AFL
5 months ago
The 10 best and worst kicks inside 50 in the AFL in 2024, according to Champion Data
By Nic Negrepontis
Who are the best kicks inside 50 in the AFL this season?
… and who are the worst?
Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne has revealed the top 10 in both categories, with a few star midfielders clearly needing to improve their disposal going forward.
“This is based on the degree of difficulty of the kick that you’re trying to pull off and how far above or below you actually pull it off,” Hoyne told SEN’s Sportsday.
The 10 best kicks inside 50
1. Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs)
Hoyne: “Ed Richards is the best kick inside 50 and there’s a significant gap between the top two and everyone else.”
2. Dan Houston (Port Adelaide)
Hoyne: “I’m interested to see what he could do as a midfielder (given how good a kick he is). Get him up the ground and get him involved and let him have four or five of these kicks.”
Kane Cornes: “He has done it and there was always fights at Port Adelaide because the midfield coach wants him, the backline coach wants him, but they’ve got the three star midfielders plus Ollie Wines and Willem Drew, they probably need him at half-back.”
3. Toby Greene (GWS)
4. Nic Martin (Essendon)
5. Brad Hill (St Kilda)
6. James Worpel (Hawthorn)
7. Hayden Young (Fremantle)
8. Elliot Yeo (West Coast)
9. Liam Duggan (West Coast)
10. Cam Rayner (Brisbane)
The 10 worst kicks inside 50
1. Matt Kennedy (Carlton)
2. Caleb Serong (Fremantle)
Hoyne: “His ball-winning ability is up there with the best in the competition and his field kicking is okay, it’s just any time he gets forward of centre it’s a bit of an issue.”
3. Noah Anderson (Gold Coast)
Hoyne: “I couldn’t help but watch it on the weekend. He had two kicks inside 50 with no pressure around him and just completely shanked them.”
4. Jack Crisp (Collingwood)
5. Sam Walsh (Carlton)
Cornes: “It’s been an issue for him for a while.”
6. Jordan Dawson (Adelaide)
Hoyne: “This one is a huge surprise.”
7. Matt Rowell (Gold Coast)
8. Jack Viney (Melbourne)
9. Jye Caldwell (Essendon)
10. Darcy Wilmot (Brisbane)
The five players who generate the easiest kicks inside 50
Hoyne: “This is an absolute compliment. Not trying to pull off miracles, they’re good footballers because they make the easy and right decisions as opposed to trying to take on too much or pull off a kick inside 50 that is unrealistic.”
1. Gryan Miers (Geelong)
Hoyne: “Miers takes the easiest option of any player in the competition.”
2. Jason Horne-Francis (Port Adelaide)
3. Zak Butters (Port Adelaide)
4. Harry Sheezel (North Melbourne)
5. Toby Greene (GWS Giants)
