whilst Oliver has made life without Tom Green a little more bearable.
Who is your pick to be recruit of the year, keeping in mind that consistency is the key over flashes of brilliance?
There we go. Agree or disagree with the rankings? I’m all ears. Not that I have big ears – I like to think they are proportionate to the rest of my head. Maybe my head is big, too?
As always, massive thanks to those who support this work. You can see the amount of care that goes into it. I love footy, I love writing about it, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Without you, this whole thing falls over. Sincerely… thank you – HB
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