The shock Champion Data stat that questions Rozee's impact in 2024 and across career

Is Connor Rozee performing as well as many believe in 2024 and across his career?

That was the question on Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne’s mind after looking at how Rozee fares in their official player ratings.

While Rozee played injured across his last one-and-a-half games, Hoyne revealed that the Power skipper was only rated as the 129th-best player in the competition heading into Round 9.

On top of that, he’s never ranked higher than 70 despite being a two-time All-Australian and club best and fairest winner.

“Is Connor Rozee not performing as well as what we think and as well over his career as what many think?” Hoyne asked SEN Sportsday.

“Or are Port Adelaide not maximizing this asset in the positions that he needs to get the form that Port actually need?

“This year at the moment, and forget about his injuries and all that sort of stuff, we don't take into account the fact that he was off the ground for 40 minutes, it’s irrelevant.

“He's the 129th in the competition.

“These are his ratings across his career – 129th (in 2024), 70th last year, 144th in 2022, 97th in 2021, 180th in 2020 and 76 in 2019.”

Hoyne thinks that the biggest thing holding Rozee back in the ratings is his ball use, particularly as he has averaged at least 23 disposals since 2022.

Comparing Rozee to his teammate Zak Butters, Hoyne says that Butters far outranks him on the rating system.

“The ball use component, there's not enough coming in terms of what he does with ball in hand,” Hoyne said.

“You have a look at his partner in crime Zak Butters, his ratings are through the roof compared to what Connor Rozee has done.

“I just wonder whether or not this magnet is actually getting utilised or whether the system impacts the ability for him to truly impact matches as we see with (Isaac) Heeney, (Marcus) Bontempelli … (Christian) Petracca and all of the best players.”

While acknowledging Hoyne’s query, Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes defended Rozee who he thinks had his ratings earlier in his career affected by the role he played.

He also spoke on the accolades he’s achieved already at the age of just 24.

“He started as a half forward and then he got starved, they put him into the midfield and the results were pretty stunning,” Cornes responded.

“He's made the last two All-Australian teams. He's a best and fairest winner. He's 24 years of age.

“How long did it take Isaac Heeney? He’s 28, and Christian Petracca would be the same.

“He was really poor against Collingwood, then he was injured against the Saints after having 19 and a goal to sort of halfway through the third quarter … then last week he played injured.

“He kicked 21 goals last year and had 650 touches.”

After missing the win over Geelong, Rozee will hope to return for the Power host the Hawks at the Adelaide Oval next Sunday.