With the 2019 AFL season in the books it's time to look at the stats that matter. Which two recruits led the Cats' pressure charge, who spent the most time on ground and which Cat had the most effective kicks in the league?
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Dahlhaus and Atkins the Tackle Kings
The Cats wanted to ramp up the tackle pressure in 2019 and brought in Dahlhaus and Atkins to provide it. The duo delivered in spades, finishing first and second at the club. Gary Ablett busted the myth that his shoulder injuries ended his tackling days, laying his most since 2012 on the Gold Coast.
Tackles:
Luke Dahlhaus 115
Tom Atkins 110
Gary Ablett 108
Tim Kelly 106
Brandan Parfitt 105
Stewart the Golden Boot
The most prolific effective kicker in the game? Tom Stewart. The dual All Australian hit more targets than anyone else in the game in 2019, blitzing the field to finish number one league-wide.
Effective Kicks
Tom Stewart 390
Daniel Rich 354
Shannon Hurn 329
Jake Lloyd 325
Heath Shaw 309
Dead Eye Duo
Cam Guthrie was deadly in front of goal, kicking truly time and time again in 2019. Guthrie ranked first at the club for goal accuracy percentage alongside fellow sharp-shooter Mitch Duncan.
Goal Accuracy Percentage (Players Playing > 7 Games)
Cam Guthrie 71.4
Mitch Duncan 71.4
Gary Rohan 58.1
Tom Hawkins 55.4
Gryan Miers 54.9
The Running Men
Jordan Clark made his mark in his debut season, leading the Cats in running bounces for much of the season until his year was cut short by injury. You can expect to see Clark tearing up the GMHBA Stadium wings in seasons to come.
Bounces
Tim Kelly 17
Jordan Clark 15
Patrick Dangerfield 13
Zach Tuohy 10
Mitch Duncan 8
Miles in the Old Legs
When it came to time on ground percentage, some old campaigners did the job for the Cats in 2019. Aside from the key posts in Hawkins, Blicavs and Taylor, it was Gary Ablett who spent the most time out on field and away from the bench.
Time on Ground Percentage
Tom Hawkins 92.7%
Mark Blicavs 91%
Gary Ablett 87.9%
Harry Taylor 87.7%
Zach Tuohy 87.6%
Ablett Owns the Forward Zone
Ablett’s move forward paid dividends for the Cats in more ways than one. The Little Master led the league in forward 50 groundball gets, racking up 58 for the season. His dreadlocked apprentice Gryan Miers finished fifth in the league.
Forward 50 Groundball Gets
Gary Ablett 58
Christian Petracca 58
Eddie Betts 56
Charlie Cameron 53
Gryan Miers 51
