With six rounds of football officially in the books for the 2023 AFL season, plenty of players have made their mark on the competition already.
Young Pie Nick Daicos has emerged as a Brownlow favourite in just his second season and looks to be topping Collingwood's best and fairest count, while plenty of others have had standout seasons for their clubs.
After a month and a bit of footy, we've taken a look at where each club's best and fairest count stands, naming the favourites for the award so far, with part one of the series covering Adelaide-Fremantle.
4. Carlton Blues
Blues fans would likely have hoped for more competition for their best & fairest honours this year, but the one player who stands out is Charlie Curnow.
Curnow has been in blistering form this season, scoring 21 goals in six games at an average of 3.5 per game. His ability to dominate the forward line almost single-handedly has been critical to their first three wins and has forced the opposition to create defensive plan focussed solely on him. Still, he has taken 6.5 marks per game, showcasing his aerial and athletic prowess in the process.
Curnow's impact extends beyond just scoring goals. He ranks 4th in total score involvements and 2nd in total contested marks, two crucial stats in assessing key forward production.
His top performances this year have been coming of age material. With 16 disposals, 9 marks and 6 goals in round 4 against North Melbourne, he was just about the difference in their 23-point victory. His 5-goal haul in round 2 against Geelong was also a standout performance and a crucial factor in Carlton's 8-point win.
At the other end, Carlton's defence has produced a couple of B&F contenders this season also. Adam Saad has been a quality point of difference in the backline, ranking fifth in the league for intercepts per game but maintaining all of the explosive run and flare that fans have come to enjoy from him, and doing it at volume.
Weitering, on the other hand, has been a tower of strength in the air, ranking second in the league for marks per game and seventh for total contested marks. He's also ranked ninth for total one percenters, making him one of the most well-rounded defenders in the league.
