Which modern AFL superstars are most respected by their peers?
In the lead-up to Round 1, aflplayers.com.au (in conjunction with afl.com.au) will reveal the top 50 players in the game, as voted by the players.
There aren’t many players like Patrick Dangerfield.
With a hardened body capable of winning a contested ball and the explosive speed to match, Dangerfield is a rare multidimensional footballer.
So it’s little wonder he’s been named by his peers as the third-best player in the competition, given the difficulties associated with matching up on a player of such versatility.
For Dangerfield, 2015 was the year he entered his prime. The 25-year-old had a career-best season for disposals, tackles and clearances and featured in the top three players in the competition for average contested possessions per game.
With eight seasons under his belt, the 154-gamer is also dangerous in attack and can hit the scoreboard as regularly as any midfielder, highlighted by his 163 career goals.
Dangerfield moves up four spots from last year’s ranking and follows teammates Tom Hawkins (44), Harry Taylor (41) and skipper Joel Selwood (8) as Geelong’s representatives in the 2016 count.
Patrick Dangerfield 2015 stats (23 games):
Average disposals: 26.83. Contested possessions: 15.22. Tackles: 5.48. Clearances: 7.17. Goals: 21.
Click here to see who was ranked number 4 in the AFL Players’ Top 50