Sometimes, I think the AFL and Champion Data get things wrong.
No, scratch that.
Quite often, I think the AFL and Champion Data get things wrong.
As such, when I look at their official player ratings for a specific position, I often find myself screwing my nose up at it.
Take, for instance, the rankings of key position defenders up until the end of Round Three. Do you know who sits atop these rankings?
Mark Blicavs.
You read that correctly – according to the official provider of statistical information to the AFL, Mark Blicavs is the number one key defender in the business this season.
Have you ever heard the story where John Lennon was asked whether Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world, and he responded with “He’s not even the best drummer in The Beatles”?
Well, that Lennon uttered that line has been debunked over the years, but it rings true to this player rating. Blicavs has been nowhere near the best defender at Geelong in 2025, with both Jack Henry and Connor O’Sullivan taking on the heavy lifting, let alone the best in the league. Hell, he has barely played the drums… errr, I mean “key defence”.
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