Champion Data expert analyst Daniel Hoyne has revealed the top five wingers in 2024 according to their ratings.
While the likes of Josh Kelly, Josh Daicos, Steele Sidebottom and Blake Acres among others have starred in the role in recent years, none of them are in the top five across this year according to Champion Data’s rankings.
All-Australian Errol Gulden is one star who is performing in the elite again this year, while the other four names have all improved drastically in 2024.
Coming in at number one is Hawthorn trade recruit Massimo D’Ambrosio who is 20.4 disposals and 4.4 marks a game. Behind him is Gulden, Fremantle’s Bailey Banfield, emerging Cat Ollie Dempsey and West Coast standout Jayden Hunt.
While all of these players float between roles each week, Hoyne says that their impact while playing wing has stood above the rest.
“The Hawks have a really good pickup with Massimo D’Ambrosio, he’s number one in the competition at the moment,” Hoyne said on SEN Sportsday.
“Errol Gulden, the impact when he’s actually having on the wing when he has the ball in hand has been superb.
“Bailey Banfield's been a really significant sort of role player for Fremantle playing that high half-forward and wing role.
“Ollie Dempsey comes in at number four and Jayden Hunt's having a really good year at West Coast and he comes in number five in the competition.
“It’ll be an interesting watch just to see whether or not anything changes.”
D’Ambrosio’s player rating has come in at 11.00 on average in 2024. In 2023, it came in at 3.75, while in 2022 his performances averaged out to 4.95.
