Throughout the 2016 AFL season, Champion Data devised a new formula to measure just how good a player is, and have now launched their new Relative Ratings.
The ratings take into account how a player performs in relation to those at the same age as them, and compares them to all other players at that age from 2010 onwards.
Each player's output over the course of the 2016 season is determined through the relative ratings, and their age is decided on December 31st of that season, meaning despite Marcus Bontempelli being 20 on Grand Final day, he will be grouped with 21-year-olds.
Patrick Dangerfield - who led the AFL in relative ratings in 2016 - had a rating of +77%, meaning he averaged 77% more AFL Player Rating points than any other 26-year-old midfielder since 2010.
The following lists shows the top player in each age group for relative ratings across the 2016 season.
26-year-olds
Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong) +77%
The 2016 Brownlow Medalist averaged 31.8 disposals a game with 16.2 contested possessions a game, just over seven more than the competition average. Dangerfield also broke the season record for metres gained per game with 620.
Notables: Nic Naitanui (West Coast) +68%
