THESE players are your team's money men.
When you see them running forward of centre with ball in hand, get excited.
>>SCROLL DOWN TO SEE YOUR CLUB'S BEST KICK INSIDE 50
Behind goalkicking, it's the most important kick in the game – the one that's delivered inside 50 to give your team its best chance of scoring.
Against Geelong on Friday night, it was no surprise when Hugh McCluggage had the ball in the first minute of the final quarter that a perfectly weighted kick would find its way into the outstretched hands of Cam Rayner for a goal.
McCluggage, now in his ninth season and on track for a maiden All-Australian blazer, has made a career out of being Brisbane's money man.
He is among the top 10 in the League for kicks going inside 50 that result in marks for teammates.
Zach Merrett, Dylan Moore and Kysaiah Pickett finding themselves in the same rare air would not surprise the supporters of Essendon, Hawthorn or Melbourne, so astute is their kicking.
However, the absolute elite of the elite in 2025, according to statistics provided by Champion Data, might not be the first names that come to mind.
Collingwood's Patrick Lipinski is not only ranked No.1 is this critical category this year, he's a whopping 10 per cent in front of second.
That margin is more than the gap that separates second to 10th.
The money kick (min. 30 kicks into F50) |
||
Player |
Club |
Kick Inside 50 to Mark % |
Patrick Lipinski |
Coll |
50% |
Murphy Reid |
Frem |
40% |
Jason Horne-Francis |
PA |
39% |
Karl Amon |
Haw |
36% |
Zach Merrett |
Ess |
35% |
Ben Ainsworth |
GC |
34% |
Dylan Moore |
Haw |
33% |
Jake Melksham |
Melb |
33% |
Kysaiah Pickett |
Melb |
32% |
Seth Campbell |
Rich |
31% |
Hugh McCluggage |
BL |
31% |
Then there's first-year Fremantle gun, Murphy Reid, who nails 40 per cent of his forward 50 entries to teammates.
Hawthorn and Melbourne each have two players ranked inside the top 10, which means plenty of other clubs are not represented.
Of teams currently in the top eight, Adelaide, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs are all crying out for one player to put their hand up.
Look below to see who leads your club and the gap to the rest of the competition.
The money kick - every club's No.1 (min. 30 kicks into F50) | ||
Club |
Player |
Kick inside 50 to mark % |
Adelaide |
Alex Neal-Bullen |
30% |
Brisbane |
Hugh McCluggage |
31% |
Carlton |
Patrick Cripps |
27% |
Collingwood |
Patrick Lipinski |
50% |
Essendon |
Zach Merrett |
35% |
Fremantle |
Murphy Reid |
40% |
Geelong |
Shaun Mannagh |
27% |
Gold Coast |
Ben Ainsworth |
34% |
Greater Western Sydney |
Tom Green |
30% |
Hawthorn |
Karl Amon |
36% |
Melbourne |
Jake Melksham |
33% |
North Melbourne |
Colby McKercher |
27% |
Port Adelaide |
Jason Horne-Francis |
39% |
Richmond |
Seth Campbell |
31% |
St Kilda |
Jack Sinclair |
28% |
Sydney |
Braeden Campbell |
29% |
West Coast |
Liam Duggan |
26% |
Western Bulldogs |
Joel Freijah |
24% |