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          The Six Points: The much needed Brownlow Medal change; 10 best players (so far)

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          • Jake Michaels, ESPN Senior WriterApr 16, 2024, 09:50 PM
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              Jake Michaels is a Melbourne-based sports writer who covers everything from Aussie Rules to Formula One, basketball to boxing. He has been with ESPN for 10 years and works as a Senior Writer, covering sport in Australia and around the world.
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          Each week of the 2024 AFL season, ESPN.com.au's Jake Michaels looks at six talking points.

          This week's Six Points features the Brownlow Medal and Hall of Fame changes we need to see, why Ryley Sanders' reaction to getting subbed was actually good to see, and the best players of the year so far (including some surprise names).

          1. The AFL needs to make a major adjustment to the Brownlow Medal

          Port Adelaide star Zak Butters simply had to be suspended for his reckless hit on Docker Bailey Banfield. Why? Because that's exactly what it was: reckless. It was also dangerous, with absolutely no care shown for Banfield's well-being.

          Instead, the incident was dismissed by the MRO. I'm convinced that if any other player on Port Adelaide's list -- okay, maybe not Connor Rozee -- had landed that hit, they would not be playing this week.

          So why is that? The AFL does not want the situation to arise where the highest vote-getter on Brownlow Medal night cannot win the award. As currently constituted, the Brownlow is awarded to the league's best and fairest, meaning any suspension during the season makes a player ineligible for the accolade.

          READ: ESPN's Brownlow Medal predictor

          Sure, such a situation would be far from ideal, but in terms of optics, it's not on the same stratosphere as when these star players escape what should be just suspensions.

          But there's an easy solution: remove the 'fairest' element to the award.

          Why not just make the Brownlow Medal an award for the best player in the competition. Period. If you're good enough to win it despite missing games through suspension, then kudos to you. In fact, you could argue you deserve it even more.

          Change is desperately needed because right now the AFL, who preaches player wellbeing, has been made to look ultra hypocritical by failing to suspend its best players and make an example out of them.

          2. The 10 best players of the year ... so far

          All of the early Brownlow Medal discussion has been centered around star Swan Isaac Heeney -- and rightly so -- but who else has started season 2024 brightly?

          With the help of Champion Data, I've dug into the numbers and can reveal the top 10 performers from Opening Round up until this past weekend. Here are the best players, thus far, by Rating Points:

          No prizes for guessing Heeney leading the way. In fact, most of these names likely won't be too surprising to the avid footy follower. But there are a couple that stand out from the pack: Willem Drew and James Worpel. Drew continues to be an integral yet underrated part of Port Adelaide's dominant midfield, while Worpel has enjoyed a career-best start to the year in Hawthorn's young midfield, even taking into consideration his down game this past weekend against the Suns.

          Not only do Drew and Worpel make this list, they also feature in the top 10 of Champion Data's best 100x performers of the year to date. This metric essentially ranks every player, in position and against the competition average, for every 100 minutes played.

          Once again, Heeney leads the way. But, interestingly, only he, along with Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli, Drew, and Worpel make both top 10 lists.

          3. The Blues should only play one fulltime ruck moving forward

          One of the big debates surrounding Carlton at the minute is whether the club should be playing two fulltime rucks or relying on one with the odd chop out from Harry McKay.

          And while the numbers suggest the Blues are indeed better off with two in the side (see below), likely a Tom De Koning-Marc Pittonet combination, my eyes aren't as convinced.

          Moving forward, the Blues should sit Pittonet -- I don't care that the club gave him a four-year contract extension only last season -- and let De Koning assume the primary ruck responsibilities. De Koning's already a better player than Pittonet and, at 24 years of age, clearly has far more upside. The Blues can then lean on the more than capable McKay to provide relief ruck support when required.

          There's several reasons as to why I'm leaning this way. Firstly, playing the one ruck means Carlton has greater flexibility around the ground with match-ups and positioning. Secondly, it offers far more speed on the ball, something that at times has been lacking in the Blues' often one-paced midfield. And thirdly, De Koning can't play as a forward. Not only is he wasted when pushed there due to having two rucks in the team, it actually stunts the production of McKay and Charlie Curnow.

          If the Blues persist with both it's only going to hurting De Koning's development. Think back to the Max Gawn-Brodie Grundy debate from last season. As great as Gawn is, even he struggled to share the load in the ruck and had his worst season in years.

          4. Rowan Marshall just had a Gary Ablett Jr-esque game

          Speaking of rucks... My BIG pre-season call on the ESPN Footy Podcast was that St Kilda's Rowan Marshall would end the year as the unanimous pick for the ruck spot in the All-Australian team.

          Marshall started the season well, albeit a touch down on pacesetter Max Gawn, but he might have just elevated himself onto the same tier as the Melbourne giant after a truly remarkable performance against GWS in Round 5.

          The big man finished the game with these numbers:

          • 28 disposals (fourth-most in career)

          • 18 contested possessions (second-most in career)

          • 16 clearances (most in career)

          • 10 inside 50s (most in career)

          • 93% game time (third-highest in career)

          FACT: Marshall is now the only ruck in recorded history to have amassed 16 clearances in a game.

          Champion Data ran the numbers to see if the 25 disposal, 15 contested possession, 15 clearance, 10 inside 50 stat line had ever happened before. It has, but just twice! Gary Ablett achieved the feat in Round 6, 2017, while Brent Moloney managed it in Round 7, 2011. For Marshall, a ruck, to produce these numbers is quite extraordinary.

          5. Ryley Sanders has every right to be ticked off at being subbed out against the Bombers

          Former AFL coach Mick Malthouse said if Ryley Sanders had reacted the way he did after being subbed out of a game when he was in charge he'd "kick his backside so hard his toenails would curl up."

          Sorry, Mick, but don't we want our young players to show they care? Don't we want them to wear their hearts on their sleeve and give everything for their new clubs?

          I can totally understand why Sanders was annoyed about being taken out of last Friday night's game. The Bulldogs were falling behind, and as a young player trying to find his way in the league, it was clear he wanted to help turn things around. He also happened to be nowhere near his side's worst performer to that point in the game. In fact, 16 players on the ground rated lower than Sanders, 10 of them were Bulldogs.

          If I'm Luke Beveridge, I'm taking either Lachie Bramble or Oskar Baker out before Sanders. Both off-season recruits have been totally underwhelming to start the year and have shown no signs they can be part of the long-term plan. It makes little sense for them to receive additional game time over Sanders.

          6. Why do we make our legends wait so long to be ... Legends?

          I'm thrilled for Jason Dunstall. The Hawthorn icon, who booted 1,254 goals throughout his illustrious 14-year career, absolutely deserves to sit at the Legends table in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

          But why did it need to take so long for his inevitable elevation to occur?

          As currently constituted, the maximum amount of Legends in the Hall of Fame cannot exceed 10% of total entrants. But that number has just been plucked out of the sky and seems a little redundant when you have clear-cut Legends just waiting for the larger room in the Hall of Fame to fill up.

          Dunstall played his final game on Saturday, August 29, 1998. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame four years later, but has had to wait 9,362 days to get the news he would be the 32nd Legend in league history.

          I'm convinced these announcements should come far sooner. If we know someone is a no-doubt Legend of the game, like Dunstall, why can't he be inducted as a Legend and not have to wait all these years? It's far more relevant to the era and gives fans who watched the player the chance to appreciate and celebrate his career achievements.