Round 2 v Essendon

[giant]

Not quite. It’s their 200th game of playing together. What rookie list gems they’ve been.

Great call - might that be a record?

[neilfws]

Great call - might that be a record?

Do you mean a record for rookie list players, or any pair? Quite a few pairs have played 200 or more together - Adam Goodes and Jude Bolton top the list with 301.

[dejavoodoo44]

Do you mean a record for rookie list players, or any pair? Quite a few pairs have played 200 or more together - Adam Goodes and Jude Bolton top the list with 301.

I just tried looking into possibilities for the rookie list games together record. For the Swans, Heath Grundy was rookie listed in 2005 and Kieren Jack was rookie listed in 2006. They both played 256 games and both retired in 2019. So I suspect they have the record for us. I've no idea for other clubs.

[liz]

I just tried looking into possibilities for the rookie list games together record. For the Swans, Heath Grundy was rookie listed in 2005 and Kieren Jack was rookie listed in 2006. They both played 256 games and both retired in 2019. So I suspect they have the record for us. I've no idea for other clubs.

If the record isn't held by a pair of Swans, Freo or the Bulldogs are likely candidates. Like us, they've found a number of long-lasting gems from the rookie list, often in multiples, and especially in the 2000s.

[giant]

Do you mean a record for rookie list players, or any pair? Quite a few pairs have played 200 or more together - Adam Goodes and Jude Bolton top the list with 301.

I meant rookie listed pairs - DJ44's call-out of the Grundy/Jack pairing seems a good call, and of course Nick Smith was a contemporary as well.

[dejavoodoo44]

If the record isn't held by a pair of Swans, Freo or the Bulldogs are likely candidates. Like us, they've found a number of long-lasting gems from the rookie list, often in multiples, and especially in the 2000s.

Just skimming through who's played the most games off the rookie list, the most likely challengers are Matthew Boyd and Dale Morris from the Bulldogs. Boyd played 292 games and Morris 253, but there's more of a mismatch, in that Boyd debuted in 2003 and retired in 2017, while Morris went from 2005 to 2019.

[liz]

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/allt...layers.html#15

Someone on the BF Swans site provided this link. Towards the bottom is a table showing most numbers of games played by pairs of team mates. Lloyd and Rampe lead the way amongst still playing pairs of rookies but they are 70 games short of the last entry on the all time list. I don't believe any of those all-time partnerships were between two rookie listed players, but there could be some not in the top 29 all time. It's not obvious to me whether a long list of all-timers can be sourced from the data provided in afltables.

As an aside, one of the other lists provided is players with the most number of finals games and finals series to their name. In the current players list, the likes of Cunningham, Rampe and Lloyd all make appearances. But I'm surprised not to see Parker's name there, given he's been at the club longer than Rampe and Lloyd (and played in the 2012 finals series). Did he miss an entire finals series through injury somewhere along the way? We've been in so many finals series that my memory is failing me.

Edit

After posting, I realised I could look up Parker's stats directly on the same site. It shows he has played in 23 finals, which suggests something has gone wrong with the way those lists in the first link have been compiled.
https://afltables.com/afl/stats/play...ke_Parker.html

2nd edit

I think the current players' list must use "a game in 2024" to identify them as current. Gary Rohan has played enough finals to make it onto the all-time list but isn't showing on the current players list. He and Parker are both on the sidelines at the moment, so haven't registered a game in 2024. Luke's finals games aren't enough to get him onto the all-time leaderboard. Maybe by the end of this season...

[neilfws]

https://afltables.com/afl/stats/allt...layers.html#15
I don't believe any of those all-time partnerships were between two rookie listed players, but there could be some not in the top 29 all time. It's not obvious to me whether a long list of all-timers can be sourced from the data provided in afltables.

Feels like my first stats challenge for 2024 is underway

If my numbers are right I have Jack and Grundy on 223 games together - I'll keep you all posted!

[neilfws]

Just skimming through who's played the most games off the rookie list, the most likely challengers are Matthew Boyd and Dale Morris from the Bulldogs. Boyd played 292 games and Morris 253, but there's more of a mismatch, in that Boyd debuted in 2003 and retired in 2017, while Morris went from 2005 to 2019.

An excellent educated guess: if my numbers are right (and I'm still working through it), Morris and Boyd played 212 games together. The winning rookie draft pair is Heath Grundy and Kieren Jack (223).

Behind Morris and Boyd are Heath Grundy and Nick Smith on 199 - about to be overtaken by Rampe and Lloyd, also on 199.

[dejavoodoo44]

An excellent educated guess: if my numbers are right (and I'm still working through it), Morris and Boyd played 212 games together. The winning rookie draft pair is Heath Grundy and Kieren Jack (223).

Behind Morris and Boyd are Heath Grundy and Nick Smith on 199 - about to be overtaken by Rampe and Lloyd, also on 199.

I knew that you could do it, but I thought it may have been a bit presumptuous to put in a direct request.

[liz]

An excellent educated guess: if my numbers are right (and I'm still working through it), Morris and Boyd played 212 games together. The winning rookie draft pair is Heath Grundy and Kieren Jack (223).

Behind Morris and Boyd are Heath Grundy and Nick Smith on 199 - about to be overtaken by Rampe and Lloyd, also on 199.

So what are Jack and Smith on? Must be pretty similar to Grundy and Smith, I'd have thought.

And a highly related question: how many did Grundy, Jack and Smith play together? They have to be the leading trio. Though Cunningham, Lloyd and Rampe might get close.

[Maltopia]

Redman is suspended so he's a non-factor this week.

Not sure Parish is "in-form" given he didn't play last weekend. He's down as a test for this week, so he could come into their side. He's one of those players who consistently racks up large numbers of possessions, though not always with much impact.

Not sure what is going on with Draper. He didn't play last week but he's not listed on their injury list. I think he had some fairly major injury issue over the off-season and they're easing him back in.

Thanks for correcting me re Redman.

Draper played in the 2s last weekend so should be for selection to the senior team this week.