PATRICK Dangerfield's performance in Saturday's blockbuster against Hawthorn will settle an intriguing pub debate: is peak Dangerfield better than peak Ablett?
Carve up the Hawks, and Dangerfield can break Gary Ablett's AFL Player Ratings record for footy's best 40-game streak.
Ablett's record was set between round 17, 2011 and round 14, 2013. He won his second Brownlow medal at the end of the 2013 season.
Dangerfield's current streak dates back to his final game for Adelaide, the 2015 semi-final loss to Hawthorn.
Why the mini milestone matters
Dangerfield's record-breaking run is evidence the 2016 Brownlow medallist's form has gone to new heights since returning to his hometown.
He's become half of a fearsome duo, 'Dangerwood' (with club captain Joel Selwood), and is a nightmare match-up for opposition.
To outdo Ablett's record streak, Dangerfield needs 24.4 AFL Ratings points in this Saturday's match against Hawthorn.
For context: Dangerfield's Cat teammate Mitch Duncan earned 26.3 points for his 38 disposals against the Lions last round.
If matching that sounds a tough ask, consider this: Dangerfield has scored over 24.4 points in 27 per cent of his matches since round one, 2015.
Paddy picked up 'Charlie' during his hot streak of form. Picture: AFL Photos
Who's next best?
Here are the three best 40-game streaks from current players that stretched into this season.
| Player | Club(s) | Best 40-game streak | Current AFL Player Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Kennedy | Syd | R11 2015 - R1 2017 | No.3 |
| Rory Sloane | Adel | R19 2015 - R10 2017 | No.4 |
| Marcus Bontempelli | WB | R15 2015 - R4 2017 | No.8 |
The Chaser: 'BJ' racks up a rare double ton
Brendon Goddard left St Kilda after 10 seasons as one of the first ever free agents, landing at Essendon just as the club was beginning to become embroiled in the supplements saga.
The midfielder with the booming right boot has been a steady presence for the Bombers since 2013, even leading the extremely inexperienced Dons line-up as captain last year.
In playing his 100th game for Essendon on Friday night (against none other than St Kilda), he becomes just the 40th VFL/AFL footballer to play at least 100 games at two clubs.
Current players to have achieved the rare double are Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide and Hawthorn), Gary Ablett (Geelong and Gold Coast) and Michael Rischitelli (Brisbane Lions and Gold Coast).
Another contender? Fremantle's Danyle Pearce. He'll also achieve the double this weekend if selected to face West Coast, having played 154 games for Port Adelaide from 2005-2012.
The mystery match keeping Riewoldt's record on hold
Two weeks ago The Chase featured St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt who, we confidently proclaimed, needed just nine marks to break Gary Dempsey's all-time record of 2906.
Riewoldt's since surged past the tally and has 2913. However, we're not yet crowning him the record-holder.
That's because AFL historian Col Hutchinson revealed a game's worth of missing stats from Dempsey's career record.
According to calculations by AFL.com.au reporter Ben Collins, Riewoldt still needs to take 10 more marks to be assured of the mantle.
