A STELLAR start to Port Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper's career has him ranked the best first-year player in the competition by the Schick AFL Player Ratings.

The big-bodied onballer was taken at No.18 in last year's NAB AFL Draft and his aggression and strength in the contest have seen him make an immediate impact at the Power. 

Powell-Pepper made a name for himself when he brutally manhandled Hawthorn premiership star Shaun Burgoyne with one of the most ferocious 'don't argues' in recent memory in a pre-season game.

The West Australian has continued that form in the regular season and is ranked equal-third in the competition for broken tackles with 12 (alongside Essendon's Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti), behind Richmond's Dustin Martin (27) and Gold Coast's Adam Saad (13).

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From Powell-Pepper's nine matches, he has averaged 11.5 ratings points per game. He is third at Port for hardball gets, fourth for clearances and fifth for pressure points, which are calculated by allocated a weighted score to pressure acts that include corralling, chasing, closing on a player and actual physical pressure.

Last year's second pick, Greater Western Sydney hard man Tim Taranto, is in a similar mould to Powell-Pepper. His developed body has proven an asset at the elite level and the Giant is No.2 of first-year players in the ratings. 

Having played all but one game for the season, the Victorian is fourth at the club for pressure points and eighth for hardball gets. 

Taranto has become important in the wake of a wave of injuries at the Giants, with Stephen Coniglio, Rory Lobb, Ryan Griffen, Brett Deledio and Devon Smith among those sidelined.

Melbourne livewire Mitch Hannan is ranked third among players in their first year, with 9.2 ratings points per game. In the absence of key forward Jesse Hogan through suspension and illness, the spring-heeled Demon is fourth at the club for goals per game and scoring-chain involvements. 

The 23-year-old was drafted at No.46 last year but has booted three goals in each of his past two games.

Player ratings are calculated by Champion Data and uses a variety of statistics to analyse an individual's performance in their last 40 games over a rolling two-year period.

Most broken tackles in 2017

27: Dustin Martin (Richmond) 
13: Adam Saad (Gold Coast) 
12: Sam Powell-Pepper (Port Adelaide), Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (Essendon),Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong) 
10: Jarman Impey (Port Adelaide), Lance Franklin (Sydney), Jake Stringer (Western Bulldogs)