CARLTON'S task of replacing knee victim Sam Docherty next year has been further highlighted by the star defender's effort to claim a key statistical record last season.

Along with Docherty's leadership, composure and dash, the Blues will also desperately miss his precision kicking, with the 24-year-old delivering the most effective kicks in a home and away season since Champion Data first recorded the stat in 1999. (Unless otherwise specified, 1999 will be the starting point for all records in this story.)

Docherty's 353 effective kicks edged past the previous record of 351 set last year by Greater Western Sydney veteran Heath Shaw.

The 2016 Carlton club champion's kicking efficiency was no doubt boosted by his decision-making – he also distributed record tallies of short kicks (228) and kicks backwards (43).

To cap it off, Docherty also equalled the record for the most uncontested marks in a season, matching the 188 taken by St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt last year.

The Blues' leadership group member was among a raft of players to break season stats records this year, along with Melbourne youngster Clayton Oliver, Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield, West Coast wingman Andrew Gaff, Adelaide young gun Matt Crouch, Hawthorn ball magnet Tom Mitchell and Richmond premiership heroes Alex Rance and Dustin Martin.

Oliver's achievement was astounding for such a young player. The second-year Demon, 20, dished off the most handballs in a season in history, including finals, even though the Demons didn't feature in September. He was just two clear of Mitchell.

Oliver, who won Melbourne's best and fairest this year, also posted unprecedented season numbers for effective handballs (385) and groundball gets (276).

Most handballs in a home and away season (1999-2017)

Dangerfield continued to take all before him, winning the most contested possessions in a season with 385 – 37 more than when he won the Brownlow Medal last year.

Between them, Dangerfield and Swans skipper Josh Kennedy occupy the top five positions in this category.

As for career contested possessions average, Kennedy (14.97) leads the way, followed by Carlton's emerging star Patrick Cripps (14.31), Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe (13.74) and Dangerfield (13.49).

Most contested possessions in a home and away season (1999-2017) 

Gaff broke his own record in collecting the most uncontested possessions in a season. In fact, the classy left-footer holds the first three spots on the list.

In terms of career uncontested possessions average, the leaders are Gaff (18.86), Hawks defender Grant Birchall (16.92), young Bulldog Jack Macrae (16.80), Tom Mitchell and Roo-turned-Crow Sam Gibson (both 16.54). 

Most uncontested possessions in a home and away season (1999-2017) 

As has been well documented, the extraordinarily prolific Mitchell posted the most disposals in a home and away season.

The left-footer easily boasts the highest career disposal average (27.83), followed by Collingwood jet Adam Treloar (26.97) and Brownlow medallists Greg Williams (26.88) and Dane Swan (26.85), and Crows star Crouch (26.71).

Mitchell is also well clear in highest career handball average (16.44).

Most disposals in a home and away season (1999-2017)

* Going further back, other sources place Collingwood great Wayne Richardson second with 748 disposals in 1971.

Crouch accumulated the most disposals in a season (including finals), his tally of 825 eclipsing Collingwood great Swan's 820 in 2010.

Most disposals in a season incl. finals (1999-2017)

Crows sharpshooter Eddie Betts is also the most prolific goal-assist merchant on record, this year surpassing retiring genius Steve Johnson.

Meanwhile, Port Adelaide gun Robbie Gray has the best career goal assist average (1.10), followed by Hawthorn genius Cyril Rioli (0.98), Betts (0.96), along with Hawk Luke Breust and Brisbane Lions champ Jason Akermanis (both 0.93).

Most goal assists (2003-2017)

Freo giant Aaron Sandilands has the most hit-outs in history, but the career hit-out average list reads like this: Adelaide's Sam Jacobs (32.42), North Melbourne's Todd Goldstein (31.98), Melbourne's Max Gawn (31.34), Sandilands (31.02) and retired Swan/Giant Shane Mumford (30.03).

Intercept extraordinaire Rance set the season record for the most uncontested marks from opposition kicks (49), while Eagles counterpart Jeremy McGovern equalled Bulldog Easton Wood's 2015 record for the most marks from opposition kicks (75).

Essendon's explosive little man Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti laid the most rundown tackles in a season (since first recorded in 2007).

Among the single game records set this year, Dockers youngster Luke Ryan, in just his eighth AFL game, posted the most uncontested marks from oppositions kicks, while Carlton captain Marc Murphy produced the most baulks in a game (since first recorded in 2011) during a controversial clash with St Kilda in which he was subjected to some intensely personal sledging.

Tigers superstar Martin shattered his own 2016 record for the most broken tackles in a season, including a game record of eight in the preliminary final against Great Western Sydney.

Less flattering for Martin was that although he is one of the most damaging kicks in the game, he also claimed season records for the most ineffective kicks and the most clanger kicks. This was perhaps a result of Martin backing himself to hit high-risk, high-reward targets.

Meanwhile, several retiring champions finished their great careers as stats record holders – St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt (most marks, most contested marks and most marks inside 50), Brownlow winners Matt Priddis (most tackles) and Sam Mitchell (most clearances, most handballs, average handballs) and Josh Gibson (one-percenters).

2017's record breakers

Want more stats stories?

- Stats glossary: Every stat explained

- Stats leaders in every category in 2017

- All-time season stats record-holders