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.
2. Essendon Bombers
Darcy Parish is emerging as an early favourite for Essendon's best & fairest with his impressive 33.2 disposals, 8.2 clearances and 7.6 inside 50s per game in one of the form sides in the AFL.
Ranked first in Inside 50s per game and second in Effective Disposals per game, Parish has capitalised on his knack to win the footy by penetrating the opposition defence and setting up the Bomber forwards. His ability to find space and create scoring opportunities has improved with just about every season he plays and some Bomber fans will be hoping his efforts haven't gone unappreciated by contract negotiators at Essendon.
So far this year, Parish is ranking third in both Clearances per game and Disposals per game. He has been terrific in every game, but his standout performance probably came against Melbourne. He had 34 disposals and 5 marks in one of the biggest Essendon wins in recent memory. These numbers are hard to replace and should have Parish leading the Bombers best & fairest so far.
However, captain Zach Merrett, second-year player Nic Martin, and Jordan Ridley all have had impressive seasons and could challenge Parish for the honour down the line.
Merrett has been a stalwart for the Bombers, averaging 29.6 disposals per game and 4.8 tackles per game, showcasing his toughness and leadership. Martin, with 1.2 goals per game and a tireless work rate, has emerged as a scoring threat and has been instrumental in launching the Essendon offence. Finally, Ridley has dominated the air with 8.2 marks per game and has been a key contributor to Essendon's defensive efforts.
Merrett's best games include a 35-disposal performance against Melbourne, while Martin shone in the win against GWS with 24 disposals and two goals. Ridley's 14-mark effort against St Kilda demonstrated his aerial dominance and was a key factor in Essendon's competitive showing against the ladder leaders.
