The 2025 Defensive Player of the Finals is something I’ve been mulling over for a couple of years.
Yes, yes, it takes me a while to get going, I know.
I gave it a test run in the background last season to ensure I had the formula correct, and following a win by Harris Andrews in the practice run (which will now become official), the big fella has backed up and done it all again in 2025.
As a matter of fact, the Chief of the Brisbane defence was so dominant that nobody could hold a candle to him this year. It was a whitewash.
Here’s a little tidbit to whet your appetite.
In his four finals, Andrews averaged 9.75 intercepts. The leader for the home and away season was Sam Taylor, who sat right at 8.4 per game.
So, not only was the Brisbane Co-Captain great during the finals, but when the pressure was at its highest, he was at his best, building on his excellent season (he was the Mongrel Punt Defensive Player of the Year for a second time) and elevating his intercept game by +2.15 per game.
Only the absolute best get better in finals, and Harris Andrews fits that bill.
Let’s run down the top ten defenders of the finals, according to our formula.
1 – HARRIS ANDREWS – 381 POINTS
2 – DAYNE ZORKO – 242
3 – DARCY MOORE – 196
4 – JOSH WORRELL – 176
5 – BLAKE HARDWICK – 164
6 – SAM COLLINS – 148
7 – KARL AMON – 146
8 – DARCY GARDINER – 142
9 – TOM STEWART – 132
10 – DARCY WILMOT – 130
Interesting to see Worrell slot in as fourth place, given his team played only two games. Ditto for Darcy Moore at three. Worrell was huge for the Crows in both games, whereas Moore rode his monster Qualifying Final win over the Crows to a big score, including a perfect score from the coaches (which is factored in).
The Lions, by virtue of playing four finals, have four of the top ten in the mix, with Darcy Gardiner making a late charge up the leaderboard.
However, the thunder-and-lightning duo of Harris Andrews and Dayne Zorko once again combined brilliantly, each offering the Lions something completely different. Andrews was a tower of strength, closing down Shannon Neale close to flawlessly, on two occasions, whilst his work on Mason Cox in the Preliminary Final, and his close down of Ben King against the Suns, were game changers.
Meanwhile, Zorko continued to do exactly what separates him from so many other half-back accumulators in the league. Not only was he able to pick up a mammoth average of 728 metres gained, but he also continually bit off the tough kicks through and over traffic to break the defence down. This aspect of Zorko’s game is far too often overlooked by “experts” who get sucked in by fancier stats, but his willingness to take the responsibility on in huge games and moments, should be commended.
In the end, however, it was the aerial dominance of Harris Andrews that we honour. For the second year in a row, he saved his best for September, and I am proud to name him the 2025 Mongrel Punt Defensive Player of the Finals.
Shall we make it three on the trot next season?
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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