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.
Callum Mills (Sydney) +39%
The Rising Star winner has a stellar 2016 season, collecting 18.6 disposals a game, and was rated above average for disposals and contested possessions, while also winning the third-most intercept possessions of any general defender.
Notables: Jade Gresham (St Kilda) +38%, Jacob Weitering (Carlton) +37%
Peter Wright (Gold Coast) +65%
Wright kicked 27 goals from 17 games in 2016, but his kicking and scoring accuracy both rated elite across the competition, while his shot at goal rating was among the best in the league.
Notables: Harris Andrews (Brisbane) +50%
Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs) +68%
The Bulldogs midfielder was instrumental in the club's premiership season, rating above average in almost every key midfield category.
Notables: Patrick Cripps (Carlton) +45%, Zach Merrett (Essendon) +43%
Zac Williams (GWS) +74%
Williams is one of the most underrated players in the competition, and was ranked No.1 for general defenders for AFL Player Ratings points last season. His ball use is elite for a defender, and also finds himself in that category for contested possessions and groundball-gets.
Notables: Allir Allir (Sydney) +37%
Sam Docherty (Carlton) +61%
The Carlton defender had a brilliant campaign last season, rating elite for AFL Player Rating points, disposals, metres gained, uncontested possessions, intercept marks and intercept possessions, and was the only defender in the AFL to rank elite in all of those categories.
Notables: Toby Greene (GWS) +59%
Tom McDonald (Melbourne) +62%
McDonald averaged the most AFL Player Rating points of any key defender in 2016, and his kick rating was at +6.7% making him elite in that category.
Notables: Steven May (Gold Coast) +52%, Jeremy McGovern (West Coast) +51%
Max Gawn (Melbourne) +74%
The Melbourne big man rated elite for disposals, intercept marks and hitouts in 2016, and was the only ruckman to do so.
Notables: Nat Fyfe (Fremantle) +66%
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%
Cyril Rioli (Hawthorn) +53%
Rioli had a shot at goal rating of +21.5% in 2016, which saw him record the highest percentage of any player with more than 50 shots at goal across a season since 2010. Rioli found himself in the elite category for kicking, forward 50 marks, pressure and goals.
Notables: Alex Rance (Richmond) +49%
Josh P. Kennedy (Sydney) & Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide) +53%
The pair had fantastic 2016 seasons, as Kennedy averaged 31.5 disposals and 7.6 clearances a game, while Gray had 26.3 disposals and 6.1 clearances per game.
Notables: Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood) +49%
Lance Franklin (Sydney) +44%
Buddy bagged a total of 80 goals in 2016, and rated above average in all but one key area among all key forwards (contested marking). His 8.7 score involvements a game saw him rank No.1.
Notables: Paul Puopolo (Hawthorn) +26%, Josh J. Kennedy (West Coast) +24%
Justin Westhoff (Port Adelaide) +32%
Westhoff was one of three players to record averages of 16 disposals, six marks and one goal a game, as he rated elite in AFL Player Rating points, disposals and tackles.
Notables: Heath Shaw (GWS) +31%, Josh Gibson (Hawthorn) +30%, Kade Simpson (Carlton) +30%