DESPITE representative trials, an academy hit-out, and byes interrupting the season thus far, usual suspects have dominated the first month of NAB League action. In this edition of Number Crunching, we take a look at who leads the key stats, with Northern Academy prospects well and truly making their mark.

While the consistent performances of Matt Rowell have him poised as arguably this crop’s top player thus far, Oakleigh teammate Noah Anderson has done his chances of going first off the board no harm with an incredible early-season stat-line.

The damaging midfielder started the year with 26 disposals and four goals against Eastern, backing that up with a monster 44 disposals against Calder and another 26 against Sandringham. Anderson’s impressive disposal tallies see him top the averages with 32 and overall total with 96, while also posting the best goal return of any pure midfielder with eight – and at least two in each game.

Tom Green is his closest ball-winning competitor, with the GWS Giants Academy product having just one less disposal for an average of 31.7 over his three games – highlighted by his 38-disposal effort against Northern. Sydney Academy bottom-ager Errol Gulden would have been right up there with Green and Anderson had he not missed his side’s second outing, putting together two spectacular displays for the Swans to average 30 touches of the ball as third-best.

Green leads the contested ball stakes with his haul of 60 contested possessions making up almost two-thirds of his overall tally. Northern’s Sam Philp is his nearest contender, with the two duking it out in their most recent outing. Philp, who is also equal-third for total possessions (92), has been a beacon of hope for the Knights, and leads the league for handballs (51) from Green (50). Tackling is also a strong point for Philp, with the Knight laying a league-best 32, with Rowell the only other to have 30 to his name. Giants bull Green is stamping his authority as the leading inside midfielder overall though, with a competition-high 30 clearances to be eight better than Philp, Rowell, Ashton Crossley, and Daly Andrews.

On the flip-side, Oakleigh over-ager Joe Ayton-Delaney sits second for uncontested possessions in his third-best overall tally (92) with 59, trailing fellow returnee Angus Hanrahan, who has 64. While Hanrahan boasts the greatest total with 16 over his four games, the best averages belong to Brisbane Academy skipper Will Martyn (17.6), Anderson (16.6) and Calder’s Daniel Mott (16.3).

While the likes of Hanrahan and Ayton-Delaney are fantastic forward movers, academy guns are the ones who dominate the inside 50 ranks. Gold Coast’s Hewago Paul Oea leads all-comers with 22 thus far while teammate Connor Budarick has 16 and Sydney’s Gulden separates them with 18.

At the other end of the ground, Western Jet Josh Kellett has racked up an impressive 31 rebound 50s, followed by Geelong co-captain and half-back mainstay, Jesse Clark on 24 in one less game. Lion Saxon Crozier is one who covers the ground well to boast stats at either end, and it shows in his equal-second marks tally of 23. With key-forward Jet Aaron Clarke on top with his 26 over four games, Martyn and Murray’s Lachlan Ash are the best midfielders in this area with equal averages of 7.3 over three games.

On top in the marking charts, Clarke is second in the goal kicking stakes – his tally of 10 goals is equal with Tasmanian Jackson Callow, and one less than Charlie Dean‘s 11. Meanwhile, Anderson is the highest-scoring midfielder with eight goals – with half coming in his opening game. Dean shares the best individual goal haul of five with Geelong bottom-ager Oliver Henry – the brother of Cats defender, Jack.

While many stars of the draft crop are standing out at this point, expect the stat lines to even out as the season goes on with Northern academy prospects heading back home, school commitments coming into play, and the National Championships also to be played. As is often the case, diamonds appear from the rough during these periods, and they may well appear in the next addition of Stats Central.