Champion Data ranks the best players since 2010 at every age

Following Clayton Oliver's meteoric rise last season, Champion Data have unveiled the best players since 2010 at every age, as seen in the AFL Prospectus.

The Demons ball magnet was dubbed 2018's 'Player of the Year' after taking a huge leap from the previous season.

Of course, records are made to be broken. Here, we'll observe which players are ready to take the next step and entrench their name into the next AFL prospectus book.

Recorded by their official player ratings on Afl.com.au, Champion Data outlined David Swallow's 2011 season was the greatest by any player at age 19. Interestingly enough, Swallow finished fourth in the rising star that season behind Dyson Heppell, Luke Shuey and Zac Smith.

In his first year at the Suns, the former No.1 pick ranked elite among rising stars in several categories, including contested possessions, goal assists and clearances.

The player with the potential to remove Swallow's name is Carlton's Sam Walsh, who Champion Data refer to as "the best ball winner we have ever recorded".

Walsh collected at least 23 disposals from 25 games, spanning across two TAC Cup seasons. Across 41 matches recorded by Champion Data (TAC Cup and U18 Champs), Walsh averaged 28 disposals per match.

The number one selection from last year's draft will likely be a top accumulator for years to come, with a similar playing style to Hawthorn's Tom Mitchell.

The other draftee is Izak Rankine, who was the top ranked player in both the 2017 championships and the 2018 championships, and looms as an option to break the record set by his new teammate.

The flashy half-forward averaged an 18.5 AFL player rating at the 2018 champs, which would knock Swallow's 2011 season (avg. 12) right out of the park.

At the age of 20, Marcus Bontempelli recorded a player rating average of 17.5.

In comparison to last year, Oliver recorded an official rating of 17.6 (aged 21), narrowly beating Bontempelli's season 2015 according to Champion Data.

Several trends have occurred for the more senior players, with Dangerfield featuring three times.

As a young Adelaide onballer, Dangerfield had the best season of any 22-year-old, followed by his final year at the Crows in 2015 (aged 25). He then took the number one spot at the age of 27 in his second year at Geelong.

Dangerfield's 2015 season is seemingly up in the air, with a rating of just 18.7.

One player with the potential to record a new top rating by a 25-year-old is All-Australian Lachie Whitfield. In 2018, Whitfield rated elite for disposals, metres gained, marks, uncontested possessions, score involvements and pressure acts.

Scott Pendlebury and Nathan Fyfe hold the best seasons for a 23 and 24-year-old respectively.

The only serious threat to Fyfe's record lies in the hands of new Carlton captain Patrick Cripps, who turns 24 this year. Cripps won 52 per cent of his AFL rating points at stoppages in season 2018. One area he will want to improve on to hit the heights of Fyfe/Pendlebury is scoreboard impact, which he currently only rates average for.

Gary Ablett's season 2010 saw him record an official rating of 22 for averaging 31.5 disposals at age 26.

Between years 2012 and 2014, Ablett recorded the highest player rating of any player aged between 28 and 30. It was at the age of 30 where Ablett recorded the highest average ever at 22.2.

It's fair to say that many of Ablett's records are safe for now, with his teammate Dangerfield the only real future threat.

Best AFL Player Ratings Seasons (2010-2018) By Age at 31-Dec.

Source: AFL 2019 Prospectus by Champion Data