How did that get there? The surprising names near the top of key AFL stat leaderboards

Have you ever looked at something and wondered - ‘How did that get there?’.

Well, that’s what we feel when checking out some of the stats categories around the AFL.

Taking away nothing from the players involved, this just highlights some of the surprising names currently in the top 10 on various stat charts and how it compares to their previous ranking.

See the surprise stats men below:

GOALS

Eq.4th - Jake Waterman (West Coast) - 44
6th - Josh Treacy (Fremantle) - 42

The rise of Jake Waterman in 2024 has been unexpected.

Form and illness have held him back over the course of his career but he has had a good run of it this season and has delivered for the Eagles with 44 goals.

Waterman’s season best prior was 18 in 2022. He has kicked 35 per cent of his career goals this season alone.

Another key forward in the west who has stepped up this year is Fremantle’s Josh Treacy.

The 21-year-old had battled for continuity prior to 2024 but has more than doubled his career goal tally from 29 to 72 in 19 games this year.

‘The Big Cohuna’ was rewarded with a four-year extension on Thursday, keeping him in Freo colours until 2030.

DISPOSALS

5th - Sam Flanders (Gold Coast) - 576

Gold Coast’s Sam Flanders has gone to the next level in season 2024.

Last year he tallied 339 disposals in 14 games which was a solid effort, but only had him ranked 47th in the league.

Now he sits fifth with an average of 32 which is only bettered by Adam Treloar’s 32.3. Flanders has accumulated 46 per cent of his career touches in 2024.

MARKS

2nd - Dayne Zorko (Brisbane) - 160

Brisbane veteran Dayne Zorko has already taken 160 marks this season so far, eclipsing his previous best of 127.

The 175cm Zorko has taken more marks than all but one player (Luke Ryan - 162) in 2024 and ranks inside the top 35 for the first time in his career.

Of Zorko’s marks haul this campaign, only two have been contested.

Last year he ranked 74th in the AFL with 118 marks.

TACKLES

2nd - Tristan Xerri (North Melbourne) - 142

North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri finds himself second on the tackle table after 20 rounds.

The physical 201cm Roos big man has been a colossus around the contest this year led by his attack on both the ball and the opposition.

No ruckman has finished the season inside the top 20 for tackles since Brodie Grundy at Collingwood in 2018.

Only Matt Rowell (153) has more tackles in 2024.

CLEARANCES

9th - Tristan Xerri (North Melbourne) - 121

Another surprise category for North’s Xerri.

Before this season he had just 67 clearances to his name from 33 games.

He has near doubled that in 19 outings in 2024 and sits just one clearance behind teammate Luke Davies-Uniacke.

It’s not all that often you see a ruckman in the top 10 for clearances.

(Xerri also ranks 10th for contested possessions).

CENTRE CLEARANCES

9th - Hayden Young (Fremantle) - 47

We knew that Hayden Young was a good player, but we didn’t think he’d become a jet midfielder so quickly.

He sits ninth on the centre clearances chart with 47. It’s a list that is usually reserved for the best of the best.

Young had just nine centre clearances last season and is now ascending into a bona fide midfield star.

Overall he’s had 92 clearances this year as opposed to 61 in his first 57 games due to his previously primary role as a half-back flanker.

MARKS INSIDE 50

1st - Jesse Hogan (GWS) - 75

The fact Jesse Hogan is top is not at all a surprise.

The surprise element is the fact he is currently 23 marks inside 50 clear of second-placed Ben King. He’s even had 24 more than Charlie Curnow.

Hogan has put together a superb season and much of it has been due to his aerial prowess inside attacking 50.

Jake Waterman being fifth on 50, after 11 last year, and Josh Treacy being eighth on 47, after 16 last year, also raises the eyebrows.

TACKLES INSIDE 50

Eq.2nd - Mabior Chol (Hawthorn) - 30

‘The Chols Royce’ has added some bite to his game while in Hawthorn colours.

Sublimely talented with beautiful hands and a lovely set shot for goal, the knock on Mabior Chol has generally been about his work rate.

But he is changing that shortcoming before our very eyes highlighted by his 30 tackles inside forward 50. Chol laid 12 inside 50 tackles in 30 games for Gold Coast and 13 in 31 games for Richmond.

He has beaten that combined total in just 17 outings for the Hawks.

SPOILS

5th - Ben Miller (Richmond) - 126

Ben Miller was thrown around in his 25 games prior to the 2024 season.

He has now found himself a niche in key defence and has done a pretty good job for the struggling Tigers.

The 24-year-old’s 126 spoils ranks equal fifth in the AFL narrowly behind Tom Barrass and ahead of Jack Buckley.

Miller has been involved in 64 contested defensive one on ones and lost only 10. Only Harris Andrews and Sam Collins have won more one on ones this season.

He ranked equal 109th with 39 spoils last year.